No doubt, you want to get the best price possible to make the most money possible when selling your house. Sometimes, though, sellers unwittingly sabotage the sale of their house and wind up getting less than they could for it. The fact is there are multiple things you can get wrong that will cost you money at sale time. So here are some suggestions to help you make sure you don’t leave money on the table when selling your Atlanta house.
Price It Right
A huge temptation for inexperienced home sellers is to overprice. And there are several ways this can cause you to leave money on the table when selling your Atlanta house.
Pricing higher won’t necessarily get you more money. Usually, your house doesn’t sell and then sits on the market for a long time. And when a house sits on the market and gets “stale,” buyers then begin to think something is wrong with it, with the result that you have to drastically reduce the price even to get a nibble. So avoid the temptation to pressure your agent into pricing higher than her recommendation.
Agents know, through research and experience, how to price houses to sell and keep you from leaving money on the table To discover more about how an agent can help you with pricing, call (404) 977-5054.
Hold Off on Showings
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, another good way to avoid leaving money on the table when selling your Atlanta house is by deferring showings. It’s exciting to get those first few seemingly interested buyers in the door – any one of whom may make an offer. The problem here is that in all the excitement it’s too easy to take the first offer and then maybe miss out on a better offer if you had waited.
It’s better, then, to hold off on showings for a while till some of the excitement has died and use deferred showings. With deferred showings – instead of listing your house in the MLS and then showing it as buyers trickle in – you wait for a predetermined period after listing in the MLS before showings can begin. This will build interest in potential buyers who then anticipate the showing and are thus likely to offer more as a result. It also gives you a chance to make any repairs you find the need for at the last minute.
Market Well and Widely
In order to not leave money on the table when selling your Atlanta house, you must apply effective marketing. Here are some of the most important steps to take for marketing to ensure you get top dollar for your house:
- Make sure your home looks its absolute best both inside and out.
- Take top quality listing photos, preferably using a professional photographer.
- Write a compelling description using all your copywriting skills. (Your agent can be a great help here.)
- Make sure you list your home on all the top online sites: Realtor.com, Zillow, and Trulia.
- Create a professional quality virtual tour.
- Make sure your agent follows up on all inquiries.
Hire a Trusted Agent
The most important thing you can to ensure you don’t leave money on the table when selling your Atlanta house is to hire a qualified, trusted real estate agent. Your agent really is the person best qualified to determine the best strategies and tactics for selling your house. For example, even the deferred showings we recommended can backfire when certain buyers (such as relocation buyers) are operating under severe time constraints.