Selling your home can be surprisingly time-consuming and emotionally challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. No doubt, you want to get the best price possible to make the most money possible when selling your house. Sometimes, though, sellers unwittingly sabotage the sale of their house and wind up getting less than they could for it. With no experience and a complex, emotional transaction on your hands, it’s easy for first-time home sellers to make lots of mistakes. The fact is there are multiple things you can get wrong that will cost you money at sale time. So here are some suggestions to help you make sure you don’t leave money on the table when selling your Seattle house.
Price It Right
Whether you’re working with an agent or going it alone, setting the right asking price is key. Any smart buyer will negotiate, and if you want to complete the sale, you may have to play ball. A huge temptation for inexperienced home sellers is to overprice. And there are several ways this can cause you to leave money on the table when selling your Shoreline, WA house.
Agents know, through research and experience, how to price houses to sell and keep you from leaving money on the table To discover more about how an agent can help you with pricing, call (206) 578-3438.
Hold Off on Showings
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, another good way to avoid leaving money on the table when selling your Seattle house is by deferring showings. It’s exciting to get those first few seemingly interested buyers in the door – any one of whom may make an offer. The problem here is that in all the excitement it’s too easy to take the first offer and then maybe miss out on a better offer if you had waited.
It’s better, then, to hold off on showings for a while till some of the excitement has died and use deferred showings. With deferred showings – instead of listing your house in the MLS and then showing it as buyers trickle in – you wait for a predetermined period after listing in the MLS before showings can begin. This will build interest in potential buyers who then anticipate the showing and are thus likely to offer more as a result. It also gives you a chance to make any repairs you find the need for at the last minute.
Market Well and Widely
In order to not leave money on the table when selling your Seattle house, you must apply effective marketing. Here are some of the most important steps to take for marketing to ensure you get top dollar for your house:
- Make sure your home looks it is absolute best both inside and out.
- Take top quality listing photos, preferably using a professional photographer.
- Write a compelling description using all your copywriting skills. (Your agent can be a great help here.)
- Make sure you list your home on all the top online sites: Realtor.com, Zillow, and Trulia.
- Create a professional quality virtual tour.
- Make sure your agent follows up on all inquiries.
Hire a Trusted Agent
The most important thing you can to ensure you don’t leave money on the table when selling your Seattle house is to hire a qualified, trusted real estate agent. A good agent generally has your best interests at heart. They will help you set a fair and competitive selling price for your home, increasing your odds of a quick sale. Your agent will also have more experience negotiating home sales, helping you get more money than you could on your own. And if any problems crop up during the process—and they commonly do—an experienced professional will be there to handle them for you. Finally, agents are familiar with all the paperwork and pitfalls involved in real estate transactions and can help make sure the process goes smoothly. This means there won’t be any delays or glitches in the deal.
