What to Do When Listing Your Home

For Sellers

When listing your home, you may feel like what happens is up to chance. But, taking these few key actions early on can help guarantee a successful sale.

Time it Right

The longer a home is on the market, the less it will sell for. In most cases, you’ll want to receive an offer on your home within 3 weeks of listing it. This will help you avoid having to drop your asking price or leaving your home on the market for an extended period of time.

To make the most of these 3 weeks, time your listing so that it reaches the market when the most buyers will be able to view it. Typically, Thursdays are good days to list because buyers will have the weekend to view your home. Your agent can help you pick exactly the right time to list.

Avoid Overpricing

Of course you want to receive the highest possible offer on your home. Your agent wants this, too! But pricing your home at an above-market value–whether for financial or emotional reasons–can make it harder to sell. Overpricing or emotionally pricing your home can also end up backfiring if your home stays on the market for a long time.

Instead, work with your agent to find the right asking price. By doing so, you’ll almost certainly guarantee a better offer, and you’ll protect yourself and your family from an exhausting and drawn-out series of showings.

Make It Easy to See

The more buyers who view your home, the higher your chances of a successful sale. So, you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for buyers to visit. Agree to as many showings and open houses as you can.

Keep in mind, you should plan to not be home when a buyer visits. Having a seller in a home during a showing can make a buyer very uncomfortable. You may need to rearrange your schedule so that your family (including pets) can be absent when a buyer arrives.

And, keep your home prepared to receive buyers. This is another reason to want the sale of your home to be efficient–keeping your home buyer-ready all the time can be hard on you and your family. So, make it easier by following these tips.