To sell or not to sell?

Or maybe the questions you should be asking is not so much whether you want to sell or not, because you know you need to, but how will your home get sold in today’s high tech marketplace and what should you consider doing in order to help get it sold?

Today’s real estate market has become more mobile and savvy with many people moving to different homes more often, either for new jobs or to be closer to family. But for those who have been in their homes for many years, the thought of moving and selling can be very daunting and overwhelming, and in a fast-paced marketplace, this task can seem virtually impossible to accomplish.

Selling in today’s market is VERY different than selling twenty or thirty years ago. Almost gone are newspaper advertisements which had previously dominated home sale advertising. Replacing it are high tech tools such as Facebook, Internet, Twitter, Blogs, Virtual tours, and more. Utilizing real estate brokers and agents who are familiar with these tools and technology is a step in the right direction to a successful selling process. So where do you begin?

There are many things you can and should do to successfully sell your home. Following is a list of questions that should be asked when considering what real estate broker and agent to utilize to help you make your sale a success:

1)      Find a real estate agent and broker who understand how technology is used to sell properties. Make sure they are utilizing ALL of the most popular national real estate web sites such as Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, ReMax.com and more to advertise your property for national and even international exposure. Not all brokers provide these services or utilize these web sites.

2)      Is the agent you will be using familiar with all of the current technology tools listed above? How often do they utilize those tools? If they are used only on high-priced listings, and you’re not one of them, you may be short changed. Ask.

3)      Does the agent’s broker support those sites or does the agent have to load your home’s information to those sites themselves. If the agent does, do they have assistance in doing so? If they have to themselves, the likelihood of them doing so at all and/or in a timely manner is not very likely.

4)      How often is your agent updating these tools to promote your listing?

5)      How much experience does the agent you will be using have in the business? Have they sold your type of property before? Have they sold in your city before? How much do they sell a year (are they a high producing agent)? Do they know your market?

While your agent is helpful in getting your home sold, he or she are only part of the having a successful transaction. Believe it or not, what you choose to or not to do to your home before it goes on the market, also impacts the success of your sale. Following is a list of things that you should consider to assure your sale is a success:

1)      What can you do to assist your agent in helping to sell your home? Does your home need to be updated? Are you in a position to make updates financially or personally? Can you paint white walls a color as white walls no longer sell a home due to how it looks on the Internet. If not, you need to price your home accordingly.

2)      Are your kitchen appliances old? Do they need to be replaced? While they may be working, older appliances can make a kitchen appear dated. New stainless steel appliances can, in many cases, update a kitchen’s look without having to pay for new cabinets or counter tops.

3)      Do you have clutter that needs to be boxed up and thrown, donated or sold? Homes show better if they look like a model, not lived in and cluttered.

4)      Who can assist you in boxing up items to be thrown, donated or sold? If you can’t, and you don’t have relatives or friends who can help, there are many companies and organizations that can assist you for a fee. Ask your agent for a reputable recommendation.

5)      Where will you be living next? Have you found that place? If not, who can assist you in finding that place? If you don’t know where you will be living, it’s more difficult to make a plan to move. Again, ask for your agent’s thoughts on where it is you should live next based on your wants, needs, desires and income. Once you’ve found that place, is it possible for you to move there before selling? If you are able to do that, you won’t have the hassles and stress of cleaning up and leaving your home for showings.

The most successful moves are made with a plan/timeline in place and with the assistance of a savvy professional. Make that call today to start your plan rolling.