Here’s the seller’s nirvana – sell your home faster and for more money than you had anticipated. Sounds great, right? But how does that happen, especially in the current Canadian real estate market?
There are a number of strategies you can deploy to accelerate the process without reducing your asking price.
As an experienced agent will tell you, you cannot compromise on marketing if you want a quick and profitable sale.
The most fundamental decision is to select the right agent for you. There are plenty of great people who can sell your home, of course. But you need to appoint the agent who connects with you, and has experience in the local area selling homes similar to your own. Our team would be delighted to assist you.
You also need to have complete confidence in their marketing approach.
They may not offer the cheapest marketing strategy, but it should be one that you understand and believe will achieve the best result.
Here are some ideas for helping to minimize the number of days you’re on market, and to achieve the best possible price.
Maximize exposure – You want to be seen on the major aggregator sites and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which your agent will arrange. An MLS is a database used by real estate professionals to share listings with other agents, their clients and aggregator sites, such as Realtor.ca.
Direct contacts – Your agent should have many people on their database who have expressed an interest in buying a property similar to yours.
Digital presence – It’s worthwhile investing in a good video walkthrough of your home – an agent will arrange this. You can also commission 3D walkthrough specialists to create an immersive experience. It’s a great idea if your home might appeal to buyers elsewhere in Canada and overseas.
Feature focus – Be laser-focused on which features you wish to highlight. If you’re selling a two-bedroom apartment, you may want to highlight the view or balcony. A family home should focus on the kitchen and living areas.
Walkthrough times – Work around the needs of buyers, especially if they want an early-morning or early evening inspection.
Price flexibility – In the first week or two of the campaign, your agent will solicit feedback from prospective buyers on what they’d be prepared to pay. Usually, it’s low-ball stuff and to be ignored. However, if you get consistent feedback that you’ve shot too high on with your price expectation, be prepared to come down a little to meet the market.
Curb appeal – It’s essential your apartment building or home looks stunning from the street. So many buyers will make their first judgment from this position. While this can be hard if you’re in a block of apartments, do the best you can. Your agent’s photographer should know how to capture the “money shot” in this circumstance. First impressions are critical.
Deep clean – Depersonalize and deep clean your home. That means taking away personal items and memorabilia so prospective buyers can imagine themselves living in your property.