Price Your Home To Sell

Price is always the main factor in determining how long it takes to sell a house.  The houses that sell fastest are those that are priced closest to the current market value based upon their condition relative to the most similar recently sold homes.

Over 90% of buyers use the internet to search for their new home and they now have more information than ever right at their fingertips.  Buyers can now view all the homes currently for sale (and previously sold) in your neighborhood, and they can get a very good feel for the current market values right from their living room.  If they see a home that’s not priced appropriately, they will likely never even request a showing.  Showing traffic typically drops off considerably after the first 2-3 weeks a home is listed, so it’s vital that you price your home correctly right from the start.

Our goal is to help you realize the most net profit from the sale of your house in the shortest amount of time.  We do this by assisting you with enhancing the desirability of the house and proactively marketing to qualified buyers.  The enhanced exposure will help your home sell much faster, if it’s priced right.

Market Pricing

Pricing the house correctly, as close to market value as possible, will result in the strongest offers in the shortest time. Buyers may still want to negotiate, but if your home is already priced right (and pre-inspected) you can easily justify the price without negotiating any lower.  Buyers will know it’s at market value and ask the questions you want to hear.

“Can we make an offer today?  When can we close?”

If you price your home below market value, many buyers will be interested and you will likely have multiple offers very quickly.  This is the quickest way to sell a house but you don’t want to leave any money on the table.  If the house is below market by mistake then you don’t have to accept any of the lower offers – you can counter them with a higher price and/or adjust the sales price.

Over-Pricing

The most common mistake in pricing a house for sale is overpricing.  It’s understandable that you want the most money possible from the sale of your house, but real estate is market-based. If you price your house well above what similar houses in similar condition are selling for, buyers typically won’t have much interest until you lower the price closer to market value.

The longer your house sits on the market, the more it will cost you in the end.  In addition to your ongoing carrying costs (mortgage, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, utilities), a lingering listing is a red flag to buyers and agents.  The longer your home is listed, the weaker the offers will be because the buyers will likely question why it hasn’t sold and scrutinize the house in more detail.

“Why has the house been on the market so long?  What’s wrong with the house?”

A house that lingers on the market will also attract bargain hunters and investors who want to make a profit on the house – at your expense. Investor offers are always lowball offers with buyer-friendly terms.