5 Steps to Get the Most for Your Home

If you’re serious about getting the best price for your home then you need a strategy to set it apart from all the other listings in your area.

You can’t control the market but here are five things you do have control of and they significantly impact on how much your home will sell for.

STEP 1: Clean, declutter, depersonalize and stage

The average seller will do the minimum amount possible, if anything, to prepare. If you’re willing to put in a little extra effort you can net some big returns here and without this your listing isn’t likely to perform well.

• Clean - clean everything top to bottom, inside and out. Windows too. Make sure there are no foul odors anywhere. Bad smells equal no sells.

• Declutter - it all must go. I don’t care what you do with all that stuff, but get it off the property. All the stuff is going to get in the way and make everything harder for you if you don’t get it out now!

• Depersonalize - part of our strategy is to get buyers excited and emotional. We do this by presenting the property to them in a way that makes it easy for them to visualize THEIR use of the space. No family photos, pictures on the fridge, personal items, etc.

• Stage - the evidence is in, staging works. Staged homes sell faster, they spend about 73% less time on the market than nonstaged homes, according to to the Real Estate Staging Association. And a 2018 survey showed staged homes sold for 6% to 25% more on average.

STEP 2: High Quality Marketing Assets

You only get one shot at this first impression. You have to get this right!

Today’s Internet browsing buyers expect more. They want professional photos, 3D virtual tours, video tours, and floor plans.

Fortunately, professional real estate photography is surprisingly affordable. With packages starting under $200, that’s a relatively tiny amount for professional marketing assets.

Your Property Marketing Plan should detail exactly what marketing materials are planned for your listing. Here’s a few of the deliverables I give to my clients as an example of what you should look for in your Property Marketing Plan:

• HD & MLS ready photographs

• 3D/360 Virtual Tours (e.g. Matterport)

• 2-3 minute tour video

• Social media cards/ads

• Floor plans

• Stand-alone property website

• Print ready & e-flyers

Go the extra mile to ensure your listing is showcased with great marketing assets and the extra effort will pay off in the end. In fact, listings with professional real estate photography sell faster and for more money, according to a RedFin study.

STEP 3: Use a Proven Property Marketing Plan

Posting bad photos on the MLS just isn’t enough if you want top dollar for your property. You need a proven marketing plan.

Before you sign anything ask to see a Property Marketing Plan. This document should clearly explain what your agent/broker are going to do to market your home. It should cover at least the following in detail:

• Campaign goals

• Audience

• Positioning

• Calls to action

• Metrics

• Marketing Assets

• Distribution

• Schedule

Take control and ensure you enter the market with a plan for success.

STEP 4: Price it Right on Day One!

Buyers tend to shop within their budget. If your home is over priced it won’t be able to compete with the other homes the buyers are looking at. The home will sit unsold for months.

Unless you’re an expert, a great agent will help you determine the ideal listing price for your home in the current market. Get this right from the beginning, you’ll likely get more and sell faster.

STEP 5: Put on a Great Show Every Time!

If you did the first four steps right then your likely getting higher quality showings. It’s critical that you put on the best show possible for every showing!

You’re home needs to be available at all times, even with short notice. This will be much easier since you’ve already deep cleaned, decluttered, depersonalized, and staged.

If you’re home isn’t available most buyers will just skip it. How many buyers do you want to turn away because your home wasn’t available? Doing a good job in Step 1 of this article will make easy work of keeping your home relatively show ready at all times.

The good news is this all leads to selling your home for more money and as quickly as possible!

Get Started

Get your home ready and make sure you have a detailed Property Marketing Plan that will guide you to success.