When people find out I am a Realtor they almost always ask if houses are selling. When I tell them I sold several of my non-foreclosure listings with multiple offers in the last year they are often incredulous.
This week I was involved in two multiple bid transactions. In one I represented the buyer on a foreclosure property, where multiple bid offers are not unusual. My client was thrilled that hers was the offer that was accepted.
What was more unusual was a property I had listed that was not a foreclosure also had multiple offers this week. Every one will tell you that even in 'good' years sales are slow in January. I won't lie to you, some of it is luck…the right buyers coming along at the right time…but when it happens multiple times it is likely there are some other factors involved as well.
Here are some tips to help you go trolling for good offers, possibly even multiple bid offers…
- Make sure your property is in tip-top condition…that means fixing the squeaky doors and leaky faucets and everything else that needs fixing, including addressing the BIG THREE items my clients ask about: roof, furnace and windows
- To compete in today's market your property must not only be in good condition, it needs to look fabulous…that means de-cluttering, cleaning and staging…it may also mean fresh paint, kitchen and bath updates, new flooring, etc…living in your home and staging it for sale can be two completely different things!
- Not only does your property need to look better than the competition…it must also be priced better than the competition…it is no longer enough to be priced similar to comparable homes…your price must be lower than the comparables
- After you have invested time and energy into preparing your home, you need to promote it to potential buyers. With the number of buyers searching online approaching 90% it is vital that you have outstanding pictures to showcase your home. They shouldn't only be good photos…they should tell the story of your home and give enough of a feel of it to be appealing but leave out enough to compel a personal visit. Buyers agents have told me my photos were a big factor in bringing them to the property…in fact, one buyer had only seen the property online before making an offer!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – Email – Website
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