sell your home

What Does A Great Realtor Look Like

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You want to sell your home. You want to hire a great Realtor. Kind of a no brainer. How would you recognize a great Realtor? What does a great Realtor look like?

Something like this…

A great Realtor is personable, easy to talk to and a good listener. They make you feel comfortable. How can you convey anything to someone you can’t even feel comfortable with or talk to.

They communicate in a way that works for you, whether that is on the phone, via text message, email or social media and they return your messages promptly.

They also have great relationships with other Realtors. This will get your home more traffic and get it sold more quickly.

Licensed

A great Realtor is always licensed, and that license is in good standing. Do your homework and make sure they are licensed and that there are no serious complaints against them.

One good way to find out is to use Google or Bing and search their name in quotation marks. But also check with the Better Business Bureau and state/county courts.

In Florida you can search their license status via the DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation).

A great Realtor is knowledgeable

If they don’t know the process like the back of their hand, find one who does. If they aren’t specialized in the type of property you are looking for, find one who is. If they aren’t up to date with the market where you are looking, find someone who is.

A great Realtor is always truthful

You should expect them to tell you what is true, not what you want to hear. That means if your home needs work before listing, or you think it’s worth more than it is, they will tell you.

Technology

A great Realtor keeps up with the technology of the times. Not just in how they stay in contact, but in how they market the homes they contract to sell. They use social media with savvy to market your home. They don’t shrink from new technology when finding ways to get the best photos of your home, like using drone videos.

You Really Do HAVE To Get Your Home Ship Shape To Sell

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You want to sell your home, but you don’t want to put the time or effort into changing it at all. Why should you? It’s been great for you since you bought it, someone will love it too. Right? Wrong. And even if it’s right, how long are you willing to wait while your home languishes on the market to find out? If you’re selling you must get your home ship shape.

Make a good impression

The first reason you should clean it all up is because you want to make a good impression on prospective buyers. From the first glance at the front door to the rest of your home, a dirty, clutter screams “I AM A LOT OF WORK THAT WILL COST YOU EVEN MORE MONEY” to prospective buyers. That should reel them right in. A clean, uncluttered home will invite them to buy because it is little to no extra work.

Packing

The second is that no matter if you clean it before you sell or not, you will eventually have to pack it all up and move it. Why not do it now, in a more relaxed manner. Doing it ahead of time will give you time to sort through and get rid of things that you don’t want or need any longer. If you do it later when you’re under pressure to get moved in time for settlement, you won’t have time to pack in an organized way or weed out things you don’t want. Why wait and move it too?

Want to get top dollar?

Lastly, if you want to get top dollar for your home, cleaning, decluttering and getting it in top shape is the key. Who’s going to offer asking or above on a house that looks dull, or worse, terrible. No one. In fact, if your home isn’t show ready you probably won’t even get an offer, let alone asking or above.

Do yourself and your bank balance a favor and make your home shine.

Three Things You MUST Do Before You List Your Home For Sale

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Selling your home entails a LOT of things to do. Some are musts, some are not. Here are three things that you MUST do before you list your home for sale.

First, your home must be show ready for that first day on the market

What does “show ready” mean? Let’s start with it means it’s CLEAN, and we mean clean enough to eat off the bathroom floor! Move furniture and appliances. Clean them inside and out. Deep clean floors, carpets, walls, air duct covers, air intake covers, woodwork, windows… basically every inch of your home should be clean. To get it clean that also means removing CLUTTER. Remove most of your things from the home, including oversized furniture. Big furniture and clutter make rooms look smaller. A few things are ok, minimal is better. Your home will look and smell better. Now that all the scrubbing is done, time to touch up paint, or repaint. You want the place to look neutral (color is ok, but don’t go overboard), light and roomy. It also needs to look as move in ready as possible.

Second, make sure to find out the fair market price for your home

Overpricing your home is a REALLY bad idea. Underpricing it as well. Getting to the fair market value takes some wrangling and is best left to an expert, like your Realtor. Rely on them to know the market’s well enough to get the right price the first time.

Third, have an exit plan

Know where you are going and have a backup for that first plan. So where are you going when you sell your home? Don’t know? Well you better or you’ll end up homeless! If you are buying, have your Realtor help you with timing, but also have a backup in case one of the home sales falls through. For instance, don’t sell your home, counting on the purchase of the next one to be worry free. The seller could flake out, not like your demands or reject your offer. What then?

Make sure these MUSTS are done, and you’ll have a few less worries.

3 Ways To Sell Your Home Faster and For More Money

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You want to sell your home, and like every other homeowner, you want to sell it fast and for asking price or more. Well, it will take some work on your part to get that quick wad of cash. Here are a few things you should do.

First, price it right

Your home will NOT sell fast if it is overpriced. In fact, the people who could and would be interested in buying it won’t even see it. The listing won’t even get past them. People look for homes by asking price. If your asking price isn’t in that range, they won’t see the listing. If you price it too high, people who do look won’t offer asking. Your best bet is to price your home for what the market says it’s worth or just below. Pricing it just below market may even result in a bidding war that gives you above asking.

Next, make your home look fantastic

Start with the curb appeal. Clean up the landscaping, plant flowers, paint the door/exterior, replace the mailbox, clean the walkways and driveway, put away toys or lawn equipment and set up your deck or patio to show how awesome your outdoor space can be. Remember that if you don’t make a good first impression, it won’t matter how good the inside looks. But don’t forget the inside. Paint walls and woodwork to freshen up the space. Declutter and remove excess furniture so rooms look bigger. You can keep some family photos, but make them few and far between. You want your home to look inviting, not cluttered and overwhelming or sterile as though no one lives there. Also be sure to clean, and clean exceptionally.

Market it on social media

Be sure to market your home on sites other than Realtor sites. Be sure it’s put on YouTube (as in a virtual tour), Facebook and search engines like Yahoo, Bing and Google. The more places it appears the better.

Don’t refuse a first bid without some thought

Lastly, don’t automatically refuse a first bid, even if it’s lower than you like. At least try to negotiate. That bid may just be the buyer you want, and there may not be other, bigger fish out there.

Now, go sell your home and get it done fast and lucratively!

If you would like to work with a professional real estate team, give The Deb Ward Team a call! 727-410-0336

Who Is Going To Be Buying Your Next Listing?

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Did you know that knowing who your average prospective buyer is can help you sell your home? Makes sense. If you know that your average person looking at your home is a certain age range, income level, etc., you can target your efforts in marketing your home, and even in choosing a Realtor.

Know your target buyer

Let’s say that you have a condo in a 55+ community. You know that your target buyer is 55 years old or over, and probably has a certain income range. This will tell you to find a Realtor that specializes more in older clientele, who can bring them to you, but who also knows how to market to them.

So who is the average American home buyer? Depends on whether it’s a first or second home. So let’s look at both.

Average home buyer

The average home buyer in the US for a primary home is 33 years old and has an average income of $86,500.00. They mortgage 93% of the sale. If they are second home buyers the average age is 56 years old and has an average income of $112,500.00. They mortgage 83% of their purchase. This is probably because they have more savings, but also because a second home mortgage requires more down money.

So how is this useful? Well, a 33 year old is most likely settled in a career, possibly married and has a family, or is starting one. Your Realtor will know how to market your home to meet their criteria.

If you would like find out more about selling your home in the Tampa Bay area, give Deb Ward, The Irish Realtor a call today! 727-410-0336

Why You Have To Price Your Home Right Even In A Sellers Market

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

The time has come to sell your home and you have heard that the real estate market in your area has turned around and you find yourself in a sellers market. Great! Now you can price your home right where you want and get your price, right? Well, not so fast. Pricing your home right is important in any market and a sellers’ market is no different.

Think back to when you bought your home

Would you have even looked at it had it been priced above what you thought it should be? Of course not. So why is it any different now that you are on the opposite side? You asked your Realtor to help you sell, so why would you go against their advice and price your home too high just because the advantage is a bit more on your side because of the market? No matter the market, an overpriced home won’t sell. The housing bubble burst put an end to that.

Pricing your home right is the most important part of getting it sold, hands down

Overpricing a piece of real estate keeps appropriate buyers from looking. Dropping the price after it’s been sitting means a stale listing that prospective buyers will pass over. Mostly because they will wonder what is wrong with it. The longer it sits, the lower you drop and then you find that the price you get is probably much lower than the price your Realtor originally suggested. So by being obstinate you cost yourself time and a lot of money.

Your home’s worth

You have to keep in mind that no matter what the market may be, buyer or seller, your home is only worth what people are willing to spend. Your home is only worth what the market will bear. You know what else? Pricing a bit below market price may even work to your advantage in a sellers’ market. In theory it may just mean that you can find yourself with multiple offers for your home. Bidding war anyone? A bidding war may just mean you get something above market price.

Your Realtor has the experience and knowledge to tell you what that is. Listen to him or her and you will be on your way to your next home before you know it.