When your house is listed for sale, I’m guessing that your top two concerns are going to be that you want to sell your home for the highest price and in the shortest amount of time possible. I’m also guessing you’ll want to know how to do this. So let me tell you…

In order to sell your home for the highest price possible and in the least amount of time (meaning less showings, less cleaning, less inconvenience to you), you’re going to need to create the most demand possible when it goes up for sale (with the help of a great Real Estate Agent of course). I have a 3-part plan that will help your home get the maximum exposure and create the most demand right away!

PART ONE: Focus on Selling a Lifestyle – You’re not just selling a home, you’re selling a lifestyle. This means you’ll want to think beyond square footage and room sizes and determine how to best highlight the features of your home that will show the lifestyle someone can expect to have if they live there.

Ask yourself questions such as what feature(s) did you love most about your home when you bought it and which room do you spend the most time in. I encourage my clients to share this information with me so I can create a marketing plan that focuses on a lifestyle, not just the house.

PART TWO: Stage to Sell – Staging your home for sale is crucial in attracting the most buyers and generating the most interest in your home when it’s for sale.  Keep in mind that a potential buyer’s first impression of your home is seen online vs. in person. Therefore, once your home is staged it is important to view it through the eyes of a camera.

To get started, depersonalize and declutter first so potential buyers can easily picture themselves living in the home rather than feeling like they’re in someone else’s home. Make sure to appeal to today’s buyers. I will give my clients suggestions as to what updates or small changes will make the biggest impact to attract the most buyers.

PART THREE: Have a Pricing Strategy - If you want to attract the most buyers as soon as the “For Sale” sign is placed in your yard, it’s important to have a pricing strategy in place. Some sellers believe they should list their home slightly higher than what they hope it sells for however, this will only hurt your chance at attracting the most buyers (and driving up the sale price). The problems are that it will decrease the number of interested buyers right when you list, could increase the length of time your home sits on the market and ultimately decrease your final sale price (which means less money in your pocket).

When I meet with my clients I review with them in detail the recent comparable in their area.  It is important in this process to make any necessary adjustments to zero in the list price.  In addition, it is important to discuss the market trends in your neighborhood and community.

What you feel your home is worth on paper might not necessarily match what the market is saying your home is worth. The current market and the buyers are going to determine the value of your home. It is important to work with a good agent and to be realistic.

Are you planning on selling your home within the Indianapolis and surrounding area? If so, I would be happy to disuse with you in more detail my successful plan for listing and selling homes.

Rene Hauck, RE/MAX – Your Real Estate Listing Specialist!