Last week, we spoke with Ryan Peterson and Brian Reed of the Ryan and Brian Real Estate Team about being a buyer in the real estate market with “Education Key to Real Estate.” This week, we’re speaking with them about how to successfully sell your home.
Q: What advice do you give to sellers when they’re getting ready to sell their home?
Brian: Make buyers feel at home. This involves two things: curb appeal and home staging. Good curb appeal can often win the sale before a buyer even enters the home. This included things like a well-maintained yard, colorful landscaping that frames the home or a nice walkway. You want people excited before they even step foot through the front door. Once they do step inside the home, staging can help close the sale. This includes things like de-cluttering, de-personalizing (removing personal photos and memorabilia), good lighting and well-placed furniture for functional living spaces. You want people to envision themselves and their families enjoying the space and not just seeing how another family currently occupies the space.
Q: Should repairs be made to the home before listing?
Brian: Definitely! And make sure to fix the small stuff too. Obviously, it’s important to fix any major issues (roof, foundation, termites, A/C issues) as they could cost a buyer thousands. However, fixing the small things can save you tons of money and keep you from losing a contract. A home buyer will more than likely do an inspection during the beginning of a home contract. Many times, the inspection will reveal tons of minor issues that might just add up to a few hundred dollars. However, in the eyes of a first-time home buyer they might feel these things are worth thousands of dollars. By a seller getting a pre-inspection and fixing these minor issues before listing the home, they can potentially save a deal from falling apart or a buyer from wanting to negotiate the price drastically.
Q: What do you recommend to sellers when pricing their home?
Brian: Price is key. Most sellers’ negotiating power is set by price. If you over price a property, it will ultimately sit on the market for a long time and you will have to routinely lower the price. You are better off pricing the property right from the beginning, sticking firm to your price and potentially getting in a multiple offer situation. Pricing the property at a realistic lower price will ultimately always net the seller more than listing it at an unrealistic high price.
Q: Tell us a bit about your success in listings.
Ryan: We go on almost 200 appointments a year, so we meet with a lot of people. It’s our job to sit with them and let them know where the market is. We want to make sure their expectations are real in the current market. It’s our job to let them know what their home can sell for, and if that doesn’t suit them at this time, we can try again at another time when the market improves or they are in a better equity situation. Our goal is always to set realistic expectations with everyone we talk to.
Brian: Of those 200 appointments, we probably only take on about 100 of them as clients. We aren’t going to list a house just to list it and have another client. We only choose those that we feel we can actually help in the way that is best for them.
Q: What would you say the main goal for your company is?
Brian: Ultimately, our team is here to net sellers the biggest return on the sale of their home in the shortest time frame. And we’re here to help buyers find their dream home at the best price with as little hassle as possible. A home is most Americans biggest investment. We realize this and take the task of helping home buyers and sellers very serious. In the process we hope to develop relationships that will last a lifetime. Our goal is to create Raving Fans and be their go to agent for as long as we are in business. Nothing means more to us than when a client refers their family and friends. It is the biggest compliment we can receive and what has gotten us to where we are today.