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The sign is out front, the house is listed on Zillow, and you’re ready to get your home sold. But, now is no time to sit back and relax! Your work is far from done. In fact, the best sellers are the ones who take action and follow the right steps once their property is on the market. This guide will help you go from being the neighbor who’s selling to the neighbor who’s moving. Here’s a shortened list of tips you’ll find in this guide:
Read on for exclusive tips and tricks on how to be the best seller in your neighborhood!
When your property is for sale, you’re always on display. You and your home are now the fish in the fishbowl. A buyer's first impression of your home is the feeling that will stick with them throughout a showing, so make sure you set the right tone as soon as they step in the door. Plus, giving the best first impression is extremely important to maximize your resale value. Make sure your home is prepared to be on display at all time (need more guidance on what/where/how to clean? Check out our blog on where to start with the cleaning process).
Pro Tip #1: Always be ready for a showing! Do a walk-through of your home each morning to be sure it's tidy. Keep in mind that first impression. What will a potential buyer think when they see this space for the first time?
Pro Tip #2: Since you’ll be moving soon anyway, keep only the bare essentials on display. Pack away unnecessary clothing, shoes, etc.-this will only make the countdown to moving day easier!
Yes, we know you want to tell the potential buyers all the special qualities of your home during showings. And we agree, your kitchen counters ARE a very unique shade of emerald that is barely noticeable! However, it’s common practice for sellers to give space during open houses and leave the home during showings. Potential buyers want to envision this home as their own, and if you’re hovering around them, it’ll be extremely difficult for anyone to see themselves living there. With showing services like the one Jovio agents use, you’ll know exactly when showings will be happening with enough notice to get out of the house. You’ll also know how long the showing is scheduled for so you can plan for a quick coffee or a long bike ride to the park. It can be tough to let go a little bit and allow the potential buyers to do their thing, but removing yourself from the property will let potential buyers fall in love even faster.
Pro Tip #1: Keep your schedule open! Limiting the hours your home is available will limit your chances of getting an offer. We recommend making your home available from 10 AM-6 PM with a 2-hour notice--try sticking to this schedule, but be ready for appointments too!
Pro Tip #2: If you want to add a special touch to your showings, feel free to sprinkle around notes on your favorite parts of the home. This will show potential buyers what you’ll miss most and give an idea of what they might love the most!
You’re selling, and everyone you know should hear about it (yes, whether they like it or not). List your home for sale on all social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. You never know when your posts might reach someone who is looking to buy a home just like yours. Tell your neighbors that you’re selling even if you’re not friends. They might have friends that are looking to move into the neighborhood. Working your personal network is one of the best ways to spread the word about your listing. Your home buyer might be in your phone contacts right now, and you don’t even realize it!
Pro Tip#1: If you've never heard of Nextdoor, it’s time to get acquainted. Jovio recommends posting your home on Nextdoor as soon as it’s listed. Nextdoor is a great way to get in touch with all your neighbors without going door to door. Need some Nextdoor guidance? Ask a Jovio agent!
ProTip #2: Give all the details when you post on social. Open house? Give the hours. Hidden pool in your backyard that people might not know about? Post a picture of it! Your social networks may greatly appreciate being in the know about your awesome home. Overwhelmed with inquiries? When you work with a Jovio agent, you can send them our way!
An important part of listing your home is taking feedback seriously and acting on it. Prior to listing, you should follow the advice of trustworthy real estate experts. One way to get expert advice is to schedule listing consultations with local agents. An experienced agent, such as a Jovio agent, will do a walk-through of the property and offer you advice. While you should take some of the advice with a grain of salt and put your needs first, we recommend always keeping an open mind and listening to feedback from agents and potential buyers.
Pro Tip #1: Get an outsider’s perspective before listing. Asking for a friend’s advice is good. You can also seek the advice of a real estate expert who knows what will help a house sell.
Pro Tip #2: Be wary of choosing staging as the end all, be all solution. Houses with unique floor plans, as well as homes that look heavily lived in, can certainly benefit from staging. However, smaller properties don’t gain much from being staged. Before making any staging decisions, consult a real estate expert and decide on what’s actually best for the property instead of what you think would work.
One of the most painful parts of the transaction process will be getting all the paperwork together. Do yourself a favor by having all your documents organized way ahead of time. This will help you list your home sooner and make the road to closing so much simpler. Here’s a list of everything you’ll need so you can get ahead:
While your home is on the market, you should keep an eye on what’s happening around you. Based on other homes listed in your neighborhood and general area, you may (or may not) have fierce competition. If you’re not sure how to do this, lean on a real estate partner to keep you in the loop on activity! If there’s around 4-6 months worth of inventory in your area, it means you’re more likely to wait a longer time to receive an offer. If you’re in a hot market where homes are going off the market as soon as they’re coming on, be prepared for your home to quickly get an offer.
Pro Tip #1: If you’re partnered with a brokerage such as Jovio, you’ll be able to get daily activity updates on comparable properties in your neighborhood. If you’re on the market for more than a few days, you’ll want to be in the know about other homes that are coming on and going off the market.
Pro Tip #2: If you don’t have an offer on your property after 10 showings or 2 weeks, it’s time for a deep assessment of your listing price. Knowing the market trends will help you make an educated price reduction. If you stay in the know, the reduction won’t come as a surprise.
Time to write about all the things that make your home awesome! Let’s call it a “brag sheet” of sorts. Think about it: what’s going to make your home stand out from the one across the street with the new countertops? How about the one down the street that has a bigger backyard? The competition right outside your home’s walls is going to be intense. Your home is special, but it’s your job to tell the world about it (if only walls could talk, right?).
Pro Tip #1: Think outside the standard “location-based” selling points, such as nearby schools, restaurants, attractions, etc. If the home across the street from you is for sale, it's close to all these things too. Mention the location-based selling points, but focus more on highlighting your home’s unique features.
Pro Tip #2: Some questions we recommend asking yourself to create your “brag sheet”:
