How Do I Prepare My Home for Showings?

 

Learn how to prepare your home for buyers and the open market.

Are you looking to sell your home this summer? While we’re still in a strong seller’s market, there is a widening gap between homes that are ready for the market and those that aren’t. If you want your home to be a winner on the open market, you probably need to make your home as ready and attractive to buyers as possible. It’s proven that the more showings you have, the more likely you are to have a faster sale and net a higher price. That’s why today, I’m sharing three ways you can get your house ready for showings this summer: 

1. Take care of minor repairs upfront. Right now, buyers’ number one concern is higher interest rates and affordability. As a result, they want to put as much money down as they can to lower their monthly payments. This means that if you take care of repairs upfront, buyers will be more interested in your house and might even be willing to pay a premium. Taking care of cosmetic repairs upfront is a good idea even in a normal market, but higher interest rates mean this step is more important than ever. 

2. Do some staging. Think about a model home: It’s clean, standardized, and impersonal. Your goal should be to get as close to that image as possible. Your home likely has a lot of personalized touches, like odd furniture, family photos, or maybe even an off-colored wall. I recommend trying to depersonalize your home as much as possible so prospective buyers can picture themselves living in your property. Plus, by packing everything away, you’ll make moving easier once you sell your house. 

3. Have a plan for children and pets. Your showings probably won’t go smoothly if your dog or young children are running around. Instead, work with your agent to create a showing schedule with blocks of time when your home is ready for buyers. This way, you and your buyers won’t be disrupted. I recommend putting dogs in kennels just for the short time when you’ll be having showings. While moving your pets around might be a little work, it’s worth it to keep your house in pristine condition when buyers are viewing it. 

If you want a detailed showing plan or list of repairs to make before you list your home, please call or email me. I’d love to help you navigate this housing market!

Do You Still Need To Pay Buyer’s Agents’ Commissions?

Discussing the key benefits of offering competitive buyer agent rates.

In case you don’t know, the real estate world was flipped on its head recently. A lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors is challenging how buyer agents get paid, and it’s left a lot of people confused. Here’s the short version: A court recently ruled that the current structure of buyer’s agents’ commissions was illegal and needed to change. In the past, the seller would pay full commission to their agent, and the seller’s agent would then split that commission with the buyer’s agent. In this way, the buyer wouldn’t actually need to put any money down for their representation. Now, the buyer commissions are negotiated separately from the seller side. 

So, do you still need to pay the buyer’s agent’s commissions when selling your home? If you want the best representation possible, yes, and there are a few key reasons why: 

1. Setting a rate upfront avoids negotiations. Since buyer commissions are now negotiable, it’s better to get ahead of things and agree to a rate before negotiating. If you wait until closing to negotiate your buyer commission rate, it could become a sticking point that slows down your sale or jeopardizes the translation altogether. You may even have to end up paying extra just to make your buyer happy. Instead, I recommend communicating upfront about what you’re willing to pay to avoid confusion and unnecessary negotiations. 

2. Offering a competitive rate will help your home sell. Just like you look at similar homes in your area to determine your listing price, you should also look at similar buyer’s agent rates in your area to determine how much commission you offer. A higher rate is a sign to buyers that you’re serious about getting your home sold and will probably reduce your time on the market. However, you don’t want to make your rate too high and end up paying unnecessary fees. Work with your agent and look at similar homes in your market to find a Goldilocks rate that isn’t too high or too low. 

3. Offering no commission to buyers comes with risks. You may think it makes the most sense to offer zero commission upfront and simply negotiate a low rate at closing; however, this isn’t how things will work in practice. Just because you list your home and offer a 0% rate upfront does not mean you won’t pay any buyer commissions—most buyers will simply ignore your home if they think their representation won’t be compensated. Instead, it means you’ll have to negotiate the rate at closing, which can lead to a drawn-out sale and potentially paying more than you would have otherwise. 

I know this topic can be a little confusing, so don’t hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions. Plus, I offer a flexible commission menu so that you can pay for representation no matter what your budget is. I look forward to hearing from you!