How to Avoid the 5 Most Common Mistakes When Selling

Mistake #1 - Pricing the home incorrectly

Every seller wants to realize as much money as possible when they sell their home. But a listing price that is too high often gets the seller LESS than a price that is at market value. If your house is not priced competitively, people looking in your price range will reject your house in favor of other larger homes for the same price. At the same time, people who should be looking at your house will not see it because it is priced over their heads! Over pricing usually increases time on the market and that adds to the carrying costs! Ultimately, many overpriced properties sell below market value.

Mistake #2 - Failing to showcase your home

Buyers look for homes, not houses, and they buy the home in which they would like to live. Owners who fail to make necessary repairs, who don't spruce up the house inside and out, touch up the paint and landscaping, and keep it clean and neat chase buyers away as rapidly as REALTORS® can bring them.

If you were selling a car, you would wash it, or maybe even detail it to get the highest possible price. Houses are no different. Ask for our FREE report "Dress for Success: 90 Ways to Sell Faster and For More Money." We would be happy to send it to you.

Mistake #3 - Using a hard sell during showings

Buying a home is an emotional decision. People like to "try on" a house and see if it is comfortable for them. It is difficult for them to do that if you follow them around pointing out every improvement that you have made. It may even have the opposite effect by making them feel like they are intruding on your private space. We would request that during the showing, you leave the home. This gives the potential buyer more freedom to look around and speak free and it lets them discover things on their own. Try a tasteful sign to point out some hidden amenity that they might miss.

Mistake #4 - Not heeding showing feedback

Sometimes it is difficult to see your home through the buyer's eyes because you have an emotional investment in the home. In order to help overcome this inherent weakness, the Matt Hurlburt Group provides you with showing feedback to help you pinpoint items that can be improved on the property. After each showing of your property Renee contacts the showing agent to get feedback from that agent's buyer about the showing quality of your home. It is much easier to get an honest opinion of the property from the showing agent because they are merely repeating the concerns of their buyer. It is in your best interest to take this feedback with an open mind. Please understand that the buyer is viewing many properties and that your home is competing with all of the other properties they are viewing. If you can fix the items of concern for buyers, your next showing will be more successful. Each showing agent is called up to five times and messages requesting feedback are left. Sometimes agents in other offices aren't as good about returning calls as the general public so don't be disappointed if feedback is not given each and every time your home is shown.

Mistake #5 - Thinking open houses and newspaper ads will sell your home

The two most obvious marketing tools (open houses and classified ads) are only moderately effective. Surprisingly, less than 1% of homes are sold at an open house. Agents use them to attract future prospects, not to sell the house!

Advertising studies show that less than 3% of people purchased their home because they called on an ad. And if a machine answers, most callers just hang up without leaving a message.

Matt will employ a broad spectrum of marketing activities, emphasizing the ones he believes will work best for you. There are dozens of more effective ways to find buyers than just open houses and advertising. (Although your property will be featured in the most effective print mediums!) We market homes 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year!