7 Huge Mistakes First Time Sellers Make

Pricing your home too high

If you price your home above all the competing homes on the market, you end up driving buyers to the OTHER homes. They see yours online compared to the others and think the other homes look like a better deal now. Why pay more if you don’t have to?

Taking the first offer that comes along If you are in a hot market with lots of buyer demand, sometimes the first offer is not the best. You may want to allow the house to be on the market for 3-5 days before you look at any offers. This allows everyone time to see the house, think about it, and present their best offer.

Not fixing the things on your honey-do list

You know all those things you’ve been meaning to fix forever and just haven’t gotten around to it? Well, now is the time to get them done. If buyers walk through your house and all they can see are little problems that need attention, it makes them wonder how many other bigger problems there are that they just can’t see. Don’t give them a reason to write a low offer.

Not answering offers in a timely fashion

In almost every case, a buyer’s offer will have an expiration date. If the offer expires at midnight tomorrow and you don’t answer until the following day, that offer is no longer binding. Don’t lose a hot buyer because you couldn’t give them an answer before the deadline. If you have multiple offers let everyone know when you plan to choose an offer and stick to it.

Taking the highest offer without considering the fair market value

Let’s say you listed your house at $350,000 and you get an offer for $400,000 from an FHA buyer. When the appraiser comes to see the house, if he or she thinks it’s only worth $350,000 you will either need to reduce the price of the house or cancel the sale and put the house back on the market. (The chances of the FHA buyer wanting the pay the $50,000 difference out of pocket is slim to none.) Your agent can help you determine which is the strongest offer.

Choosing an agent to sell your home that doesn’t use digital media

Postcards, open houses, and newspaper ads are old school and don’t sell houses. YouTube videos, virtual open houses with live video, and Facebook/Instagram ads bring in TONS of leads from interested buyers. If your agent doesn’t use video to market themselves, how can they possibly effectively market your most valuable asset?

Choosing the REALTOR® who charges the least amount of money

ANYONE can list your house on the MLS and wait for the phone to ring. If someone charges you a super cheap commission, there’s a reason - they’re not spending any money to market your home. A good REALTOR® will not only represent your best interests and take care of all the details and paperwork, they will also help your home sell faster and for a higher price. Don’t cheap out! Make your decision on how good of a marketer they are, what they will do for you, and their track record with getting

homes sold.

Remember…you get what you pay for.

Do your homework and hire a digital marketing / video expert when it comes time to sell your home.