I need to sell my home, but I have questions!

Selling a home is one of the most significant transactions of many people’s lives; A home is not only a structure, but also a place where people build memories and collect treasures. When someone goes to sell a home, there are often many questions they have. Here we will review some of the most common questions we hear when sitting with potential sellers considering their next move.

What is my home worth? 

Potential sellers can come to a listing appointment with an idea in their mind of how much they think their home is worth. Some of this may come from an estimate they saw online, letters received in the mail, or homes for sale in the area. Others simply have no idea and would prefer to have that conversation with a professional. The best way to know what your home might be priced at is to take a tour of the home, view comparable sales in the area and talk about any upgrades that have been made to the home. Sometimes there are also major repairs or updates that are necessary, these would also be taken into consideration. The conversation may look a little different for everyone and can largely depend on inventory, demand and what the market looks like at the time you are looking to sell. 

Will I have to move out in order to list my home? 

Oftentimes people ask if selling is an inconvenience, likely imagining they’ll need to move out or have showings all day long. We talk to each individual, couple or family to establish what their needs and schedules are like so that we can tailor a plan that works for each lifestyle. This is  not a one-size-fits-all conversation. Though some prefer a weekend away while their home is on the market, others already have plans to move out prior to listing. But there are plenty of people who live in their home while it is listed without major interruptions to their schedule. Everyone’s needs are going to be unique and we are happy to have that conversation to establish yours ahead of time. 

Is there a way to list my home discreetly? 

There are families with unique situations where they would rather not list their home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and have a sign in their yard. Compass allows us to offer a Private Exclusive program that serves as a “pocket listing,” of sorts, where the property can be shown to other Compass agents and clients, but not be advertised on social media or the MLS. This allows for that extra care and privacy when someone isn’t ready to fully go on the market for everyone to see.

Can showings work around my busy schedule? 

Of course. This is your home and therefore will be your listing. We want to be able to have as many potential buyers come through to see the home, but you still get to decide if there are times you simply cannot be out of the house to show it (i.e. work from home situations or small children at home). We can make a detailed plan that works for your lifestyle and place blocks in areas where you simply are unable to make the property available for others to visit. 

How long will it take to sell my home? 

We wish we had a crystal ball! We can tell you the average days on market during the time you are having a potential listing conversation, but that is always subject to change. There are some things that specifically improve your odds of selling a bit faster, though. Examples of this could be: an overall paint refresh, flooring, simple decluttering, staging and even a little landscape refresh. Once we look at your home we can help make the recommendations in a staged approach, depending on how much time, resources and energy you have to dedicate to preparing your home to go on the market.

What have my neighbors sold their homes for? 

That is the beauty of meeting with a professional, we will provide a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) in order for you to view a good number of comparable homes that have sold in your area in the last few months. This way, you can view the report with side by side comparisons of price, square footage, days on market and even photos! This will allow you to be better informed when it comes to having a conversation about whether to list, when to list and where to price your home. 

All this being said, every home and potential seller is completely unique. When you are looking for a real estate representative, you want to find one that is professional and takes the time to answer each of your questions and concerns. Please let us know how we can help, or if you have other questions you would like answered in this blog in the future!

Email: [email protected] or [email protected] and we would be so happy to help answer your questions.