How To Sell My House
Are you ready to sell your home? It can be stressful, especially if you have some expensive repairs you know you have to make before putting the house on the market, or if a buyer’s inspection comes back with big-ticket items.
What needs to be done first and what forms do you need? What's the best place to market your house for sale?
Fortunately, if you decide that “I’m ready to sell my house!”, you should know there is an easy answer.
An experienced real estate agent can help you sell your home for top dollar, but it’s important that you take the time to find such an agent.
There are many people who work in real estate, but not all of them are equal in knowledge, experience, or ability. Did you know the average real estate agent works part-time and only sells roughly 6 homes a year? That's 1 home every other month. How can anyone be good at something they do every other month?
How do you find an agent that knows how to get the job done? Keep reading to find out.
How to Sell My House: 5 Qualities of the Right Realtor
1. Top Real Estate Agents Home Listings Don’t Sit on the Market
It’s fairly well-known in real estate that the longer a house sits on the market, the harder it is to sell. Most homes sell within a month of being listed, and when the market is hot, some don’t even last a week.
One way of measuring the strength of a real estate agent is to look at the average length their homes are on the market vs the industry average. Someone who sells most of their houses within a few weeks is likely to know how to market homes and how to identify the right buyers for each house.
On the other hand, an agent who has properties on the market for three to four months may not necessarily know how to match up buyers with available houses, or they aren’t experienced with highlighting a home’s unique selling features.
However, if you see some red flags with their time-on-the-market stats, don’t turn them away just yet. Ask them to further explain why the homes took so long to sell. They may have a justifiable explanation.
2. Top Realtors Have a Good List-to-Sale Price Ratio
Another way of evaluating agents is to look at their list-to-sale price ratio. This means looking at the original list price of a house and the price it sold for. If the two are the same, the home sold at what the home seller asked. If it’s above, that means there were likely multiple bidders fighting over the property.
However, if it sold below list, it means one of two things. Either the agent over-estimated the worth of the property, or they had to counsel the seller to lower the price due to one of several different reasons.
This could be a concession to the buyer because of something the inspection discovered, or it could be because there were no other offers. Of course, sellers may decide to take a lower offer regardless of what their agent because they need to sell quickly.
3. The Best Real Estate Agents Understand Your Home's Benefits
If you live in an older home in a historic neighborhood, your house is inherently different from those who live in a house that’s less than five years old and is located in a new suburb development. Good real estate agents understand that each property has its own unique differences, and they know how to highlight those differences.
Your historic home could need some work, but it may also have features like original hardwood floors that can be a major selling point. It may also not be possible to make certain changes to the property if it’s in a historic area.
On the other hand, a newer home may need to have certain modern features such as smart outlets, an energy-efficient HVAC, and other small features that buyers now expect. If your agent doesn’t recognize and understand how to market each of these houses, they’re not going to do very well.
This is also a reason why you need to talk with an agent and learn about the types of houses they sell. Some may specialize in older homes, but others may not care to sell those properties.
4. The Best Agents Have Experience in Your Neighborhood
Just as having experience in selling our type of home is important, as is knowing how to sell in your neighborhood. It’s likely that the neighborhood next to yours is vastly different. Perhaps you live in a golf course community and the next community over is cottages for senior-aged residents. The buyers for these neighborhoods are just as different as the homes themselves.
Some teams are large enough to work the greater Orlando area while others are specifically Davenport real estate agents. Working with an agent with specific neighborhood experience can help you feel confident that they know how to market to the perfect buyers and sell your home as quickly as possible.
5. The Best Realtors Make You Money
As someone selling your home, you want to make the most profit possible. Thankfully, this is possible with a good real estate agent.
One false perception is that going the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) route will save you money in the selling process. Sellers think that they can avoid paying a realtor and take home all of the profit they make.
Unfortunately for sellers, the opposite is true. In fact, a recent study found that FSBOs made as much as 30% than those working with an agent. Are you willing to lose that much money?
Experienced realtors have trusted marketing techniques and strategies to ensure you make the greatest profit when selling your home. Highlighting specific features of your home and downplaying others can make or break your final sale price.
Let The Real Estate Professionals Do the Negotiating
Remember that a significant part of selling a house is negotiating – which is typically the most dreaded part of the entire transaction for the average homeowner.
The seller’s agent will negotiate with the buyer’s agent to get to a cost that ensures both parties involved are satisfied with a fair price. With no emotional ties to the house, they bring an unbiased, third-party perspective to the deal to help you get top dollar for your home.
Plus, they can educate you on financial pieces that you can bend on for the buyer, and others that are non-negotiable. Unless you’re a realtor an attorney, negotiating likely isn’t your forte, so leave it to the experts. You’ll feel confident that you’re getting the best possible deal for your home.
The Florida Real Estate Experts
Florida Realty marketplace is home to a number of experienced real estate agents. We understand the Florida market, and we’re ready to help you sell your property or find the home of your dreams. Contact us today to talk to an agent.
Contact Us Today And Let The Experts At Florida Realty Marketplace Help You Sell Your Home
Help Tools For Selling Your Home
- Home Value Estimator - Get a better idea of where your home's value is.
- Search For Homes - One of the best ways to get informed and help you answer "how can I sell my home" is to look at the competition.