When it’s time to sell your property, you can never get enough advice. Whether you represent a company or are an individual seller, your property is typically your largest investment.
So you’ll want to make sure you examine all the pertinent issues for the best possible return. This means factoring in what you can expect from a Realtor, what you can research yourself, and how to move strategically from point A to point B.
Field the best team
Selling your property usually requires you to hire and work with various real estate professionals, such as real estate agents, commercial agents, property inspectors, escrow officers, and, possibly tax, legal, or financial advisers.
If you assemble the right players for your team, you’ll maximize your chance of a successful sale. To increase your chances of an efficient, top-dollar sale, obtain a good property inspection to discover problems before they become deal killers.
Prepare the property
Preparing your home for sale involves much more than just sticking a For Sale sign in your front yard. Avoid wasting money on major improvements that won’t give you a good return on your investment. Cosmetically, though, it’s wise to add a coat of paint on tired walls and clean the place thoroughly.
Starting from the outside, “curb appeal” is the first impression one makes on prospective buyers. If the exterior of your home is not inviting, you may never get an opportunity to show off the fine interior features. Chipping paint, overgrown bushes, and patchy grass will be immediate turn-offs.
Landscaping should be well-manicured and gardens should be pruned and clear of debris. Walkways should be swept or washed down with a hose before any open house. Overall, the exterior should look well-cared for.
Best pricing
To formulate the best pricing, check the other houses for sale in your neighborhood. Examine sales of the houses comparable to yours in size, age, condition, and location; a good agent can assist you here. If you price your house right, it will sell, because informed buyers recognize the value after seeing other houses with unrealistically high asking prices.
Remember, everything is negotiable
Real estate negotiation has no absolutes. You and your agent can maximize the price and terms of sale if you understand the needs and motivations of prospective buyers. You must also be able to spot the warning signs of fake buyers or lookie-loos!
Credit checks
Always do credit checks on your potential buyers. Credit scores play an important role in a buyer’s creditworthiness. First Report in the UK can provide credit checks on individual buyers as well as companies online.
They partner with ConsumerCheck.com, which allows them access to more than 44 million UK credit files. Reports are priced as little as one pound sterling and they also offer discount packages for multiple reports.
All the above will put you well on your way to selling your property wisely. However, even though real estate selling doesn’t require a rocket scientist, you can easily make a mistake, especially if you’re overconfident or do not assemble the right team.
At the end of the day, your most important investment needs to be weighed as your highest priority. If you begin to doubt you’re getting the best deal, take the time to reevaluate, which might mean taking a few of steps back before going forward again. This supports the old adage that “selling wisely, doesn’t necessarily mean selling quickly.”