“Just tidy up, take some pics, put a sign on the lawn — and your home will sell for top dollar.”
In a seller’s market where many homes sell fast and for more than their asking price, many people believe this to be true.
Yes, many homes will sell as long as they’re presentable and priced attractively, but there’s a big difference between selling and selling for top dollar.
And selling for top dollar is far from guaranteed.
This misconception, which can cost you tens of thousands of dollars at closing, is often the result of one critical oversight:
Buyers still have choices.
Just because homes are selling fast, it doesn’t mean that there’s no inventory and buyers are simply throwing money at whatever they can get.
This March, for example, 1,359 homes were listed in KW – the most listings ever!
April listing volume was also well above average.
Buyers know they’ll need to compete, but they still get to choose which homes are worth fighting for. And, today, they have more homes to choose from than ever.
As long as buyers have options in the marketplace, a home will not sell for top dollar unless the sellers and their listing agent abide by the universal truth of real estate:
The homes that sell for top dollar are the ones most desirable relative to their competition.
People want the best bang for their buck. This is true in any marketplace.
And, when buyers are paying what they’re paying for homes these days, you should expect them to be even more discerning.
Simply put, your home is competing for attention and attraction. If you take shortcuts — especially when it comes to your online presence — you may lose out on buyers and offers.
Your online presence is everything.
As you know, people are now much more inclined to make purchase decisions online.
This is especially true with home buyers, who now rely more than ever on online tools to find, evaluate and decide which homes to buy.
By the numbers:
Staging:
According to a NAR survey: “82% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”
Virtual Tours:
Zillow research shows that “approximately 80% of homebuyers would like to view a virtual home tour and a digital floor plan before buying.”
Further, it reports that “homes on its 3D Home Tour platform were saved by buyers 32% more than homes without, and received, on average, 29% more views than listings without.”
Photo and Video:
More than 7 in 10 agents surveyed by NAR report that “photos and videos are more important since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Simply put: staging, immersive virtual tours, crisp photography, and video walkthroughs are more important than ever when it comes to attracting and retaining buyer attention, creating desire for your home, and, ultimately, selling for top dollar in this market.
Avoid shortcuts — and sell for top dollar.
Your home is your most valuable asset; selling it for less than you should isn’t acceptable under any circumstances.
Yet, so many homeowners (and, yes, some agents) assume that a hot market automatically guarantees a top-dollar sale.
It doesn’t.
By understanding this as well as today’s homebuyer preferences, you’ll avoid the costly shortcuts that befall many sellers, choose a Realtor who will give your listing the edge online…
…and put yourself in the best possible position to sell for top dollar.
