For Sellers

Pricing Your Home to Sell 

The first three to four weeks after you have listed your house for sale can provide the best opportunity for selling at the optimum price the market will allow. Because buyers and agents are always watching for new inventory, those first few weeks on the market can be the most active in attracting buyers to your home. When the pent-up demand is satisfied activity tapers off leaving only buyers new to the market to express interest in your property. If your home is initially priced right, you are in the best position to attract the maximum number of buyers. This simple fact underscores the importance of pricing your home accurately from the start.  

Benefits of Accurate Pricing

• A much faster sale
• Much less inconvenience
• More prospects for the home
• Heightened enthusiasm of sales agents
• Higher conversion rate of phone calls into showings
• Higher offers and therefore higher net equity, because proper pricing indicates the seller’s marketknowledge and willingness to deal in good faith. 

How can an owner accurately price his or her home for sale? Your Comey & Shepherd real estate professional can help provide you with the information, experience and objectivity necessary for your pricing decision. This involves current research on market conditions, comparable sales and financing trends. 

Basic pricing steps include: 

• Comparing your home with similar neighborhood homes - competing properties that have recently been sold or are currently on the market. 
• Looking with the critical eye of a buyer to assess what features make your home stand out among the others which are available. 
• Weighing the investment of dollars on cosmetic fix-ups that might enhance the marketability of your home and therefore bring in the highest sales price possible. 

Overpricing Is Risky

• Homeowners who overprice their homes do it for reasons which include over-improvement, the lack of factual market data, or possibly an original purchase price that was too high. There is harm in overpricing:
• Buyers looking in the next lower price category wont even see your home.
• Buyers who can find better values elsewhere dont bother to look at your home.
• An unsold home becomes stale”, and even buyers new to the marketplace will assume there is something wrong with it.
• After time, the inflated price might have to be lowered below competing homes in order to get a sale. 

Remember

Buyers are often lost in the showing process — seldom in negotiation. If your home is overpriced, the ready, willing and able buyers won’t even make an appointment to see it. 

Your Most Important Sales Tool is Price. 

A Comparative Market Analysis Is the Key To Pricing It Right  A professional Comey & Shepherd market analysis provides you with the information you need to price your home right. Creating a fair market analysis includes:Evaluating your home’s location, size, age, condition, extra features and improvements. Examining the interior and exterior and recommending enhancements for sale. Comparing your home with similar area properties currently for sale and recently sold. Applying thorough knowledge of current market conditions. 

Property Condition Is Important. The Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) that your Comey & Shepherd professional will prepare for you will zero in on the price range that is appropriate for your home. It will give you your best opportunity to obtain the highest price, in the shortest amount of time. But property condition will determine the final price within the range. 

• Here are some pointers to help put your property in top condition:
• Spruce up the front door with new paint and a wreath or other decoration.
• Add colorful flowers to a well-trimmed yard  for curb appeal.
• Clean out the basement, garage, and closets. Clutter makes everything look smaller and unkempt.
• Fix any dripping faucets, rust spots, or damaged bathroom tile. Bathrooms need to sparkle in every way.
• Consider fresh paint and carpet in neutral colors.
• Have the HVAC system cleaned and serviced
• Open the drapes and turn on the lamps for a brighter look. ..dark is a turn-off.
• Consider a pre-market home inspection as a guide to what needs fixing and a marketing tool with potential buyers.  

Price…You may not be aware of it as you begin the process of selling your home, but your most important sales tool is PRICE. At Comey & Shepherd, our goal is your goal: To obtain as many dollars for your home as the market will allow, in the least amount of time. Proper pricing is essential to this goal. While the value of  your home is set by the market the price of the home is set by you. Allow us to explain the importance of proper pricing and the factors that should enter into your pricing decision.

Copyright Comey & Shepherd Price Your House to Sell Brochure.