As a Realtor, one of our biggest frustrations is dealing with the unrealistic expectations of a seller. Sellers are notorious for overpricing their homes. The market is saturated with thousands of properties that will never sell without a price adjustment. Lack of comparable sales, poor or no Realtor representation, believing improvements are worth more than they really are, no knowledge of the real estate market, ignoring current competition, needing a certain sales price based on personal expenses and not staying on top of the current market conditions are a few reasons sellers overprice their homes.
1) Be objective
Yes, you are selling your home and all of the great memories and experiences that you have had but try to be as objective as you can. Don’t factor those great memories into the price tag of your home. Buyers are more concerned with location, quality, size and condition.
2) Ignore what your home would have sold for 5 years ago
It does not matter that your home was worth a lot more five years ago. The real estate market changes daily. Get the old values out of your head. You have to sell in today’s market.
3) Don’t count on a sucker
Many sellers go with the idea that an idiot will show up with a briefcase full of cash and fall in love with their home. You do see homes sell for more than they are worth but it is rare.
4) Are priced dropping in your area?
Chances are that prices are lowering in your city. If you sold a year ago you would have put more money in your pocket than if you sold today. Most likely if you sell in the next 30 days it will be for more money than 6 months from now. The fast your sell it the better. Don’t dilly dally around.
5) Study the market
This is where a good Realtor comes into play. Some agents spend no time pricing the home when this is really the most important part of the equation. Look at the properties for sale, under contract, expired and recently sold. Be objective and compare your home with those properties.
6) More marketing does not justify overpricing
Marketing and advertising are important in a market like this. However, having your home listed in the newspaper every weekend won’t make it sell for more than it is worth. Buyers look at more than one property when they buy. If your competition is better you will lose. Even if they came to your home from a great ad.
7) Keep appraisals in mind
You don’t want to go through the hassle of an offer, negotiations, inspections and packing your belongings only to find out that your home did not appraise for the sales price and the deal is off. In a perfect world you can find three recently sold similar homes. Do your homework and establish an asking price based off of these three sales. Lending and appraisal guidelines have changed dramatically. Lenders are looking at appraisals closely so don’t figure on selling your home for a price that an appraiser cannot justify.
Get in front of the market
In a quickly moving market you may need to make an adjustment based on market conditions. When the market was hot in 2004 and 2005 a lot of sellers were taking the last sale and adding 5-10% to that price and making that their asking price. And, it was working. Now, the opposite may be needed. Since the market is moving quickly to the downside you may need to take the last sales price and make your asking price that or 5-10% lower.
9) Be better than your competition
This holds true for any real estate market. People pick the best value. If your competitor has a better lot, better view, is in better condition and a lower price why would a buyer go for your home?
10) Be prepared to lower your price
You may not get the correct asking price from day one. Sometimes it is difficult because of the market or lack of comparable sales. The initial asking price is just a starting point. Do not lock that number in your head. Make sure you lower your price before your house gets stale. If your home has been on the market too long many Realtors will stop showing it because they figure that you are not a realistic seller.
If you are thinking about selling your home in a bad real estate market keep these tips in mind when establishing your asking price. You can have all of the marketing in the world but if you are asking too much for your home it most likely won’t sell.
Learn more about . Marc Rasmussen would be happy to help you buy or sell a house in Sarasota, Florida.