Selling Your Home in 2018?
We did it! We made it through January – officially the most miserable and longest month of the year Spring is on the horizon (OK, yes it’s freezing but let’s be positive) and that means thousands of homeowners across the country will be preparing to sell their homes. If that includes you, don’t do anything until you’ve read our top tips on selling this year.
1. Online estate agents Online estate agents are growing in popularity and it’s not difficult to see why. TV and radio adverts, which poke fun at high street agents are obviously helping to open home sellers eyes to other options. Commission costs tend to be one of the biggest gripes for sellers so when the online agent model came to market – which allows sellers to pay an up front one off fee rather than a commission – sellers were quickly attracted to it.
If you’re keen to join the digital revolution and sell your home with an online or hybrid agent however be warned, online estate agents change their packages more times than we’ve had hot dinners and all of them differ. Check them and check again to find the right one and don’t forget it stands to reason that a highly motivated agent who doesn’t earn any commisson unless they actually sell your house has more of a chance of success than an agent who takes payment upfront and won’t earn more if they happen to sell your home. 2. Make sure your home is being seen by the right people We all know that most buyers start their property searches online so to make sure your property is being seen by the right people you need to have it listed on the right property portals.
Most agents will have a combination of portals the largest of which are Rightmove and Zoopla. OnTheMarket is another portal which enables you to also advertise on either Rightmove or Zoopla but not both. Equally if an estate agent chooses to market with Rightmove and Zoopla they will be unable to market with OnTheMarket.
Check out how comprehensive your agents online marketing is and of course how much social media marketing, print advertising and flyers they do as well as how well known and how clear and visible the agent’s branding is before you sign up.
3. Don’t be afraid to change In an ideal world you’ll list your property and within 24 hours the perfect buyer will come along and offer the full asking price without a second thought. Unfortunately, when it comes to the housing market we don’t live in a perfect world. Some sellers will find their homes lingering on the market for much longer than they would like.
Homes that are stuck on the market for weeks or months tend to lose value. Indeed, research found to get the best price for your property you need to be getting an offer within 12 days. Sometimes a home is not selling because it needs sprucing up to show its true potential or the asking price is wrong but it could also be down to your agent. If you feel they’re not doing a good job don’t be afraid to challenge them. Ask them what they’re doing to market the property and what more could be done. Find out how they think the search for a buyer is going and what could be going wrong. And if all else fails give notice to terminate your contract and find a better agent.
If you are already on the market and struggling to sell your home why not give us a call? We would be delighted to arrange a free information appointment for you with one of our property advisors to help advise you on how you can get the best price in the best time frame.
Article taken in part from www.hoa.org.uk Important Information All property sales and the financial advice that surrounds them are as unique as the people engaging in the transaction. It is important to not make a decision without seeking professional advice. If you want to sell your home and are considering redecorating before marketing, speak to one of our Property Professionals to get the best advice for presenting your home for sale before making any investment.