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Fortunately for home sellers, the real estate process has gotten much faster than it used to be. In previous decades, selling a home could take months. Wet signatures were required on all documents; there was no DocuSign. Thankfully, we are here in the future. Home sales happen quicker than ever now. Especially in high-demand areas, close of escrow can take as little as 2-3 weeks. How can home sellers ensure things don’t take forever?

Here, we unlock 10 secrets to selling your home quickly, regardless of market conditions.

1. Pricing It Right

Overpricing your home from the start could mean instantly shooting yourself in the foot. However, that does not mean you should undersell your property either. The idea is to attract multiple offers. That way, you can choose the one with the best price and terms. Once you have a few offers, you can decide which one best fits your timeline.

Most offers will have different close of escrow timeframes. For example, in most real estate markets, they can range from 21 days – 45 days. 21 versus 45 days is a huge difference. Price your home fairly to generate enough offers in the hopes of finding one with a shorter escrow.

2. Virtual Tour

Many home buyers are lazy and will not make it off of the couch to walk through your open house. In addition to hosting an in-person open house, creating a virtual tour of your property can help you sell it much faster. Nowadays, people shop online for everything, including houses.

Aside from scrolling through photos on Zillow, engage with potential buyers through a virtual experience of your property. Virtual tours can help convert potential buyers into actual offers. And again, the more offers that you receive, the better chance you’ll get at receiving one that can close quickly.

3. Talk to Neighbors

Many home sellers are afraid to tell their neighbors that they are moving – most of the reasons are understandable. However, if selling your home quickly is the top priority, it can be worthwhile. Think about the neighbors that you initially wanted to avoid telling because they are frequent gossipers and will tell the entire nation.

Flip the script in your head about them, and picture them as free brand ambassadors for your listing that don’t require a bird dog fee. When you see a neighbor telling everyone that your home is for sale, it’s a great sign that your house will sell quickly. The more chatter going on about your fresh listing hitting the market, the sooner you’ll find a buyer.

4. Highlight the Highlights

Don’t be shy when showing off your property’s best features. For example, if there is a new in-ground pool, take several professional photos of it for the listing. You can even throw a Go Pro in it as part of your virtual tour! Just make sure the bottom of your pool is clean before creating submerged content for your listing.

A property with features that other nearby ones don’t have is helpful when trying to sell a house quickly. Exclusivity will likely attract more buyers and generate more offers. Show off all of the unique things that your home has going for it in order to sell it fast.

5. One-Up the Competition

In regard to marketing your home, it’s important to one-up the competition. If all other listings have open houses, virtual tours, and drone aerial footage, it is usually a smart idea to do all of that and more. Additional marketing efforts – when executed effectively – will help you sell your home quickly. Investing in more marketing strategies may feel like a frustrating expense at first. However, it’s important to remind yourself that it’s part of the investment of trying to sell your home fast.

6. Look for Cash Offers

Cash offers typically close quicker than when a buyer is financing the home. Naturally, it takes time for a mortgage to be fully approved by a lender. This is one of the longest parts of the home-selling process. Unfortunately, it also leads to many deals falling apart because the buyer’s financing does exactly that – falls apart. Cash offers are liquid, enabling quicker closes and faster home sales. Real estate investors are more well-known for making cash offers.

7. Don’t Over-Negotiate Repairs

Negotiating repairs is smart in many cases. However, sometimes both buyers and sellers will get caught up in the negotiation process. Negotiating over repairs and credits following the home inspection can turn into a multi-day process. Eventually, deals can fall apart due to large disagreements over repairs. Put your ego aside, be reasonable, and be firm where needed, but don’t over-negotiate repairs to save a few dollars when it’s not really necessary.

8. Sell As-Is

Selling a house completely as-is will be one of your quickest routes to the closing table. This helps avoid major hiccups that can delay (or derail) a transaction. Home inspections, termite inspections, and due diligence walk-throughs go to the wayside when selling a property this way. If speed is your concern, consider advertising the listing ‘as-is’. Depending on the actual condition of the property, this can dramatically speed up the time it will take to sell.

9. Include Appliances

If you are expecting most of your offers to come from owner-occupant buyers, consider including the appliances. Especially if the primary buyer for your home is a family with kids that wants to move directly into a turnkey property, your best bet is to include the existing appliances. The easier you make it for buyers to move in, the faster you will be able to sell your home. Quick home sales are all about creating the least amount of friction possible between you and the buyer.

10. Don’t Ask for Rent Back

As tempting as it may be, don’t ask for rent back if you’re trying to sell your home quickly. Again, it comes down to avoiding friction. Make the home sale process seamless for buyers. That will help you generate the most (and strongest) offers possible. Then you’ll have more negotiating power and leverage if you have more offers. Achieving a quick home sale gets easier with more offers that come across your table.

Your Agent is Essential

Working with an expert agent is critical when selling your home quickly. Discuss with your agent your ideal timeline and goal. Interview multiple agents to determine who will be the best candidate to get your home sold. Your agent can make all the difference, so rely on an expert you can trust.

Click here to browse our Real Estate Agent Directory and contact top-rated agents in your area!

Mike Jeppson, an experienced real estate broker at Home Smart and FastExpert partner, gives the honest truth about mistakes home sellers make. Read on to get your home sold with less hassle!

Are you wondering, “Why isn’t my home selling?” Well, you may be accidentally sabotaging the sale of your home. Some homes sit on the market for weeks or months because of mistakes home sellers make.

Home selling requires both physical and mental preparation. Selling a home is no simple feat. It is not a sprint. It can be more like a marathon with steep hills and bad weather. However, it does not need to be this difficult. Just like training for a marathon prepares you for the race, with the right preparation and attitude, your home sale race can be successful and rewarding.

Let me help you prepare for your home sale. In this article, I’ll lay out common mistakes home sellers make along with recommendations for a smooth sale.

1. Missing Motivation

Long ago, I heard the saying, “No Mo, No Go.”

This refers to home sellers having sufficient motivation to go through the daunting process of selling their home. If the motivation is not strong enough, the deal is less likely to work out, and the process may become more stressful than necessary for all parties involved.

If you are considering selling your home, please consider your mindset and how motivated you are to go through the process. Remember, it’s a marathon, and you need the motivation to finish.  

2. Underestimating the Inconvenience

The biggest mistake home sellers make is underestimating how inconvenient the process of selling a home will be.

This is especially true if you live in the home during the sale process. When there are people living in the home who need to eat, sleep, and do normal things, it is challenging to have the home perfectly ready at all times.

However, make the sacrifice and have the home ready to show. Remind yourself that this is a temporary inconvenience, and keep your eyes on your home-selling goal.

As a home-seller, you get one chance to make a first impression. Expectations are high, and it is up to the seller to perform. Most buyers do not want to have to visualize what the home will look like when it is cleaned. It’s essential to make yourself uncomfortable so that future buyers can envision themselves being comfortable in your cozy abode.

3. Limiting Showings

Another mistake sellers make is not being flexible for showings. I have heard sellers say over and over “If they are serious buyers, they will work with our schedule and come see the house when it is convenient for us”.

Contrary to the belief of many sellers, buyers may not circle back if a showing request cannot be accommodated. You might miss out on the perfect buyer by not being flexible. Even if a potential buyer requests a short notice showing, it is best to open your doors to them. If you only show your home at times that are convenient for you, then the home sale process will be prolonged and potentially frustrating.

Control what you can control by keeping the home clean and show-ready. Be flexible and keep your mind locked in on the end goal. 

4. Ignoring Advice

Your real estate agent has your best interest in mind. Moreover, it’s also in the agent’s best interest to sell your home. Therefore, trust your agent and follow their advice.

Sellers who do not trust or want to listen to their agent or broker are making a mistake. You hired a professional to assist in selling your home. In many cases, the agent has been involved in the listing and sale of hundreds or thousands of homes.

A challenging process will be more challenging if you do not follow their guidance. In addition, it will likely take additional time to sell your home and potentially cause money to be left on the table.

Make sure you feel 100% comfortable with your agent before signing a contract with them. Set your standards high, interview multiple agents, and then let the agent you hire guide you. They are professionals and have a track record to prove it. 

If along the way, you truly believe the agent is not a good fit, discuss the issues with the agent, and determine if you need to cancel the agent’s contract.

5. Responding Emotionally

It is difficult to relinquish the memories held in a home. You see all the thought and care that you put into the home and you also remember all the cherished times with friends and family. Understandably, it is challenging to move away from a place that holds part of your heart.

Yet, it’s essential to understand that buyers do not have the same emotional attachment that you do as the seller (not yet anyway).

A major mistake sellers often make is responding emotionally and/or unreasonably to buyers’ requests for repairs or concessions. I see many sales fall apart based on this factor. The requests from the buyer are not personal, and they are not trying to disrespect your home. It makes sense that the potential buyer wants things fixed if they are broken.

It’s critical to keep the end goal in mind. At the end of the day, many of the items a buyer might ask for should be taken care of whether they move forward with the sale or not. Selling a home is a highly emotional process. Trust in the process and the professionals who are in your corner. 

Work with an Agent You Trust

Sellers who maintain realistic expectations and have sufficient motivation for selling should expect to (for the most part), have a smooth experience. There are many professional and highly competent real estate agents who can assist and get the job done in an ethical and moral way.

Agents and brokers are here to help sellers accomplish their goal of selling their homes with the best possible terms and with the least amount of inconvenience. Most of the agents truly care about their clients and will do whatever it takes to ensure the process of selling a home goes as smoothly as possible. 

Take your time choosing an agent that is your best fit, trust the process, and keep your end goal in mind.