SGI Realty One Real Estate Blog

With the recent drop in the economy, it may seem like a useless task trying to sell your home. Yet, there are several things one can do to speed up the sale of their home. Below are a few things that will really help in getting your home noticed and sold.

Hire a Good Real Estate Agent

A good real estate agent will certainly assist in selling your home quick. Obviously, using a Realtor means that you will be paying a commission to the real estate agent when the sale is concluded. However, there's a reason that the vast majority of houses sold in the United states are done through a real estate agent. For one, a qualified agent has the contacts and experience needed to help the deal go smoothly. Above all though, your real estate agent is able to list you in the local MLS, or multiple listing service. The MLS is the best way to get your house in front of the most people...there's a reason that practically 90% of all home sales in the U.S. result from an MLS listing. However, not all Realtors are created equal...therefore, when choosing an agent, be sure to look at their references, background, and experience. And make sure your agent has understanding of your specific neighborhood and its market history.

Establish a Sensible Asking Price

Price is always important, it could make or break the sale of your home. This is one more reason why you should hire a realtor. Your realtor should do a comparative market analyses (CMA) to get an idea of the best price you can get for your house. Pricing your home too high will just slow down the process.

De-clutter

People would want to visit and live in a nice home, not a messy one. Remove clutter and tidy up. Put away things that aren't frequently used. If potential customers are coming over to check out the home, remove photos from walls and shelves. Potential buyers are not interested in your holiday photos, they are more interested in picturing themselves inside your lovely home. Make your house seem more roomy by doing away with needless furniture, clearing out cabinets, and removing items on top of tables and shelves. If you want assistance in this area you may want to consider hiring a home stager.

Fix Things

You do not always need to repair the major things (those will have to come off the asking price anyway), but certainly you should fix the small problems in the home like broken faucets or window blinds. It only takes a small amount of time and effort, but is unquestionably worthwhile. Most real estate agents have a handyman on call that can come in and quickly fix the minor problems for very little money.

Leave the House

When prospective clients will visit your house, its always best to not be there. Of course, you would like to make potential buyers see how wonderful the house is, but it might be uncomfortable for both buyer and seller. Buyers might not be able to talk to the agents about their real opinion of the real estate. Aside from that, buyers would be able to ask questions freely, if the owner is not around.