Category: Selling Your Home

Stage your House for Sale

7/14/2016

Let’s talk about getting your place ready for sale. In addition to helping people decorate their homes, I prepare homes prior to listing utilizing what you already have. Recently I taught a workshop on how to stage your own home in order to appeal to the widest number of buyers in your market. A student took the principles I taught, and she staged and successfully sold not one but TWO homes! These principles really work.

Before you go on the MLS, here are a few pointers:

CURB APPEAL: You have only 30 seconds to catch someone’s attention. When the potential buyers drive up to your home, they have a choice to get out of the car or not. Be sure the weeds are pulled, the yard is trimmed, and the front walk is in good repair. You want your front door to be freshly refinished or repainted. Make sure the door handles are in top shape – replace them if needed. Clean off the cobwebs from the porch. If your front porch light is tired, then get some Rustoleum and repaint it, or replace it! Put a pot or two of beautiful annual flowers by the front door. Remember, while the real estate agent is fiddling with the lock box, the buyers are going to be standing at your front door, making critical judgement. You want everything to be in top notch shape. For inspiration, see my Pinterest board on first impressions.
SPEND VS SAVE: When it comes to selling your house, it’s not your taste that matters, it’s what is appealing to buyers today that really matters. Spend your $$ where it really matters, where you will get the most bang for your buck when it’s time to sell. On that point, The national association of the remodeling industry states that the best remodeling things you can do that cost <$1000 are: re-grout bathroom tile & replace all the caulking, get new faucets for the kitchen and master bathroom, remove dated wallpaper, replace dated lighting (and it’s easy to do so economically if you go thru Lamps Plus or Wayfair.com), update your flooring, and attend to the garage door / garage floor. Bottom line? Spend your $$ where you will get the most return when it’s time to sell.
The 3 F’s FINALLY FIX THE FORGOTTEN: When the potential buyer sees a broken door handle, hears a running toilet or a dripping faucet, they think, “Hmm, if the homeowner didn’t fix this, I wonder what else the homeowner did not fix?” They’re quickly subtracting $$ from your asking price, expecting the home repairs and deferred maintenance to be astronomical. Save yourself stress and tension during the home inspection, fix what needs attention. Besides, you would not want to purchase a home with lots of hidden problems. Do unto others as you would have others do to you. If you’re getting ready to sell, remember the 3 F’s: Finally Fix the Forgotten.

BEFORE: a worn finish and old door handle

AFTER: a little paint and a new door handle. Ready for sale!

IT’S JUST PAINT: Listeners of my show "Make Your House a HOME" have heard me say it before and I’ll say it again. Paint is the least expensive way to dramatically transform a room. There’s something about a fresh coat of neutral paint. It creates a blank canvas for the buyer to envision their own furnishings in the space, and it feels like this home was loved and cared for. My favorite painter shared the tip on how to get those perfect lines, between the baseboard and the wall color. Use regular masking tape and a tiny bit of caulk along the line between the masking tape and the wall – you’ll get perfect lines every time.
EDIT the EXTRAS: If you open a closet and everything is jammed inside, or if things always fall on top of you, you need this tip. When you're on the market, the potential buyers are going to open the cupboards and closets. They’re not nosy – they want to see if there’s enough room for their stuff! You are moving anyway. Get a head start and pack up at least 50% of the clothing and tchotchkes. Your property will show better.
DE-PERSONALIZE. The way we live is very different from the way we present the house when it’s time to sell. You have to take YOU out of the property in order for the buyer to picture themselves there. No, the family portraits do not make the home look more homey. They are an impediment to the buyers picturing themselves in the space. Pack up those photos and trophies,
USE DESIGNER SECRETS when presenting the property in the best possible light. Get rid of excess furniture. Make sure every room is inviting. Hire a professional to look at your property with an objective eye. Use design principles when styling each room. Alana Light is available for in-person or e-consultations to help you. Email Alana Light here.

BEFORE: Tired wallpaper dated the space

Hire a pro to remove or skim coat over the wallpaper

AFTER: Sold!

GOT PURPOSE? Give each room a definite purpose. Buyers do not want to see a junk room. Maybe you remember what it looks like de-cluttered, but buyers have no imagination. Remove dated elements (such as the wallpaper above). Give each room a purpose. Convert that junk room to a meditation room or a kids' creative crafting space. Show potential buyers what can be done with that space. Show the buyers what they can do with each and every space.
FINISHING TOUCHES: This is the fun part. Tell a story about who can live in the property. Maybe you don’t have children, or they’re grown & gone, but your neighborhood has lots of families. In that instance the likely buyer will be a family, so stage your home accordingly. When we sold our home in California, that was exactly the situation for us. Our school district was well known, and the elementary school was nearby. We staged the secondary bedrooms as kids rooms, and we made sure to put up the local school newsletter on the bulletin board in one room. The local high school had a successful tennis team, so in the other bedroom we staged it as a teenager’s room, complete with a tennis racket and the local tennis team’s picture on that bulletin board. Be creative. Have fun telling the story of who will live there next.
REMEMBER SPIRIT: You’ve done all these tips, and chosen the right real estate professional. (See my previous blog on how to choose the right one for you.) You’ve de-cluttered, depersonalized and staged the home. Now I suggest that you offer up a prayer of thanks for what you’ve experienced in that property. Ask that Divine Spirit brings the God-chosen buyer to make their own memories in the space.

Happy selling..... and best wishes to you in your next chapter of life. I always love hearing from you. Leave your comment below.

~Alana Light

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Choosing a Listing Agent: 25 Questions You Must Ask before Signing

3/28/2016

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25 Questions to Ask your Potential Listing Agent, or Finding "The One"

Selling your home is one of the biggest financial transactions you will experience in a lifetime. It is essential to interview SEVERAL potential listing agents before you decide. Here are my top 25 questions to ask any potential listing agent.

1. What is the market like? Is this a good time to sell? What timing would you suggest?
(Here you are seeing if this agent truly has their finger on the market pulse. After interviewing several potential agents, you’ll get a feel for true market conditions. Be cautious of one who promises extraordinary, too-good-to-be-true results compared to the other agents’ take on the market.)

2. What are my comparable listings (comps)?
(This is very revealing – if your agent is worth his/her salt, they’ll have a solid understanding of what other properties your potential buyers will be seeing when looking at your place. The best agents come prepared with not just the comps’ prices, but a detailed evaluation of what the comps have as compared to my property – amenities, improvements, finishes, view, how busy the street was, proximity to Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s / Starbucks, quality of public schools, etc. All those things factor into a buyers’ decision these days.)

3. How does my property compare to others on the market?
(Here again – you’ll find if your potential listing agent really knows the area, or is just trying to pick up another listing. Don’t be flattered if they say everything is perfect in your property. You want honesty, and a solid business partner in selling your property. The best agents will also suggest taking you to actually view your ‘competition’ on the market, as if you are a buyer. Yes, actually view the properties in your price range in person. This is a very valuable exercise for you in preparing your own property to stand out above the rest.)

4. When is the prime window of opportunity to sell my property?
(Answers vary, but typically the first 30-45 days is the prime time, the ‘sweet spot’ in selling. After that, the potential buyers wonder what’s wrong with the property, and wonder why it is still on the market. Buyers may assume the worst and never set foot in an older listing.)

5. Who is the prime buyer for my property?
(This is a clue as to your agent’s awareness of what type of buyers to target when marketing the house. This will also aid you in staging / preparing the property, placing it in the best possible light to potential buyers.)

6. How long have you been doing this? What led you to real estate?
(Longevity in the business is not necessarily an indication as to effectiveness. Some long-time agents are just tired. While s/he answers, listen carefully to your gut feeling. The smoothest talking, sweetest personalities are not necessarily the best agents. Listen for authenticity and sincerity.)

7. What is your track record? Average DOM (days on market)? How many closed listings have you had in the past 6 months? Do you specialize in a particular neighborhood?
(In other words is this person a mover & shaker, a real go-getter who will help you sell your home for top dollar in the timeliest fashion? Or will they put the sign up and just hope for the best? Will they list at a high, wished-for price, then chase the market down by dropping $10K every 30 days? This is YOUR money we’re talking about here.)

8. Do you believe in staging the house prior to listing?
(Be cautious of those who want to list the house first, then think about making it look its best later. Timing is everything! Here’s another way of putting it – do you wear your scruffy knock-around jeans on a first date? Or do dress your best to make that all-important first impression? Same principle applies.)

Alana’s Aside: When it comes to preparing your place to look its best, I do in-person as well as virtual staging consultations. I offer a ‘walk and talk’ session, as well as more detailed floor plans and to-do check lists. If you need a professional’s eye, email me at Alana@AlanaLight.com to set up an appointment. For before/ after photos of past staging projects see www.AlanaLight.com/staging. Be sure to sign up for the next staging your home for sale workshop at www.AlanaLight.com/events. Remember, the best time to prepare and stage the property is PRIOR to listing.

Now, back to the questions for your potential listing agent...

9. Do you take your own photos, or do you hire a professional photographer?
(Amateurish photographs simply will not do! 92% of buyers look online prior to viewing a property in person. These photographs absolutely must be the best quality possible.)

10. Do you create full color brochures / flyers?
(It’s nice to have something on the entry table or kitchen counter for buyers to take with them. Full color brochures are far more professional than just the single sheet copies on the for sale sign outside. Mostly curious neighbors typically take those anyway. You want buyers who’ve viewed the property in person to have something in their hands when they leave so they remember your listing.)

11. When doing the online video, do you do the fishbowl type video? Or something different?
(Successful, forward-thinking realtors have been incorporating a drone fly-over type video that is compelling. I’ve also seen exceptional videos done with edited stills, incorporating school / community photos, with appropriate music background. Here’s where you separate the ‘wheat from the chaff’ in your selection process. No video suggested? Next candidate, please.)

12. **In addition to listing on the MLS, what else will you do to market the property?**
(Here is where you ascertain how sharp your potential listing agent is or is not. Will they list across all online venues, not just their agency’s website but also Zillow, Trulia, Home Finder, Realtor.com, etc.? Do they have a Twitter, Facebook or Instagram following? Will your property be advertised in any trade magazines? Wall Street Journal? Family publications?

Does s/he suggest a theme? “Golf course living at its finest”, “A place to grow your family”, “Perfect move-up home for your family”, and so forth. What is their marketing idea for your property? Listen carefully to their answer. Some agents might suggest including something extra in a very slow market, such as a pair of airline tickets for the buyers, or professional house cleaning service upon close of sale, or including the golf cart in a gated community, or including a month of gardening services, and so on. It’s not essential, but it give you a clue as to their savvy. If they only suggest these sort of things long after the property has been listed, it’s too late. You want someone who has a solid marketing plan from day 1.)

13. Will I be working with you directly, or with a staff member?
(Do you sign the contract with the agent and then not hear from him/her again? How sharp is his/her staff? Does s/he have high turnover with staff? Or have they been a team for a long time? Do you feel comfortable with this arrangement?)

14. What is your typical response time when I have a question?
(San Diego County's #1 agent always, always called or emailed within 3 hours during normal business hours. And that was BEFORE cell phones! If your potential listing agent says they’ll get back to you in a day or two, that’s not a good sign.)

15. How important is the realtors’ caravan? What do you do to make my property stand out on that tour?
(When first listed, your property should be included on the very next realtors’ caravan. Here again, the best agents will have some sort of marketing strategy to help your property be memorable among buyers’ agents. One advertised to other agents by sending a video inviting them to the “Ooh, La La property”, and completed the experience with croissants & European coffee at the realtors’ caravan event. You are looking for that super realtor that will give your property the maximum exposure to buyers’ agents, in the timeliest manner.)

16. Do you put in automatic price reductions in the contract?
(If so, why??? Do they not believe you will sell at the listed price? Red flag. I walked away from an agent who suggested this, and the next agent sold the property in 14 days at full price, in a slow market!)

17. When showing my property to potential buyers, what do you recommend?
(Do they suggest you leave? Remove the pets for showings? Their attention to the little details tell you everything. For more help and suggestions when showing, please contact me at Santa.Fe.Alana@gmail.com and ask for “It’s Not Forever” checklist.)

18. How effective are open houses in your experience? Who staffs the open house? What kind of follow-up do you do?
(Granted, open houses are often for the benefit of the agent trolling for more business. But if your potential listing agent has had success with using open houses, ask questions. One agent sent her tee-shirt-clad 20-something year old son to staff her open houses! Another agent would sub-out more junior agents to do the open house duty. Those that do not follow up with open house attendees the next day or so, miss a valuable opportunity to unite you with a buyer. Time is of the essence.)

19. References: ask to speak to this agent’s past 3-4 sellers. Also, ask to speak to their preferred lenders, and title companies.
(Ask similar questions of the agent’s previous sellers, and see if there is consistency in their experiences. Would they use this agent again? How long was the property on the market before you accepted an offer? Also, talk to professionals (lenders / title company employees) who work with agents all the time. They know who the ‘top of the top’ is, and who does the minimum amount of work. I have been treated like absolute royalty when the lender and title company found out who my Realtor was. Very telling.)

20. Do you have any guarantee?
(i.e. the excellent Phoenix realtor’s 67 day guarantee. www.AndrewRobb.com.)

21. Do you specialize in being a sellers’ agent or buyers’ agent?
(Be very wary of those who claim to do both equally well! It’s very, very rare to find an exceptional agent who does both with equal professionalism. Some agents are much better at representing buyers than sellers, and vice versa. I know very personable Realtors who let their listings languish on the market for months, because they are better buyer's agents, than seller's agents. Also, just because this agent may have helped you buy the property does NOT mean s/he will be the right one to sell it for you! This is a business transaction first and foremost.)

22. How do you feel about double representation (dual agency)?
(In some states representing both buyer and seller in the same transaction is legal, but is a highly questionable practice in my own experience. S/he needs to have YOUR highest good in mind.)

23. How do you feel about seller’s disclosures?
(In some areas, sellers may wave any disclosures – a red flag for the potential buyers. This is another clue as to your agent’s integrity.)

24. How have you handled conflicts in the past?
(I know, I know. This all sounds like a job interview, and it *IS* a job interview! You’re hiring someone to handle a very large financial transaction for you.)

25. What kind of ‘out’ do I have as the seller, if this isn’t working?
(Consider having an 'escape clause' for yourself in the contract, if the agent isn’t meeting your expectations. I’ve learned from experience that the best agents are more than willing to make sure it’s a win-win for both seller AND agent.)

Bottom line?

This is no longer your ‘home sweet home’. This is a business transaction that will enable you to move forward with your life’s goals. Be sure to put careful thought, consideration and prayer into this very important listing agent selection process.

Best of luck, and happy selling.

~Alana

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Stage your House for Sale

Choosing a Listing Agent: 25 Questions You Must Ask before Signing

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