HGTV makes selling your home look easy peezy, lemon squeezy. Now that we’re talking about lemons, pour yourself an ice cold glass of lemonade and let me reveal what your real estate agent does that HGTV doesn’t show you!
A good agent will:
Create massive demand through digital marketing strategies.
Price your home appropriately to net you the most money possible because they know the market.
Negotiate the contracts to make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.
Get you the most eyeballs o your home and increase exposure.
Help you prepare your house for market because they know what buyers want.
With a background in digital marketing and a sincere desire to help you get top dollar on the sale of your home, the items above are things I excel in.
Request my free 5 page guide, Home Seller Bootcamp, created just for sellers who want to get a leg up on the competition before starting the selling process.
Today, I’m diving into an important topic that could make a big difference in the amount of money you net from your home sale.
The market is hot. There are more buyers who need houses than houses for sale. That means your home is in demand and it’s not even listed yet! What I’m seeing happen is a lot of sellers are thinking… Hmm maybe we should just put a sign up in the front yard and see what happens. Before you do that, hear me out!
The worst thing you can do as a seller in a hot market is to do it alone. Before you head to the local hardware store for the “For Sale By Owner” sign, finish reading this post!
I know you’re doing the math and figuring out how much selling your home on your own could potentially save you… but I wanted to shed some light on a few important things to consider before you decide to go that route.
If you’re looking to the internet to determine what price to list your home at, you could be losing a lot of money.
Online home values aren’t always entirely accurate which means basing your list price on that could leave a lot of money on the table.
Contracts and Negotiations can feel like a foreign language if you’re not a real estate professional. Not understanding how to navigate these or have someone work in your best interest could result in sticky situations and money lost.
Demand – when you’re in a hot market, one of the greatest benefits to the seller is that they’re typically in the driver’s seat. When there are more buyers than listings for sale, your house can spark a bidding war when it hits the market. However, without an agent helping you prep your home for the market, price it strategically, market it with modern methods and really get it out there, you’re missing out on that demand. You might have a buyer or two but that isn’t going to drive the price up like it would if you had someone working for you.
My best advice of all is before you make the decision to go it alone, do some research and find an agent who has good reviews, comes highly recommended and who you can learn something about before reaching out. What does their experience look like? What are their clients saying? Then schedule a consultation with them to see how they can help you net the most money possible from your home sale.
You don’t need a perfect credit score to qualify for a mortgage.
If you’ve been seeing articles (and my posts) about low interest rates and wish you could take advantage, you might be more qualified than you think.
For starters, there are several different loan programs which all have different minimum requirements. For example, the credit score required for a conventional loan is higher than an FHA loan.
According to Experian, “It’s possible to get approved for a conforming conventional loan with a credit score as low as 620, although some lenders may look for a score of 660 or better.”
The best way to figure out if you can qualify for a mortgage right now is to meet with a local lender and talk about your options! If you need a referral, send me a message and I’ll point you in the right direction!
If you are trying to buy a home right now you KNOW how competitive the market is. It’s not fun losing out on every home you want to purchase. So how do you get your offer aceepted?
STEP 1
You’ll want to start the process earlier than you think. It’s so important to make sure you have in depth knowledge of the current market and a good grasp on what you can realistically afford (monthly) so you can start the process confidently and on the right foot.
STEP 2
Schedule a buyer consultation before you think you’re ready. There’s a lot to learn and you’ll want to be prepared so you’re ready to go instead of being overwhelmed once you begin the process.
STEP 3
Be patient! I know this is a hard one, it sure is for me. But you have to have patience. Expecting an agent to find you a house and get you under contract quickly might not be possible or realistic in this market although I will do everything in my abilities to get you there. Set your expectations accordingly and talk to your agent about what is realistic.
STEP 4
Be strategic when writing your offer. The highest price doesn’t necessarily equate to the winning offer. Position yourself in the best place possible to have that competitive edge (i.e. work with a reputable local lender and an agent who is easy to work with. Follow their advice!)
STEP 5
Have all your ducks in a row and be ready to write a competitive offer. This isn’t a market where you can low ball an offer, see what the seller will do, take your time, and have multiple showings. You need to move quickly and be confident in your decisions!
If you’re ready to get the ball rolling, don’t hesitate to reach out to you. I’d love to help you find your dream property!
