We’re hearing from a lot of sellers who are concerned that their home has been on the market awhile and it didn’t sell this season. They’re calling asking how we market homes and what they can do to get their home sold before their listing expires. This article includes tips on how to sell your Florida home out of season.
We get it. Sellers who weren’t successful are frustrated. The sellers who listed and sold are happy, and the ones who listed and sat are not. Putting your home on the market is a lot like entering a beauty contest. Even though your home is beautiful, it may get skipped over by other beautiful homes that compete more favorably. The other contestants take the prize. Two weeks pass by and another bevy of beauties hit the market before you get the chance to reduce your price. Your beautiful home never really got the chance to be the new beauty on the market.
Sometimes a new beauty comes on the market and it attracts multiple offers. Before you know it, it sells for full price, maybe even more. It’s frustrating to watch other homes take the crown while yours is left standing on stage. The good news I guess is that there’s a new beauty contest upcoming, but you’ve got to make some changes, or you’ll suffer the same fate as the last contest. After awhile they’ll start asking what’s wrong with you, why are you still here?
We’d like to help you avoid this madness. Before we begin, let’s just state that we too have some homes that occasionally don’t sell. When sellers take our advice, their home sells. You have to want to be the winner. Here’s our formula to win the next beauty contest.
- Hire the right Realtor. Not all Realtors are the same. They don’t advertise the same, have the same number of leads, or have the experience necessary to lead you through the process. You’ve seen very talented teams lose the big game due to coaching mistakes. Hiring the right coach can make all the difference.
- Price your home correctly. If the market doesn’t respond, adjust. The market doesn’t stand still, and neither does your competition. New homes enter the market, and existing homes make price adjustments. If you list a home and never change, you may get left on stage.
- Make sure your home looks as good as it can. You don’t have to remodel. Simple things can make a big difference. Talk to us and discover how certain minor changes, can make a big difference in the judge’s eyes.
- Listen to your Realtor. If you did the research and hired the best Realtor, it’s crazy not to take their advice. If you’re not going to listen to your Realtor, I guess it doesn’t matter who you hire.
- Listen to the market. The market speaks to you. If you’re getting lots of showing but no offers, a small price adjustment may be necessary. If you’re not getting showings at all, you either have a large adjustment to make, or something is off with the marketing. Perhaps there is a field wrong in MLS. Is your home being advertised in the paper, online, and to other Realtors? Perhaps a highly advertised open house may be necessary.
- Don’t be afraid to make a change. Sometimes owners list with a friend or relative. This is dangerous because they often want to please you. They may be afraid to tell you the market has shifted, or they may miss it because of their love for you. Listing with a friend or relative can destroy your relationship. If that is your situation, give us a call. We have a way of handling this for you and getting your home sold without offending your friend.
If you have a home to sell, we’d love to help you. Simply go to www.SWFLhomevalues.com and enter your address. We’ll provide you with a free online market evaluation. If you’d like to go to the next step, we can schedule a time to meet your and view your home. Or, you can always call Sande or Brett Ellis at 239-489-4042 Ext 4. Always Call the Ellis Team! We’ll get your home Sold!