13 Jul 25 Tips To Sell Your Home Fast & Above Market
How To Sell Your Home for Above Market Value – 25 Tips to Sell Your Home
It seems like a simple question, but so many sellers get the fundamentals wrong. A few days ago we sold the above home in Talavera in 4S Ranch for $2,535.00 or about $625.00 a square foot. If that is not a local record, it is pretty darn close.
We have frequently seen sellers in our community leave a pile of cash on the table.
Whether you are going to sell your own home or use a REALTOR©, I hope this article helps you to net the most money from what is likely your biggest investment.
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Flip your own house
Improve it yourself. I get calls daily from “flippers” but I decline their requests and explain that we help sellers, “flip their own home.” We use our own concierge service and we will often front the money to improve your home so it can sell for top dollar.
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Clean sells homes
That is everything from bathrooms to all the windows in a home and be sure to include the front and back yards.
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Privacy sells Homes
Even if you’re not selling, take a walk around in your backyard in your underwear. If your neighbors can see you, then think about what trees you can plant now to increase the value of your home.
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Don’t cheap out on photography
You have less than 3 seconds to attract local or international buyers. Instead of using your cell phone to take your own pictures, use it to call one of the best photographers in the business.
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Less is more
Thin your home out and de-personalize it. I like the dogs playing poker painting too, but this is about selling for top dollar. Sorry, hide the painting in a closet.
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Hire a professional designer/stager
We love Nancy and we pay for her expertise and staging skills. Find your own, “Nancy” and put her to work.
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Paint is cheap
My goodness. Ben Franklin may rub his eyes when you open your wallet but spend the money, (or let us spend the money). No, people cannot see through a crummy paint job or an old color of paint.
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Look at your flooring
Carpets and luxury vinyl are not expensive. If it is nasty – change it. Let me repeat, buyers cannot see through a bad presentation regardless of how hot the market is. Be smart about what you spend money on, but do not overspend.
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Your home must smell good to sell
Think of your home like a prom date. You want your home to dance with everyone. And you want each dance partner to wish they could live in your home.
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Let’s talk about open houses
So much to say and so little time. Put the toilet seats down. Every single light needs to be on. The home should be, “Vegas cool” so people want to stay. You must have music on and whoever is greeting people coming into your home, please throw their cell phone in the trash can and tell them to smile and be gracious to people arriving.
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Drone videos
Develop a great one. They are expensive but worth every penny. This is sales! Step up your game. There is so much marketing you can do with a 90-second drone video. I could write a page on just this alone and how you leverage it to get top dollar for your home.
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Have a story to tell
Every home has one. What is yours? Be consistent and package the story on all marketing materials and discussions with buyers and other agents. We added a ping pong table to a recent listing. Best $700.00 we ever spent.
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Know the doggone local market
You learn by talking to buyers, sellers, and other real estate agents. What is pending? What is the price? What were the seller’s concessions?
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Know who is hungry for a home
We see repeat buyers and their agents. Connect with everyone and be friendly. There is an undercurrent in a local market of buyers or sellers. Tap into it.
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Being honest sells homes
In all aspects. Over disclose. That is the best way to protect yourself and get top dollar.
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Write counter-offers to almost everyone
It’s a lot of work writ- ing 10 or 14 counter offers to people interested in your home. You never know which buyer will suddenly jump up in price and terms. More than once we will hear a wife put both of her feet down and tell her husband, “we are buying this home!”
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When will you review offers?
Common question. We review offers and share them with our sellers the moment they hit our email. Our experience has shown it is the best strategy. This strategy leads to #7.
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Golden Offers
Yes, we always tell the buyers and agents that we will consider, “Golden Offers”. Why would you not? You need to know when an offer is golden versus bronze. Back to local expertise and really knowing the sale prices of homes.
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Don’t only look at the sales price
So much more to consider. Think about terms that often include, as is, no contingencies, extensive and free rent backs, longer escrow, non-refundable deposits, or pass-through of funds.
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Are you the deal maker?
You need one person to talk to all interested agents. Who is that person? We always make multiple calls to every agent thanking them for the offer, learning about their clients and if they do not get the deal we thank them again. The relationship you or your REALTOR (here are our Realtors) has with interested parties and fellow real estate agents are fundamental to putting together great deals.
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Market locally
We invest heavily in local advertising because so many people are in love with 92127. We publish a newspaper of about 13,000 a month and we are starting a new magazine as well. Reach out to neighbors and local residents.
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Market nationally
Look at where most of the current buyers are coming from to buy in San Diego and reach out to their hometowns. This program has been very successful. Attach your awesome drone video to the Facebook advertisement.
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Market Internationally
As a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) we get your home advertised globally. Connect with realtors out of the country.
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Communication
So much of making a deal is communication. Being responsive and professional in all your dealings will help get the best possible price and terms. Keep track of all agents that showed your home and get feedback.
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Have multi-lingual abilities or access to translators
Despite my poor English abilities developed in Albuquerque, New Mexico we have a team of agents and support staff that speak Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese. San Diego is an international destination and the opportunity to have people or other agents speak in their native language is very helpful.
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Trust but verify *Bonus*
That is what Ronald Reagen would say. Or this could be called, “show me the money”. Require proof of funds, talk in-depth to the buyer’s lender and make sure the deal is sound. Some offers are too good to be true.
A final suggestion is to negotiate whether you are buying or selling. In my prior life as an SDPD SWAT Commander, we negotiated frequently with life in the balance. Real estate is definitely different and much safer but the ability to negotiate and identify what each side wants is critical. Pay attention to nuances, what people say, what they do, what your options are. Follow your gut and work with a variety of information sources to bring your sale to a successful conclusion.
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Posted at 11:02h, 14 August[…] you when the time comes, which will help with this side of the process, and there are also lots of tips to selling your home online which you can read through to help you to make sure that your home sells for the best price […]