Sellers

We Love Working with Serious Sellers!

The savvy home owner committed to selling his property in today’s competitive market is willing to seek professional advice and do what it takes to rise above the competition.  Below is some the best advice and proven strategies for giving your property an edge over the competition.  The importance of pricing and presentation is so often underestimated that the seller who grasps this from the start gives himself a surprising edge over others.

Please contact us if we can provide you with a free market analysis for your property.

Pricing Strategy

Pricing is a crucial element in facilitating the timely sale of any property, and pricing a property appropriately in the market should be given careful consideration.

Market trend is an important factor in pricing.  Pricing high in a rising market may work in some cases. Overpricing in a falling market is too often an unsuccessful strategy that can result in missed opportunities and too many days on the market.

A new offering on the market will get the most attention from buyers, brokers and sales associates during the first few weeks of listing. Pricing a property correctly at listing is an important part of marketing strategy.

On the average, buyers inspect up to 12 properties before making a decision, and quickly become knowledgeable in their range.

This  typical “comparison“ shopping means that a higher priced property is often simply not seen by the most serious buyers, even if it is much nicer than other properties being considered. This is especially true if there are a number of lower priced properties on the market.

To obtain proper market exposure it is an absolute necessity to be competitive in price, terms and condition with similar properties selling in the area.

Sellers stand a better chance of attracting a serious buyer, getting full market value and a quicker sale if they price their property at market value when listing.

Some of the benefits of proper pricing:

• Increased cooperative salesperson response and promotion.  Sales associates are more likely to promote and contact their customers about properties they feel are a good buy.
• Exposure to a greater number of prospective buyers.  Pricing at market will include prospective buyers that may have been eliminated at a higher price.  If you are willing to adjust your  price at the time of sale, it’s better to adjust it at the time of listing and attract serious buyers.
• More likely to generate a faster sale.  A faster sale will save carrying costs which has value.

A property priced well in the market will actually bring offers closer to asking price. Typically, the more in line a buyer perceives a price to be, the more in line his offer will be, and the converse is true as well.

Tips on Preparing Your Property For Sale

Never underestimate the value of having your property show at its best. Purchasers are more often influenced by emotion than logic. For example, offering a new carpet allowance (the logic being that the buyer can pick his own color and style) is probably not as effective as replacing the carpet and giving your property a fresh clean appearance that elicits a positive emotional response. Showing buyers how great your property can look is usually much more effective than telling them, and can make a big difference in your bottom line.

Some of the tips below may seem obvious and may not apply if you own a brand new, professionally decorated rental property. But it is amazing how often sellers overlook these tried and true ways to increase their sales potential. The importance of these items simply cannot be overstated.

Cleaning, repair and fresh paint can net big returns in terms of sales price. Just watch Sell This House! on Home and Garden TV to see the saleability difference that cleaning, painting, and de-cluttering can make.

• Inspect Before the Buyer Does

One of the best investments a seller can make is to have a home inspection and/or moisture inspection done when he lists his property for sale. It’s almost certain that any buyer is going to have this done anyway. Addressing necessary repairs before an offer is ever received can greatly reduce the potential for renegotiation or delays in closing, and gives the seller time to shop prices and have repairs made on his own schedule.

• Compare

Try to take a good look at how your property visually compares with competing listings on the market. This may help you determine whether to invest in some up-grading or up-dating in order to maximize on your sale.

• Be Ready

Make your assessment and take care of cleaning, repairs and upgrades before you put your property on the market. Remember, it typically gets its greatest amount of market attention in the first few weeks of listing. You may not get a second chance to wow a potential buyer, and first impressions are important.

• Clean Everything!

Floors, walls, dusty air vents, rust stains, carpets. Everything should be sparkling.

• Repairs

Loose knobs, squeaking or sticky doors, torn screens and dripping faucets can detract from a home’s value disproportionately to the cost of having them fixed.  These minor flaws can imply deferred maintenance, and many buyers believe there are 10 problems they haven’t noticed for every one they do see.

• Odors

Any property owner can become desensitized to a smell that others notice right away. Consider asking a friend to be brutally honest and tell you whether the carpet smells like Fido. Do whatever it takes to eliminate odors. It will pay off in the long run.

• Organize and De-Clutter

Clutter, too much furniture, and oversized furniture will make spaces feel smaller. Off-site storage facilities are fairly inexpensive and can be well worth the investment in the long run.  Storage space is typically a feature highly valued by potential buyers. If you find you have maxed out your storage on countertops, in closets, garages and store rooms, consider clearing these spaces and storing items off site in order to facilitate a sale. Sometimes making that closet or pantry feel roomy is just a matter of organizing and throwing out. Remember that a serious buyer wants to look in every nook and cranny.

• Paint

Paint is the least expensive, highest return improvement you can make. With a good paint job, you can create a fresh, updated appearance that will add to the emotional appeal of the property. More neutral tones have the broadest appeal.

• Arrange Furnishings to their best advantage

Builders and developers have used this strategy for years to sell their product. They know the value of furnishing to enhance the space and flow of movement in a property. You don’t have to spend thousands with professional decorators to market this way. If you need help, enlist the aid of a friend with a good eye for this, or hire a professional stager to help you. Professional stagers who rearrange and “re-decorate” using the furnishings already in a home are available in our area to help sellers maximize their property’s appeal.

• Kitchens and Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. Pay special attention to these areas to make sure they are super clean and uncluttered. If you are considering doing a little updating, these are typically the areas where you can reap the most return. New light fixtures and mirrors, drawer pulls and knobs, window coverings and linens are some of the less expensive improvements with big pay-offs.

 

Why List Your Property With Our Team?

• Rebecca and Maria are long-time residents and members of the local business community with knowledge of the history and development of the Emerald Coast. Details of our individual experience, qualifications and background are provided on our website.
• We have consistently maintained a standing in the top 5% of Emerald Coast sales associates.
• For approximately 18 years we have been affiliated with the area’s largest real estate company, and the dominant market force in the real estate markets of Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and South Walton County.
• Our long-time brokerage affiliation adds to our large database of potential buyers for your property.  As this area’s largest resort rental company, ResortQuest brings more visitors through our doors than those of any other area real estate broker.

We Offer:

• Direct marketing to area sales associates. We market to and network with all area sales associates to find a buyer for your property . This a large part of our team’s marketing focus.
• “Target Marketing”. We determine the profile of the most likely buyer for your property and target that market segment in our advertising.
• Customer databases. We maintain computerized mailing lists and market directly to our target markets.
• Database development. We utilize our company’s national marketing network  and specialized marketing pieces in developing advertising designed to bring new buyers to our market and to our team.

Please contact us if we can help you market your property. We can provide you with a brochure that outlines our complete marketing plan.