Working with a real estate agent to sell your home brings lots of benefits. Agents are experts at what they do, and they’re motivated to do it well. They’ll even help you come up with ideas for your open house. But agents are only as useful as sellers allow them to be. Many sellers decrease the effectiveness of a real estate agent by making one of these common mistakes:
1. They don’t clean up. Even if a home is structurally in good condition, a dirty house is much harder to sell. Sometimes cleaning up might mean cleaning the windows and mopping the floors. Other times, homeowners may need to hire a carpet cleaner and repaint the walls. Do your best to make your home into a blank canvas for the new homeowners.
2. They don’t take their agent’s advice about pricing. You may have an idea of what your home is worth. But your agent, if he or she is good, knows. The agent has sold other homes in the area and knows how much those properties went for. Many sellers price their homes too high (after all, they’ve put years of energy and money into improving it) against the advice of their agent. These high-priced houses sit on the market for months, leaving baffled sellers to wonder why nobody’s made an offer.
3. They hang around during their open house. It’s only natural that you’d want to be around during the open house – after all, who better to show off the features of the house than the person who’s lived there for years? Don’t do it. Buyers want to explore the home at their own pace, and an overeager seller can turn them off. If at all possible, find somewhere else to be during the open house. Let your agent work their magic.
You can keep your real estate agent happy – and sell your home faster – if you don’t make these three mistakes. A good relationship with your agent is key to making your sale go smoothly. So remember, when you’re selling your home, do your best to make your relationship with your real estate agent a positive one. After all, you’re paying for it!
