Making Better Real Estate Decisions

The reality of the real estate market is that a home no longer sells itself. There are plenty of homes on the market and plenty of ways for buyers to locate listings. So, the real estate listing becomes a very important and calculated step in selling your home. Here are some things to do before you put your listing on the market.

Scope Out the Market

It helps to know who you're up against in your local real estate community. Take a look at real estate listings from homes in similar neighborhoods and with a similar amount of space, bedrooms, and amenities. You might also want to talk with a real estate broker to see how long homes have been on the market before a sale, as well as what the typical asking price is for a successful real estate listing in your neighborhood.

Get an Inspection

You'll also want to get a home inspection before listing your property. This way, buyers will have a second opinion to be sure that the home is worth what you're asking. And if there are any issues that do come up, you can use that information to make your asking price more realistic (or to get items fixed).

Make Needed Repairs and Stage the Home

Ask your real estate agent about the cost/benefit of fixing problems rather than selling as is. One thing you'll definitely want to do to spruce up your home is to stage it by adding new finishes, cleaning up the clutter and making small repairs.

Get an Appraisal

If you wait to get your home appraised after you make your little improvements here and there, you'll have a more positive result in terms of your home's perceived value.

If you are able to accomplish all of these steps before you first put your real estate listing on the market, you will be in much better shape. First impressions are important, which is why it's such a great thing to have all of your ducks in a row before you let the public know that your home is for sale. Hopefully your listings' first draft is well done and attracts many buyers to your home, but it might take a few test runs before getting that perfect listing that advertises your home well. And, of course, a good real estate agent, like one from Mattox Realty, can take a lot of the guesswork out of your real estate listings with professional photography and writing.