When Should You Meet With a Realtor
If you are planning on selling your home in the future, you might be wondering when to start the selling process. My advice is don’t wait. I recommend meeting with a local realtor as soon as you think you want to sell your home. As an experienced agent, I can tell you that there are several benefits to meeting with a realtor early in the home selling process. I even have some clients contact me a year before they want to sell. Not only can a real estate agent give you valuable information on improvements to make and how to get show-ready, but they can also save you time, money, and lots of stress.
Improvements You Should Make
One of the biggest benefits of meeting with a realtor early is getting valuable insight on the improvements you should make to your home. Based on market trends and buyer preferences, they can tell you which updates will give you the best return on investment and make your home sell quicker. In many cases, these will be painting recommendations. This could also include anything from installing new flooring to simply updating lightbulbs. Most realtors will also have a rolodex of trusted contractors that may give discounts and preferential treatment to their clients. By making smart improvements before you even list your home, you can increase your sale price and reduce the time your home spends on the market.
Improvements You Shouldn’t Make
While it’s important to make improvements to your home to increase its value, it’s equally important not to make costly mistakes. A realtor can help you avoid wasting money on updates that will have little or negative return on investment. For example, they can warn you against making major renovations that won’t be appreciated by buyers in your area. Instead, they can suggest more cost-effective improvements that will have a greater impact. Additionally, there are circumstances when a home has maxed out its value in comparison to the surrounding neighborhood, meaning further renovations would not significantly increase its financial value.
Tips on How “Empty” to Make Your House and Get Show-Ready
Once you’ve made the necessary improvements to your home, it’s time to get it show-ready. This can be a lengthy process depending on how many years the owner has lived in the home. However, with the guidance of a realtor, it can be made much more manageable. An experienced real estate agent knows how “empty” to make a house so that it shows best. For a home to show well, it needs to be decluttered, but it shouldn’t be completely empty either. They will advise you on what items to pack away and what items should stay, how the furniture should be arranged, where to store your boxes, and how to stage the home in a way that appeals to potential buyers.
Strategizing on the Best Listing Date
A realtor can assist in selecting the optimal date to list your home for sale, providing a concrete timeline to aim for. This guidance is beneficial as I’ve observed instances where sellers hastily prepare their homes for sale during a holiday week, when waiting an additional week for listing could have been more advantageous.
Starting a Pre-marketing Campaign Early
A pre-marketing campaign is a series of activities and techniques aimed at generating buzz and interest in your home. By meeting with an agent early, they can start developing a pre-marketing strategy that’s right for your home. This typically involves a mix of online marketing and mailers. Realtors have a wealth of knowledge on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to pre-marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
In conclusion, meeting with a real estate agent ahead of selling is a smart and practical decision. This will help you get the most out of the process and prevent mistakes along the way that could cost time and money. The earlier you sit down with a realtor, the more they can plan, structure, and implement a strategy that is tailored for your needs and preferences, ultimately selling your home faster and at a more favorable price point.