Top 14 things you must do to sell your home in Naples
GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
Make sure your home has a solid written marketing plan. The days are long past when all you had to do was put a property on the MLS, hang up a sign and wait for the offers to come in. In today’s market, everything must be 100% right. I have a marketing program which covers everything you need to do to make sure your home sells quickly and at the best possible price.
STAY AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET
With today's ever-changing real estate market, it’s important to keep ahead. Every day homes are sold, new ones are listed plus some expire. I will analyze your home’s marketing and review it with you. We will discuss adjustments that need to be made, pricing is important, but often that is not the only way to keep ahead of the game.
HOME STAGING IS IMPORTANT
I believe that staging a home should be done to make your property show at it’s very best. Less experienced Realtors sometimes lack the trained eye and the courage to tell clients just what they need to do to enhance their homes. Selling your home in an “as is” condition is something that needs to be avoided if possible, it leaves the door open for buyers to offer a reduced price and it can take much longer for your home to sell.
REPAIRS
It can be obvious to buyers when a home has been neglected in regard to maintenance. Whilst buyers will make offers, often the offer is contingent on a home inspection, so it is wise to have all repairs taken care of upfront, the buyer will gain confidence from seeing a clean report. I can offer a limited free home inspection when you list your home with me.
USE THE BEST HIGH-QUALITY MARKETING MATERIALS
Make sure the agent you choose uses only high-quality marketing materials to represent your home. Many agents are on a tight budget which means their sellers sometimes don't get the level of marketing they need, It starts with photography, a bad photograph will put buyers off even before they read anything about your home. Virtual tours are a must, plus the tours must be linked to as many online home selling services as possible. Brochures should be prepared using high-quality resources. I use professional photographers and a team of assistants to ensure your home looks it’s best online and on paper.
MAKE SURE YOUR HOME HAS A POWERFUL INTERNET PRESENCE
Did you know that over 90% of home buyers start their search on the internet? Having your home marketed correctly online is invaluable. I have a website that attracting thousands of visitors a month. Each of the homes I sell is listed as a featured home, plus we can produce a large banner making your home the main feature. We can also create individual websites for our premium listings that include maps, virtual tours, photo gallery, floor plans plus any special features your home may have.
MAKE YOUR HOME EASY TO SHOW
The more times your home is shown to buyers, the faster it will sell. If you can’t let people see your home, it will not sell. Often the quicker it sells, the higher the sale price will be. I can make showing your home simple, I can install a supra high-security lock for agents to gain access to your home to show their clients. Plus, I promise I will personally be on hand for short notice homes that have special showing requirements.
OPEN HOUSES - DO THEY WORK?
Open houses are a great way to get other agents to preview your home for their own clients, I will alert all other brokers in the area about your upcoming open house. They can get a lot of people through your property in one day, however, statistics show that less than 2% of homes actually sell from Open Houses. The exception being if your home is in a popular location, holding an open house can be good. The best day for an open house Sunday in the afternoon, it’s a good idea to have guests register so I can follow them all up afterward.
MAKE SURE YOU SELECT AN EXPERIENCED REAL ESTATE AGENT
During boom times, a lot of new people became realtors, here in Naples it seems like everyone has a del estate license! As a seller, you should make sure that the realtor you choose has been a realtor for a long time, not just as something to do on the side, but chose to be a realtor as a career. You need someone who has been through multiple real estate cycles so that they know exactly what you need for today’s market.
REDUCE THE PRICE IF YOUR HOME IS NOT SELLING
Making a price reduction is the last thing sellers want to consider. However, pricing is the most important part of selling your home, if it’s priced right it will sell. I spend a lot of time considering pricing for your home, it’s only after comparing your home with other similar homes in the area and researching their listing prices and final selling prices that we can determine the correct price for your home. Reducing the price on your home is something you may want to consider if you are in a hurry to sell. At all times I try my best to get you the highest price possible for your home.
ANALYZING POTENTIAL BUYERS
Not all buyers are what they seem, it’s important that you only take offers from qualified buyers. Sometimes we come across buyers that change their minds for no reason or will walk away from making a counteroffer. Make sure you choose a Realtor who has the experience to help you carefully evaluate buyers before signing an agreement.
NEVER TAKE A CONTINGENT OFFER
Make sure you never take a contingent offer which has you take your home off the market until the buyer’s home sells. When looking at contingent offers it is important that they are structured to your best interests and that they give you the most control. A Realtor with experience in writing contracts is extremely important.
ENSURE A SOLID PURCHASE AGREEMENT IS NEGOTIATED
When it comes to having a contract prepared, a carefully written purchase agreement is the basis for any successful real estate agreement. It should be fair to both parties, but should not give the buyers an easy way out if they change their minds. The deposit should be large enough, the buyer’s fund must be verified, plus all contingencies should be removed in time. When it comes to contract writing, many agents come to me for advice, I always make sure any agreement I write is thorough and watertight.
MANAGE YOUR TRANSACTION PERFECTLY
Managing a real estate transaction is one of the most important roles of a professional real estate consultant. Many agents have the contract signed, then simply hand it over to a transaction coordinator, then collect their commission check. The way a transition is handled is extremely important and that is why I manage all my own transitions and have one of the best onetime closing records in the business.
GET HELP SELLING MY HOME!
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