7 Ways Sellers Can Compete in Today's New Market

Ever wonder what it really takes to compete against the other homes that are available? I hope so as that is what this post is all about. Not so long ago it didn't take much to sell a home as there weren't that many sellers were competing against. Now as sellers face greater and greater competition it takes a little bit more to sell the home. These 7 Tips have helped clients and others sell their homes within the average time a home stays on the market in Long Beach, which is just under 70 days before an offer is received.

1. Stage the home - Professional staging is great (expect to pay about 1% of the price of your home) but if you can't afford it get advice from your real estate professional and use it. take the time to repaint rooms, remove clutter, and remove personal items.
2. Work on your curb appeal - first impressions are everything right? You want people to drive by and want to walk in your door. Make sure the grass is green and fresh flowers or bark is in the front planters.
3. Make sure it smells nice - have a trusted friend tell you if your home smells like the family pet. Make sure that it is pleasant to be in for all.
4. Make it easy to show - nothing is worse for an agent who has a motivated client and then he or she has to schedule around the seller. Make sure you and your agent agree to use a lock box that allows real estate professionals access.
5. Make sure your friends know - Your friends may not buy your home but they may know someone who will. Craft an e-mail with your real estate professionals information in it and a few pieces of information about your home and send it out to your friends. Ask your friends to e-mail it out to their friends. You never know who is going to read that.
6. Entertain all offers - Instruct your agent to make sure they tell anyone interested to write an offer. Don't reject anything until you see it in writing. You want to start a dialogue with a buyer and not turn them away too quickly.
7. Price it below your competition - Homes sell for more the quicker they sell. Create urgency by pricing your home at least 5% below the homes that are available in your area. This may sound drastic but homes that are "under priced" are still receiving multiple offers even in today's market. Make sure you are pricing your home against active properties and not properties that sold 6 months ago.

Remember that in today's market you want to work together with your real estate professional to make sure that your home gets the best chance to sell for the best price possible. We recommend speaking with your real estate professional once a week for an update and have a discussion about the price of your home every 14 days to make sure you are where you need to be.