You need to consider certain factors when you’re hiring a listing agent to sell your property.
Not all agents are the same. There are 17,000 agents in the greater Charlotte market alone. Back in 2012 and 2013, there were only 5,000 agents—the industry has more than tripled since then. Most agents these days are newer, but we’ve been in this game since 2007. So, here are the seven things we recommend when selling your home:
1. Don’t pick the wrong agent. Choose an agent who has proven results, plenty of good reviews, and lots of experience. The average agent sells six to eight homes per year. On our team, however, the average agent sells anywhere from 35 to 60 homes per year. Make sure that the agent you work with has a proven marketing strategy and administrative support to help them dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
2. Don’t overprice your property. This is a fatal flaw, even in a seller’s market. There’s a saying that goes, “Pigs get fat—hogs get slaughtered.” The data shows that in every area of Charlotte, if you overprice your home right out of the gate, you’ll end up reducing the price two to three times on average, and you’ll end up getting less money for the home when it does sell.
“If you want the best deal, keep your cool.“
3. Consider more than just the highest offer. There are many terms that make up an offer. Price is important, but it’s not the only thing you should consider. Don’t just automatically go for the highest price—look for the offer that provides the most value to you.
4. Be sure to prepare your home. Make simple repairs and updates to the home before you put it on the market. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to remodel anything, but you do need to make your home look clean and inviting. We have a 75-point checklist of ways to prepare your home for the market, so if you’d like a copy, reach out to us.
5. Be flexible with showing times. When a buyer calls, you have to let them see the property if you want it to sell. Even though it might be inconvenient, the easier it is to show the home, the better your opportunity to sell it.
6. Don’t get too emotional. A real estate transaction is a business transaction, and it’s one of the largest transactions you’ll ever make. I’ve seen a deal on a $600,000 home fall out of a contract because the buyer and seller couldn’t agree on a $100 leaky faucet. If you want the best deal, keep your cool.
7. Declutter your home. Depersonalize the house so that a buyer can envision their family in the home. You’re going to be moving anyway, so why not get a headstart on moving by packing away those personal items? You can sort them into piles of things you want to keep, donate, and throw away to help you stay organized as you declutter.
If you’re thinking about selling your home and would like to know what it’s worth, we would be honored to compete for your business. Visit www.HighPerformanceRealEstate.com, where you can opt in for a free home equity evaluation. You’ll just need to enter in a few details about your property and we’ll give you a range of what you could sell it for and what you could walk away with in terms of your net proceeds. And don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you have in the meantime!