Seller Tips

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KAREN BEHFAR

I would like to share a topic with my Community family that is often overlooked – seller tips. Sellers often need to be educated in the real estate selling process.

Sellers, as well as buyers, definitely need to be educated. I find that what a seller needs to do is often overlooked. You see many Home Buyer’s Guides out there (we have an amazing one if you want to reach out to office@TheBehfarTeam.com to get your copy). When sellers say they want to sell their home on a whim, they generally revert to not wanting to sell. When sellers think about selling their homes for a few months, they are usually more serious. They call and reach out. They then come to me and ask for advice – figuring out what it’s worth, etc. It’s a process.

Sometimes it does happen that a seller will wake up one morning and decide to sell their house and they go through with it. But more often than not, when a seller decides on a whim to sell their house, they are usually not ready to actually sell, and have not thought it through thoroughly.

BE EDUCATED

There are many brokers and brokerages in our community. Sellers should ask the right questions, such as: What are you going to be doing to sell my house differently than other agents?

What price do you think we should ask?

When I see a listing that’s on the market for eight to ten months and the broker is not from Brooklyn, the house is not on MLS and does not have many buyers, it makes me wonder why the sellers would choose that type of broker.

A seller needs to find a knowledgeable broker in their area. For example, a seller will think his home is worth $1.4 million and if the agent is willing to list it at that price he will give it to them. Ultimately, the seller needs an agent who knows that area, who will guide and educate him during the selling process and get him the most money for his home. Many times, a seller will pick their broker or agent based on commission price – cheaper commission means less negotiation. If a broker is so confident in their strategies and marketing, why are they selling themselves short? Keep that in mind when choosing a broker. Why do you think the house is worth this much? Why are you marketing this way? Ask your questions, be smart about it, and happy selling! May you be blessed with a smooth process!

Does Putting Up a “For Sale” Sign Help?

To put up a sign or to not put up a sign? That is the question.

The sign in and of itself does not sell a house! I have not yet heard of a single home that sold ONLY because someone was walking down the block, saw a “for sale” sign, and
bought the home. One needs to have a multi-style approach to selling a home.

Putting up a sign can be one approach, but cannot be the only one. Examples of other strategies are, perfecting negotiation skills, social media exposure, excellent marketing campaign, and good relationships with other agents and community members.

All of these alone do not sell a home, but together they are an immense help. Some sellers give me an entire list of what I cannot do but they still expect to get top dollar. I cannot put up a sign, cannot post on social media, cannot use any of the tools I usually employ. It does create a challenge, especially when the seller still expects to get the highest price possible. I know of sellers who used this same strategy with different agents for eight months and have not had success in selling. Though I understand the need or want for privacy, sometimes one’s desire for privacy should be measured against what can be gained if the sign is up. It is definitely a personal decision. It also depends on the type of house, location, and price. Those all affect our decisions. Many times, I like the “wait and see” approach. After a month, we can reevaluate. So yes, a sign helps, ALONG with many other actions, but each house and situation is unique and should be looked at accordingly.