In the last couple months I have had three listings that got offers quickly... two within the first week on the market! What all three of these homes had in common was sellers who meticulously prepared and staged their homes... and were also careful not to overprice their homes for their markets. All three showed beautifully and were move-in ready... and buyers took notice!
To get a quick sale in today's market...
- Meticulously prepare and stage your home to show well
- Be picky in your preparations, your buyers will be picky when they are looking
- Good condition isn't enough... buyers watch HGTV and they also expect homes to be well staged
- Remember that staging a home to sell is different from decorating a home to live... once it is staged to sell, it ceases to be 'your home' and becomes a marketable commodity
- Have a commanding online presence
- Over 92% of Minnesota buyers are shopping for homes online
- If your photos and online presence don't grab potential buyers they will click by and never even see your home, regardless of how well prepared it may be
- Choose your top selling feature and lead with a dazzling photo that showcases the feature that you think will sell your home
- Price your home carefully
- Price is determined by current market conditions, not by how much you need to buy your next home or pay off your mortgage... nor how much it was worth 3 years ago
- Don't forget that price takes into account not only your home itself, but also setting and location... which can have a huge impact, either positive or negative
- To compel a buyer to act now, it's not good enough to be comparably priced... your price should be lower than comparable homes so buyers feel it is a good deal and they must make an offer now, before someone else buys it!
Here are links to the three homes referenced above...
- 12240 24th Ave N, Plymouth
- 2305 Indian Rd W, Minnetonka
- 230 Windsor Lane, New Brighton
Careful preparation pays off. Your best potential buyers are those who have already seen and rejected everything currently on the market and are scouring new listings when they come available. Don't list before you are ready... you want to dazzle these buyers so they make an offer now!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Minneapolis Listing Realtor
