Answers to the questions you’ve been too afraid to ask.
From – https://www.domino.com/content/real-estate-agent-secrets/
BY LYDIA GEISEL
Published Sep 3, 2018
Whether you’re casually browsing or currently trapped amid a bidding war, no matter what stage of the home-buying or home-selling process you’re in, there will always be things you wish you had known beforehand. For any homeowner, the post-stress of buying or selling real estate comes down to the should haves, could haves, and would halves. Could I have put in a lower bid? Should I have considered other brokers? Wonder no more.
If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a real estate agent, now is your chance. From the do’s and don’ts of selling to how to negotiate like a pro, to what to know before you browse, we took some of your most pressing housing questions to the experts at Manhattan-based real estate firm Warburg Realty. Read on for everything they want you to know.
Stage Your Home, Just Do It
You love your stuff. And while we’re all for showing off your most precious possessions, that doesn’t mean the potential buyers coming to tour your space will feel the same. For sellers, staging your home can mean a lot of things, but it ultimately means creating a blank slate for future residents.
“It’s important to make the apartment look and feel as neutral as possible but give that sense that it feels like it can be lived in, even move-in ready if possible. Painting a fresh neutral color is a quick thing on the cheaper side that can always help,” Gannon Forrester, an agent at Warburg Realty, tells Domino.
Need help finding a suitable neutral paint? Here are our top 10 choices.
“While buyers may not decide to purchase a home within moments of entering, they most certainly decide not to buy it in those crucial first few minutes,” reveals Lisa Larson. “Staging to me means not just editing an overly cluttered apartment. It also means painting (which I consider the least expensive facelift you can give an apartment), removing and storing furniture, and bringing in new furniture and accessories.”
Greedy Sellers Come in Last
We get that you want the most bang for your buck, but don’t be unrealistic. Overpricing almost always discourages traffic and bids, and it’s one of the biggest reasons a beautiful home will sit on the market and go stale.
“For properties to sell in any market, the price needs to be priced right from the beginning. After the initial burst of activity in the first two weeks or so, viewing requests start to wane and at times there will be weeks without a call. If your home has not sold in the first few weeks, sellers should consider a meaningful price drop or risk the property languishing on the market for months,” suggests Larson.
The same sentiment rings true about getting a great offer right away. “The thing about sellers is if they get a great offer too soon, then they think it was underpriced. Before listing your property, calculate the net worth and make sure you are comfortable with the asking price,” explains listing agent Brandon Major.
