Preparing to List Your Home

Seller think the first thing to do when listing their property is either putting a sign out front or calling a real estate agent to do it for them. The problem with this is, there are usually many tasks that need to be done before you even begin to list.

In this market, selling is not easy. Sellers should definitely find a reliable and seasoned real estate agent or broker to work with. Going it alone is not the best idea in this market. Sellers are having a hard enough time selling with an agent.  To make matters worse, they often times pick an agent that has little or no experience with the particular type of sale.  For example, if the sale is going to be a “short sale”, that is selling the house for less than is owed, the seller is best advised to find an agent that has a track record of short sales and uses a third party negotiator such as Home Solution Counselors and/or an attorney such as The Gore Law Firm to protect them from legal pitfalls.

You need to find a good agent and get plenty of references before agreeing to list with them. Ask around, and ask lots of questions to learn all you can about an agent. If an agent has plenty of referrals and approval comments this is just one of the ways to tell they know what they are doing. There are probably plenty more clients that didn’t leave a comment.

But as a seller, you will need to make sure your home is ready to sell also. Having a good agent walk through is one way and certainly something to consider, but before even getting to that point, take a walk-through yourself and make
notes as to anything you might see that a buyer would hesitate on. It’s sometimes easy to miss things that you have become accustomed to for years so have a trusted friend do it with you. Are their tasks that have sat unfinished? Repairs that you know a buyer would ask for anyway? Colors that just don’t add a warm and neutral feel? These are all things that will stand out to buyers even more.

How about the outside? Does the landscape and outer appearance beckon the buyer to see more? Consider either painting the whole house or at least the trim to freshen up the lines. Also consider painting the front door. The front porch or
wherever buyers are going to enter is the outside space they will see the most because this is where they will be standing when their agent is trying to get into your home.

Remember too, that buyers will typically be touring your home with not only their agent but possibly other family members. Keep walk ways free and clear and as open as possible.

Once you get your home to where you think it’s ready to list, then it’s time to call in an experienced agent. Don’t be offended if they go through with another set of tasks and lists to complete. The list would be even longer had you not done all the preliminary stuff ahead of time. They want to sell your home just as much as you do. Take their advice and try to stay on top of the staging and cleaning when the home is on the market. The quicker you sell, the faster you can get back into your own routine.

For more tips on staging and listing, visit the reliable and seasoned agents in Enterprise real estate. They help clients with listing and get their homes sold fast.