For The Home Seller

Table of Contents

20 reasons to hire a REALTOR
Selling your home? Less is definitely more
17 simple things to make your home more marketable
Staging your home to sell
Why hasn't my house sold?

20 reasons to hire a REALTOR

1. Homes are bought by comparison. I have a large inventory at my disposal
through MlS while you have an inventory of one.
2. I am very familiar with competitive houses so I can help you position your
home well.
3. It is hard negotiating for yourself. I have lots of experience in writing
contracts and can negotiate aggressively on your behalf.
4. Buyers are not always forthright about their financial situation. I insist on
pre-qualifying before I even bring you an offer.
5. My lender contacts and mortgage experience help buyers get the
financing they need.
6. Most buyers don't want to tell the seller why they don't make an offer. I
can probe the buyer or his agent for that information.
7. Any follow up you do with a buyer can be seen as desperation. I
follow up as part of my job so that you are not perceived in a
compromising light.
8. I can showcase your improvements better so that you don't appear like
you are "selling."
9. Most sellers who spend their time as a For Sale By Owner end up by
listing in the end. A recent NAR survey found that only 11 % of sellers
nationally ended up selling by owner. Why spend your time and money if
in the end you will hire a REALTOR?
10. Unqualified buyers can tie up your home. I make sure that doesn't
happen.
11. Personality conflicts with a buyer can get in the way. I come between the
buyer and the seller so that personalities don't enter in.
12. Most buyers use a REALTOR'", which increases the number of buyers who
will see your home.
13. I can mobilize my company agents and other area REALTORS on your
behalf.
14. An NAR survey of recent closed sellers found that REALTOR-assisted
sales brought in 20% more sales price than For Sale By Owner sales.
15. A FSBO sign makes you vulnerable for any curiosity seeker or unsavory
character. When you list, only buyers accompanied by a REALTOR will
get into your home.
16. Being accessible to show your home limits your personal time and cuts
down the available showing time. When you list, your property will be
available during normal showing hours and the prospect will always be
accompanied by me or another REALTOR.
17. Additional exposure through MlS and the Internet brings you a higher
price.
18. I orchestrate the contract-to-closing process, including the appraisal,
buyer-loan process, title, inspections, pest control, survey, etc., taking this
burden off of you.
19. I make sure that you are compliant with all laws relating to the sale of
your home.
20. I only get paid when I get the job done.

Selling your home? Less is definitely more

Here are a few tips to make your home more attractive to a potential buyer:

Reduce clutter
• Clean out closets, pick up clutter, and pare down what's inside. That goes
for those treasured family photos and mementos, too. The reason?
Besides adding a spacious feel to the home, pared-down surroundings can
help potential buyers beUer envision themselves and their family photos in
the house.

• Pack away items and special collections usually displayed in cabinets and
hutches, and move a few pieces of furniture out of the house. This will help
buyers to better see where their furniture might go in the house.

• Don't forget to keep the house clean every minute it's on the market. This
takes great effort, but the buyer may need to see it in the next five minutes,
and you'll need to be prepared.

Tone down your creativity
• So, you like your house to "say something" about your personality. Well,
it's time to tone it down. Go buy some plain-vanilla paint to cover those
red-and-purple walls in your boudoir-it'll make a difference when you're
trying to sell your home. Many buyers can't see your Picasso genius (and
just can't get past the splatter-paint wall in the living room) to visualize
colors they're more comfortable with.

• If you've got an Italian fresco on a living room wall that stops people in
their tracks, they may lose sight of the rest of the home's wonderful
features. If you're resistant to do anything about it, ask someone you trust
to give you an independent view of your home. Better yet, ask your
REALTOR· or an appraiser if the house looks cluttered or if any colors are
too bright. Some may see bright colors as gaudy. Listen to their answers
and take their advice.

By "paring down," organizing, and carefully sorting your possessions, you're
ensuring that your home will appeal to the greatest number of potential
buyers. Remember to remove about half of the items stored in closets and
cabinets and toss or give away things you don't use. Not only will de-cluttering
and cleaning help to sell your house quickly, you'll be ahead of the game when
it comes to packing up and moving to your new location.

17 simple things to make your home more marketable

1. Make sure your entranceway says "Hey, look at me!"
2. Prune dead limbs from trees.
3. Paint (or touch up) exterior, and repair screens and windows.
4. Clean your windows.
5. Check AIC and heating systems.
6. Fix leaky faucets, toilets, and faulty lights.
7. Vacuum drapes and carpets.
8. Repair wall cracks, re-caulk bathrooms and kitchen.
9. Clear out closets.
10. Remove excess furniture.
11. Keep cats and dogs out of visitors' way.
12. Mow lawn, edge driveway and walkways
13. Ensure windows, doors, and locks work smoothly.
14. Weed flower beds and trim shrubs.
15. Throw out junk from garage and storage areas.
16. Clean lawn furniture.
17. If you have a pool, make it crystal clear.

Staging your home to sell
A few changes may decrease time on the market and increase sales price.

You know you should clean everything and get rid of clutter.
But aside from that, how do you broaden the appeal of your house?

Here are a few tips:
• Walk through the house and prioritize things that, if changed, would increase the value of your home. For example, repainting a child's bubble-gum pink bedroom may attract more buyers than something not as apparent, such as replacing an old dishwasher.
• You can direct a potential buyer's eye away from something negative or toward something positive. Use
artwork or a room's own features, such as a fireplace, to capture a buyer's attention. However, there's a
fine line. You want buyers to be able to appreciate the room and not just focus on the items in the room.
• Remove any furniture that tightens spaces. If a couch or chair makes you turn your body as you walk by or just
makes a passage look small, get rid of it. Everybody wants more space.
• Rid the house of personal effects, and don't forget simple things like magnets on the refrigerator. Small distractions to the buyers' eyes will disturb their thinking, preventing them from picturing the house as theirs. And while you want the rooms to look well-decorated and spacious, avoid turning the house into a perfect home. Try to balance the brand-new look with some of its lived-in warmth.
• Potential buyers often feel uncomfortable in bedrooms and bathrooms because they are, by definition, personal and private places. To counter this reaction, make bedrooms and bathrooms look like a model home (toss the
lived-in feel out the bathroom window). Clear off all surfaces of the bathroom-remove even simple things like toothpaste and soap. Put out nice, fresh towels instead. The goal is to make these rooms comfortable for buyers.
When they're comfortable, they'll linger and picture themselves in the house.
• Consider hiring a professional to improve your home's visual appeal. The fee charged by a "stager" can be worth it if the changes bring a quicker offer or a higher sales price.

Why hasn't my house sold?

Here are a few reasons and remedies