It’s a sizzling summer market

By Matt Trudell

The current real estate market is hotter than ever. Home sale prices are still trending up, and the lack of inventory makes this a great time to sell if you are so inclined to do so. There are several things you should do before listing your property for sale. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make your decision.

Picking the right REALTOR® can be challenging. Especially with the incredible influx of new sale agents over the last 18 months. It seems everyone knows a handful of REALTORS®, so how do you choose who is the right person for you to “work with”? 

Remember that you will be working together to achieve your goal. Having a REALTOR® that you feel comfortable working with is important. Experience (years or it) is very important in any transaction. Being able to work through problems and find creative solutions can save you thousands of dollars. Also, you want someone who’s primary job is real estate so that they are available to work with and for you. Quite often it becomes an issue if your REALTOR® is working their other job and is unavailable to you or to other agents who may be trying to set up a showing or get answers to questions their client has about your property. 

Preparing your home to be listed can be overwhelming. Try to keep it simple and stay focused on these three things. One, declutter and box things up that you don’t use this time of year. Like that coat closet with the winter jackets, pack them up and put them away. This will help you keep your house clean and ready for showings with minimal effort. 

Second, take care of those little projects and repairs you have been putting off. Lack of maintenance screams that there could be bigger problems that have been avoided as well.  Building inspectors will point out these areas and how they can manifest into much bigger problems, which may scare off new home buyers and terminate a potential sale. 

Third, curb appeal and that first appearance buyers see when they arrive at your house is imperative. Although you might be proud of that Trump 2020 Flag, I would suggest taking it down while trying so sell so you don’t loose potential buyers who might be offended.

Pricing your home correctly in the beginning is very important. This reverts back to the first part regarding choosing the right REALTOR® who has plenty of experience and knows the market area well. It is important to look at a Market Analysis of similar sold homes in your area. Take the time to go over this with your REALTOR® and see why they made price adjustments for certain items. 

You also want to look at what your current competition is priced at and how does your home compare to those you are going to be competing with for buyers. Overpricing a home is one of the most common selling mistakes made. It not only limits your pool of buyers, but in today’s world of online marketing, buyer’s have a very good feel for what properties are worth and won’t waste their time looking at overpriced homes.

So, pick your REALTOR® wisely, get those projects finished up, and then get your house on the market while it’s still hot. 

This article was written by Matthew Trudel, Broker & Owner of Five Star Realty, Windham.