Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation
Whether you’re planning to sell in the near future or entertaining the thought, there are some things you need should know. I’m constantly seeing Orange County sellers make the same mistakes over and over again, which sabotage their deals. It’s causing their homes to sell for a lot less and sit on the market a lot longer than they should. Here are the 6 things you should avoid when listing your Orange County home on the market.
1. Don’t hire an agent based on a personal relationship. Hold the agents that you’re considering to a certain standard. You shouldn’t hire them because they are a good friend or family member, you should hire them because they are a good fit and will bring you great value. Not every agent is created equally, and each has different strategies to accomplish your goals. The wrong agent can ignite a negative chain reaction.
2. Don’t overprice. Even though we may be in a seller’s market, there are many buyers out there who are nervous about the potential for a real estate bubble. They are tentative, and skeptical about high prices. If you are overpriced, they will know, and avoid your home. Even if you eventually reduce your price, that will invite lowball offers because you’ve been on the market for so long.
3. Don’t just hire the cheapest agent. You can always find someone that will do the job cheaper. However, the commission conversation is more detail-oriented than you think. It’s not just about a number, there’s a lot of strategy that goes behind commission rates. If you’re working with someone who has a good track record and leverages their commission into incentives and great marketing, you’re saving much more in the long run than you would by going with a discount agent. You are doing yourself a disservice if you hire an agent based on commission rates.
4. Don’t overlook the power of emotion. Buyers buy based on emotion, no matter how much research they put into a property. Curb appeal and staging are so important because buyers will overlook a lot of things missing from a home if they can connect with the home emotionally. Staging really helps bring this type of emotion out, and can help your home sell for much more than it would without it.
“
It’s crucial to work with an
agent who understands the market.
”
5. Don’t work with an agent who isn’t dynamic. The real estate market is changing every single day. You need an agent who understands this, and understands the nuances of your specific market. This way they can leverage specific date to market and position your home to sellers. It’s crucial to work with an agent who understands the ever-changing market.
6. Keep your agent accountable. Agents will tell you anything up-front in order to get your listing. They will make promises, and may or may not keep them. If you have an agent and aren’t holding them accountable, God knows what will go on. Real estate is global, especially in Orange County, and people are coming here from all over the world. If you have bad online marketing and bad photos on your listing, people aren’t going to see your hoe. If they don’t see your home, you won’t have showings and if you don’t have showings you won’t get any offers.
These are the 6 crucial mistakes that you must avoid if you’re putting your home on the market. Making even 1 of these mistakes can ignite a negative chain reaction, which you don’t want. We want to sell your home for the most amount of money possible, for a record price if we can. If you have any questions for me or want to know what we can do to market your home on the highest level, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to speak with you!
