If you listen to the media or friends your impression of the real estate market is that every home will sell no matter what you do. You’d also think your home will sell for the same price regardless of the condition, marketing or Broker you hire. These are some of the biggest lies in real estate today. Sometimes I think people believe the government is putting a limit on their home and you’re only allowed to sell it for $600,000 regardless of what they do.
"We took a home that didn’t sell at all with another agent and now it is under contract with multiple offers for way, way, way over asking price."
I sold the home next to 15804 Dink Pearson last year. The owners of that home had hired another agent to sell their home but it didn’t sell. After being frustrated the owners hired us and we were able to stage their home and get it sold.
When I was at that home, I met the owner of 15804 Dink Pearson and we talked about selling their home. Rather than hire me they decided to hire a friend who only sells 2-3 homes per year and doesn’t have experience selling in the area. I get it, there’s tremendous pressure for you to hire your friend. Almost everyone has a friend in real estate. But you have to ask yourself if you are selling your home to do your friend a favor or do you want to maximize the sales price for your family. They thought the market was so good they would get the same result either way.
What the owners discovered is there is a huge difference between hiring a friend and an experienced agent with a proven marketing system. Especially now when we are seeing out of area buyers paying up to $195,000 more than local buyers for our listings it is even more important the marketing done for your home tells an attractive story to these out of area buyers who tend to buy based on emotion and not logic.
After wasting a couple weeks on the market and getting frustrated with their agent the owners decided to cancel that listing with their friend. They called me again and this time hired me to sell their house.
Once they gave us the keys the first thing, we did was take an empty house and filled it with stylish furniture. Some will tell you that isn’t necessary in today’s market. My experience tells us it’s even more important with so many out of area buyers and an increase in buyers who are making decisions sight unseen. You want buyers, especially the out of area buyers who will pay the most for your home, to be able to picture how they will live in your house. If you have the choice between selling your home to someone who is just looking at the details like $/SF or someone who is emotionally in love with your home you should choose the emotional buyer. That what home staging allows you to do.
In the end we took a home that didn’t sell at all with another agent and now it is under contract with multiple offers for way, way, way over asking price. When you are ready to get the same results call us first at 512-791-7473 or email eric@koparealestate.com.
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