What to expect when you list your property

You have made your decision to sell and have chosen a realtor with whom you feel comfortable.  The selling process may seem daunting, but with the help of an experienced realtor and the support of their real estate office team, you should feel confident in their proven professionalism.  But just to give you a heads up, here are a few of the things you will be discussing with your realtor.

Selling price: Your realtor will do a CMA (comparable marketing analysis); looking at similar properties which have sold over a certain time period. This time period varies depending on market changes.  If the market has suddenly changed – either becoming hot or there is a downward slide in prices – the CMA will be based on sales in the past months or even weeks.  If the market has been relatively stable, the CMA will most likely reflect sales over a 12 – 24 month period. Heed your realtor’s advice on selling price. Do not become trapped in “emotional” pricing. You may have lovingly maintained and enjoyed your home over many years, investing a lot of time and money into its upkeep – you believe your home is worth more than your realtor has suggested after doing the CMA.  But as we say in the business, “The market is the market.”  If you won’t budge from your desired price, then one of two things may happen; your house will be on the market longer than you might like, leading to the second scenario where you may have to reduce your price after all.  That orange “REDUCED” sign might be eye-catching – but for all the wrong reasons!

More on what to expect when you list your property in the next post.

Written by: Sandy Morgan