Tag archive for "Real Estate Selling Tips"

Is There a Best Day and Time to List Your Home? There Is, You Will Be Surprised

You’ve heard the old cliché, “Timing is everything.” However, in real estate, it’s a universally known truth. And real estate selling requires some pretty specific timing to ensure new listings are spot on, center-stage. In fact, listing a home on a specific day of the week – and a particular time of day, can help it sell faster and for more money. What is this magical combination?

It’s Not the Weekend

Listing a home for sale on Saturday may seem like the ideal plan: When potential buyers are off and able to peruse new listings. But post-print, this is no longer the case. Sunday is actually the worst day to list, according to a recent survey from Redfin. (Sorry, old-school Sunday paper aficionados.)

Buyers Like to Plan Ahead

Using a 2017 sample of 100,000 homes and looking for relative advantages, the Redfin study identified Thursday as prime time for listing. Why is real estate selling so grand on such a weird day of the week? Buyers like to look at potential homes on Thursday to plan their weekend shopping.

What About Wednesday?

Listing homes on Wednesday also has advantages, with Wednesday listings raking in an additional $2,023, on average. For maximum exposure, however, many still prefer Thursday, at 5 p.m. to be precise. Why? For maximum exposure, as early Thursday listings could end up on Page 2. New Thursday listings get 5-times as many views on that first (Thurs)day than on subsequent days, with many listing portals providing buyer alerts on new potential homes.

How Big of an Advantage Are We Talkin’?

Homes listed Thursday sold 5 days faster on average, and were more likely to sell within 90-180 days. Thursday listings also allow looky-loos to schedule time for traditional Sunday open houses (for those not relying solely on video tours to make faster, competitive offers).

Timing off? Get the real estate selling tips you need with the help of PropertiesOnline today.

November May Just End Up Being Your Best Month

Could November be Your Best Real Estate Sales Month Ever?

Many homeowners avoid the holiday real estate selling season like the flu, believing it’s a bad time to sell. In today’s real estate tips, we’ll look into this shunned selling season, and why it no longer applies today…

Holiday Buyers are More Motivated During the Holiday Season

The main idea that spring and summer are the best time to list homes for sale involves real estate tips surrounding parents waiting for summer to move school-aged children. However, this idea is outdated.

Today, more than half of home buyers are single, and their decisions aren’t based on the school calendar. Those looking to buy are either dragging their feet in hopes of a better deal, facing the time constraints of finding a home due to a change in employment, and more. They’re now highly-motivated.

Cold weather, shorter days, and hectic schedules don’t apply. These buyers need a home!

Today’s Holiday Home Sales Go Faster & Closer to Asking Price

Because holiday buyers are motivated, they’re more likely to pay closer to listing price. Several studies show homes listed during the holiday season today are more likely to sell faster and closer to asking price, particularly in November during prime holiday sales time.

There’s Less Competition in the Holiday Season

Because most home sellers suffer misconceptions about holiday sales, they take their homes off the market, shrinking supply. This results in potential gains for those sellers that do list. Less competition means more buyers checking out the few desirable homes on the market.

There May Be Year-End Tax Break Opportunities

Those looking to lower their taxes may also snipe a home late in the year to deduct purchase costs like points, interest, property and capital gains taxes.

Do you have the real estate tips you need to make the most of the holiday home buying season? Give yourself the gift of steadier sales with the help of Properties Online today.

New Agent Tip: Jump Into Selling New Construction Homes – What to Know

Given the shortage of resale inventory in lower price brackets, new construction homes are luring consumers and inspiring a rise in building. This offers a great opportunity for helping buyers find the perfect home. However purchasing from a builder is a lot different than purchasing a resale home, and it’s essential for your clients to know the risks.

Real Estate Selling Tips for Avoiding New Construction Sales Pitfalls

– Make Sure Buyers Know Why They Need You

New construction sales teams represent the builder, with their interest at heart. With no agent representation, buyers are assuming a lot of risk. There’s no reduction in price/commission for purchasing without the aid of a buyer’s agent – builders don’t want home sales values to take a hit. Buyers won’t save any money, but lose access to a representative that will ensure key sales and build details don’t get overlooked or forgotten. Builders expect to pay buyer’s agent commissions, pocketing the difference when none exist.

– Expect to Negotiate

Builder’s reps will often give the idea sales prices are non-negotiable. While there’s not as much wiggle-room as resale homes, there is some leverage. For those that won’t budge, look to closing cost contributions or upgrades.

– Use Timing to Your Advantage

Knowing when to hold/fold can save your clients a ton: Builders aren’t emotionally attached. Big bargains can be leveraged if the builder has inventory that’s lingered on the market. Alternately, reserving a property before a second-phase addition begins can also mean big savings.

– Understand Upgrades

Get to know upgrades, ensuring buyers know which features of model homes are standard or an added cost.

– Educate Yourself . . .

. . . on architectural and site design, blueprint reading, construction methods, and materials so you can assist clients in making the best choice for their new home.

Do you have the real estate selling tips you need to navigate new home sales? Secure a brighter future with the help of PropertiesOnline today.

What to Know About the Luxury Real Estate Market in These Uncertain Times

Open House Staging: What Creates (or Kills) Sales

Veteran brokers are often fine connoisseurs of open houses. They’ve seen it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly. That’s because from newbie agents to unseasoned sellers, the things that make or break a sale remain largely a mystery and ever open to interpretation, making staging snafus a common source of lagging home sales. In today’s real estate selling tips, we’ll take a look at common staging faux pas that frequently go overlooked.

Hovering Homeowners

Homeowner’s that leave late, return early, or stay and hover are a huge turnoff. The family should be up at least an hour before the agent arrives and out on time. It’s one thing to find a family cat snuggled up on the bed, but snoozing toddlers and teens scream ‘invasion of personal space.’

Dark Rooms

A house with windows and doors closed and locked up like Fort Knox is far from welcoming. Remove room-darkening curtains and valances, opening blinds to let light shine in to create a more open, cheerful, less dungeon-like feel.

Dirt & Dust

Dirt and dust scream ‘unkempt’ and make buyers wonder what other house maintenance has passed under the radar. Dust and clean all surfaces – especially the kitchen and bath – areas where crustiness is sure to send would-be buyers packing.

Closet Clutter

Clear clutter from closets, kitchen cabinets and drawers. Out-of-date canned goods, 90s wardrobes, and overfilled junk drawers do not make a good impression of a home. Buyers like to kick tires, envisioning themselves in the space. Make things functional, clean, and inviting.

Quirky Collectables

From kitchen condiments on the dresser to Star Wars shrines, it’s best to leave unusual collections out of the spotlight and let the home have all the buyer’s attention – not the seller’s fetishes.

Are potential clients seeing your listings in the best possible light? Brighten up your marketing efforts with real estate selling tips and technology from Properties Online today.

Trends: the 2018 Real Estate Market Heats Up

With experts predicting sizzling summer market conditions to continue in many states, what real estate trends are integral to buyer and seller success?

2018 Sales a Week Faster than Last Year

Sellers
Priced right, the pressure of a faster home sale has been relieved, and negotiating power improved.

Buyers
Fierce competition means 10%+ cash down and mortgage pre-approval is imperative for proving commitment to purchase. To win a home, buyers must be first out of the gate, searching daily with their list of prioritized must-haves. Then they must stand out from the competition, sweetening the pot with the help of a good agent who can draft an enticing offer.

Tip: Including a personalized photo and letter about who buyers are and why they love the home promotes a personal connection.

Higher Prices for 2018 than Last Year
Prices from February 2017-2018 have increased a shocking 10%!

Sellers
Higher sticker prices are dominating real estate trends, prompting sellers to make big plans for pocketing the payback and downsizing, or upgrading HOME 2.0.

Buyers
With only 1 of 3 homes priced under $200,000, and HALF of buyers competing for them, it’s integral in these market conditions for buyers to:
-Crunch the numbers, determining how much home they can truly afford prior to shopping.
-Stay within these constraints, and avoid getting impatient or competitive to avoid financial disaster. (Hello, 2008 housing crisis).
-Sacrifice some ‘wants’ for an affordable home.
-Expand search criteria/area to find more affordable homes.

Market Hot Spots
These top 10 market hot spots could see even more extreme competition:

1. San Francisco, California
2. Midland, Texas
3. Vallejo, California
4. San Jose, California
5. Sacramento, California
6. Denver, Colorado
7. Santa Rosa, California
8 Colorado Springs, Colorado
9. San Diego, California
10. Stockton, California

Take control of today’s real estate trends and put them to work for you with tips and tech from Properties Online today.

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