I know how overwhelming this whole process can be. There’s a mix of information overload written in real estate jargon.. combined with huge gaps when it comes to the important stuff you actually need to know. You want the highest price possible for your home, a seamless selling process, and serious buyers who are ready to purchase – and you want that to happen as fast as possible.
#1 – Pricing your home based on Zillow’s ‘Zestimates’
I’ll just plop my listing on Zillow, ask for the price suggested by the ‘Zestimate,’ and et voila
– I’ll sell my home at top dollar with zero fees. Eh…not quite.
Listing your home for the price suggested by Zillow is the fast track for listing it way, way too low.
Zestimates are generated by computers – not by real people who know the Cypress Texas market like I know my way around the St. Arnold’s Beer Garden. Which is to say, really, really well!
Zillow estimates fail to take into account:
- Sales trends within your specific neighborhood.
- The average price per square foot in your specific neighborhood.
- Listing prices v. sold prices in your neighborhood.
- Home conditions.
- Location-specifics that influence serious buyers– like nearby amenities, schools, etc.
All of which affect the listing price of your home. ☝
The best way to know the real value of your home – and come up with a listing price that gets you the highest dollar possible on your sale – is to run a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) on your property.
Your CMA will include all of those important details the Zillow-bots leave out.
Click here to get in touch and start the process of running a CMA on your home.
#2 – Overpricing
Fact:
Homes listed for 15% below market capture 42% more buyer traffic.
Meanwhile…
- Homes listed at market capture 17% of buyer traffic.
- Homes listed at 10% above market capture just 10% of buyer traffic.
Bottom line? If you want to get the most value for your home and a timely sale – you need buyer traffic from folks who are ready to purchase.
And pricing your home strategically = you walking away with the highest dollar amount possible for your property.
Click here to get in touch and start the process of pricing your Cypress, TX area home.
#3 – Not understanding your realtor fees
Elephant in the room: I’m a realtor.
😱😱😱
Which means I charge an industry standard 6% commission when I help you sell your home (half of which goes to the buyer’s agent).
That fee covers staging, pricing, marketing, and advertising your home to qualified buyers – so you get a yes offer when listing your property.
Still, you might see that 6% number and start laughing. Because you’ve come across agents that charge flat fees or less than 2% commissions. I get that.
So…here’s what I recommend:
If you decide to have a realtor help you, know exactly what’s included in their commission fee.
In my experience, someone charging you a 2% commission tends to provide the most menial services possible…costing you more in the long run as your house sits on the market for months while you undertake most of the marketing on your own.
Commissions at 6% offer you a high-level service and guarantee – which, in my case, is a offer on your home that you are happy with.
Whether we work together or not, know your realtor fees and be clear on what’s included in any commission you pay…so you can make the best decision possible for your family.
#4 – Failing to market your home to the right buyers
To sell your home, at a minimum you need:
- Professional photos and video.
- To get your property featured on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) – the network where buying agents spend 24/7 searching for the right homes to show their ready-to-buy clients.
Important: You need a brokerage license to access the MLS. (If you list your home for sale by owner, it will not be shown on the MLS.)
That’s the minimum.
Here are a few additional marketing tactics I offer all of my clients, and how I work for your best interest as a seller to earn that commission:
- Handing out flyers around the neighborhood inviting everyone to margaritas and a raffle at your open house. 🍹
- Three marketing videos – one for Youtube, one for Instagram, and one for the MLS.
- YouTube and Pinterest marketing. I have a significant organic following and views of buyers in the Houston area. (10,000+ followers and 1.7+ million views annually.)
- Targeted ads to your marketing videos to get more non-organic traffic.
- Hosting open house that’s advertised on Facebook, with flyers, and on the MLS.
- Providing resources for professional stagers, cleaners, organizers, and other contractors who can help you prep your home to sell.
- Personally email listing agents if they have buyers who have your home in the MLS cart but have not viewed it yet.
- Follow up with all buyers’ agents on the showing and their experience.
- Follow up with any and all inquiries, email, and questions regarding your listing within 4 hours during business hours and 12 hours during non-business hours.
Your home will sell.
But only if your marketing and pricing is on point.
Super important: Because your home will get the most traffic within its first few days on the market, make sure to prepare all of your marketing materials (photos, videos) before listing.
Super, double important: Do not skip out on marketing your home. You can have the best property at the best price, but if the right people don’t know about it, it won’t move.
If you have questions or are ready to get started with selling your home, click here.
#5 – Neglecting to stage your home to sell
You can nail your listing price and have an envy-of-the-neighborhood floor plan for your property…
But if the buyers who are looking at your home can only see you living there (instead of themselves)…
It’s gonna be a tough sell.
Here are the basics when it comes to staging your home:
#1 – Declutter. Professional stagers suggest removing 50% of your personal items when preparing to list your home. Go room by room and declutter, organize, and depersonalize the space as much as possible. This is key for helping your buyers imagine their own belongings in the space.
#2 – Hire a cleaning service to do a professional deep clean. As a mom, all I can say is trust me on this one – you don’t have to sweep those goldfish crackers from under the couch or scrub fingerprints off the walls on your own.
#3 – Work that curb appeal. Pressure washing the driveway, mowing the lawn, trimming the bushes and trees, and adding a few pots of fresh flowers can go a long way.
#4 – When in doubt, paint. Painting is one of the least expensive improvements you can make to your home.
#5 – Hire a professional stager. Staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than homes that are not staged. You don’t have to spend a lot of money here. In fact, most stagers will use what you already have. You also don’t have to stage every room. Sprucing up the focal points will do.
When we work together to sell your home, I’ll organize, hire, and communicate with a professional stager on your behalf.
Click here to reach out and start the conversation about listing your property!