The OpMom Blog

Selling Your Home in Today’s Market

I interviewed Paige Martin a savvy real estate agent in Houston, TX. She has great advice on how to sell your home in today’s market as well as setting expectations.

Step 1: Understand the psyche of today’s buyer.

They aren’t willing to pay more to get less.  Buyers are looking for VALUE. That means they want the best price & all the bells & whistles. Or, for none of the bells & whistles, they want an even better price. Now more than ever, sellers need to distinguish their homes from the competition.

Step 2: Price your home right.

For sellers, it is important to understand your area’s recent sales so you have a clear idea of what buyers have been paying for similar homes in the last 6 months.

Step 3: Stage, stage, stage!

For buyers, home buying is an emotional journey & the decision to purchase a particular home is often initiated by how a buyer “feels” about the property. Staging your home enables buyers to see all of the wonderful features your home has to offer without being distracted by your personal belonging. 

Step 4: Position your home correctly in the market.

Understand who the targeted buyer is for your home & go after that buyer. If you own a one bedroom loft, you’re probably not selling to a family of four.

Step 5: Get the marketing right.

Did you know that 84% of buyers utilize the internet during their home search? Less than 4% of buyers buy a home as a result of walking into an open house. Newspaper ads are only responsible for 2% of home sales.

Step 6: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

If you price your home & don’t get the response you’re looking for, re-evaluate your pricing, compared to the condition of your property. Once you’ve adjusted, fine-tune your marketing to match adjustment. The rule of thumb is that 8-10 showings should equate to an offer.