Getting top dollar for your home can be a challenging process. How do you price your home to sell in a tumultuous real estate market? Here are some tips to help you get the best price for your home and sell your property faster.
Don't panic. Homes can sell quickly even in regions where there is sizable inventory if they realistically priced and well marketed.
Pricing your home correctly is probably the most important step in marketing your home for sale and getting the top dollar. Pricing is the number one factor in determining when or if your home will sell in today's market. Pricing your home to sell is a matter of balance dictated by location and market demands. Real estate agents know that a house properly priced is half sold. Pricing a home correctly the first time has a number of benefits including getting your home sold quickly. Pricing your home right is always important, but in a slow market it is even more critical that you price your home correctly. Pricing a home above the market can be a big mistake.
Pricing is not based on hearsay or guesswork. Find good comparable transactions for your home. The best comparables are houses with similar styles and upgrades close to your address that sold recently. In order to price your home to sell you need to know the true market value. A regional Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) is an important tool that allows you to see local transactions, understand what amenities those homes featured and accurately compare them to yours. A CMA will give you the information you need to price your home to sell and ensure that you receive the top dollar. Many realtors will charge for a CMA, but there will often be several high quality Realtors that provide this service for qualified home sellers.
Use real estate agents for their expertise and their opinions. A good benchmark is to ask two to three agents for their Comparative Market Analysis, or home value estimate.
Do your own homework. Check with neighbors or community leaders who have purchased a home or sold a home recently. There are also a number of home valuation sites such as Zillow or HomeGain in addition to the local Realtors Association site that you can use to understand the market. By doing good research in advance, you will have a general idea of how your local market is faring.
Don't be greedy on your price expectations. In a buyer's market, most home owners don't experience double-digit price appreciation that was common just a few years ago. The reality of today's market means that some people may not even get as much as you paid. While you may want to get as much money as possible out of your home sale, you will stand little chance of selling quickly or even selling at all if the home is overpriced.
One of the most important factors in getting top dollar for your home is preparing your home to market. Just because you love the way your house looks doesn't mean others will. If floors the house needs work, you may have to lower the price. If you want top dollar, be ready to de-clutter, paint and repair. Staging your home is another key element in getting top dollar for your home.
Evaluate your Houston home's pluses and minuses. Real estate agents compare square footage, age and condition of the house, number of bedrooms and baths, amenities, lot size, and location.
For Houston condos and Houston high rises, Real Estate agents often look at location in the building, noise levels of nearby surroundings and neighbors, views, natural light, convenience and location, building amenities, and floor plan.
Consider the urgency of your home sale. If you have a need to move or sell your home quickly, you may be willing to accept a lower up front price but get more value from other seller concessions besides pricing, such as closing dates (reduces your monthly payments), moving expense, helping buyers with financing, closing costs or improvements, or letting them rent with an option to buy.
Paige Martin is a member of the prestigious Martha Turner Properties' Circle of Excellence, an award given to honor the company's top producers. Paige is a member of the Houston Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. Her website, http://www.HoustonProperties.com, features over 500 pages of Houston real estate information and details on over 40,000 properties of Houston Homes For Sale. Paige Martin, Realtor, Martha Turner Properties. For more information about selling your Houston home and getting additional home sale tips, please contact Paige Martin at 713-384-5177 or Paige@HoustonProperties.com |
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