Selling a home can be tricky. You don’t want to sell your home for too little and leave money on the table. But if you price your home too high, your property could languish on the market. That’s where a good real estate agent comes in. They can help you avoid a variety of missteps that can cost you money. Here are some of the most common mistakes home sellers make – and how real estate agents can help their clients avoid them:
Pricing a property too high. You want to get the most amount of money out of your home as possible. But starting out with much too high of a listing price can scare away some home buyers and waste precious time on the market. Many home buyers are reluctant to offer significantly less than the asking price; they will simply gravitate toward a property that’s priced right. Realtors can provide a much-needed reality check in the form of a market value analysis.
Pricing a property too low. Without a real estate agent to help pinpoint a property’s market value, some sellers may underestimate how much their property is worth, leaving money on the table. Studies show that homes sold via a Realtor sell for more than those sold by owner.
Selling a property ‘as-is.’ At the very least, you’ll want to thoroughly clean and de-clutter a home before selling. But also, making some minor repairs and upgrades could make a huge difference in the amount of time your home remains on the market and the final selling price. If there are too many things that are broken or don’t work when a prospective buyer walks through a home, they may wonder if there are other, more costly problems that they can’t see. A real estate agent can help a seller identify whether certain repairs and upgrades make sense financially.
Letting emotions rule. Some sellers will automatically reject an offer that’s too low. Others are offended by requests that certain items, such as a fireplace set or playground equipment, remain with the home when it’s sold. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep in mind that home buyers aren’t trying to make you angry – they are simply trying to get the best deal possible. A real estate agent can help you evaluate the pros and cons of individual offers and requests as a neutral third party.