What should someone thinking about selling their home do to get started? What does that process look like?
Meet with a real estate agent and find the right one. Even if it’s early, even if they think they’re a year out, that would be the very first step. It lets the potential seller talk with somebody who has a real pulse on the market and find out what their property is worth today. We get contacted by people saying “well, I didn’t know if I should contact you because I don’t plan on doing this for another six months to a year.” Talk with an agent, let them see the home and find out what the homeowner is dealing with. It helps the agent gauge, and there are certain things agents can help with during the whole process if they are included from the start. This is a really important step that sometimes gets missed. People think “oh, I’ve got to get my house ready before I call a realtor.” Part of our package includes a professional staging consultation. We make sure that whatever they plan on doing to their home, like remodeling a bathroom or just painting some walls, is a good move for them. Or, we suggest other improvements that would be better ways to spend their money.
The next step is for the potential seller to start preparing their home. They could have a pre-inspection done on their home, especially if there’s been some deferred maintenance. That’s something that we refer people to, and a lot of times inspectors will give a discounted rate for sellers. They know that a seller doesn’t have to do that, and it’s a nice way to head any trouble off at the pass.
From that point, they would need to go into the decluttering and staging mode, whether they have professional help from a real estate team or they’re tackling the projects themselves. It’s a key element in making the home marketable because people live in their homes very differently than they sell them.
Once the staging and decluttering are done, curb appeal is a big deal, making sure your yard is cleaned up. Then it’s time for a professional photographer who will take excellent, marketable pictures and also make video. If there is a pool, acreage or something that would be helpful for the buyer to see a bird’s eye view, drone photography can be done. Once the agent has the photography, they can order marketing materials and/or open house flyers.
During this time, the agent should be meeting with the sellers to come up with a competitive price. Once the price is established and the home is officially listed, the agent should have the right people recommended to help through to the closing.
How does the current real-estate market impact the selling experience?
In this market, prices can change week to week. The seller should have an agent who keeps an eye on what’s going on in the market before the home is listed. In today’s current market, go in at a good market value and buyers are going to come. We have one that just went live that had 54 showings and six good offers in four days. The buyers drove the price up. Especially in a seller’s market, don’t overprice the house.
What do you wish more people selling their homes knew?
Right now, I would put a huge focus on decluttering and cleanliness. I don’t think there could be too much cleaning going on. If the focus is on getting rid of stuff and making everything super clean, then people are going to overlook wallpaper or something they don’t like. Sometimes home-owners think they need to remodel and they don’t always need to. Sometimes people think they need to remodel a bathroom when a new light fixture, cleaning and light staging can do wonders. You can’t get dollar for dollar out of most renovation projects. Right now, and in any market, don’t overspend if you don’t have to.
Summer Ratzlaff
Summer and Co. SummerSellsTulsa.com ph# (918)850-6306
Home-selling advice: Don’t overspend!
“Let us come talk to you, let us see your home and find out what you’re dealing with.”
“I don’t think there could be too much cleaning going on.”
