Selling a house  or income property is never done in a vacuum.  The goal is not just to sell your property, but to move up to a better house, to relocate to a new city, to downsize for a better retirement, to escape unfortunate financial circumstances, to trade up for more units and more cash flow, etc.

 

My service is based on your larger goal.  By understanding the big picture, I can help you position your house or income property and provide services to help you achieve your ultimate ends.

 

Pricing.  You can list your house for any price you want.  What determines its selling price, however, is the marketplace.  My Comparative Market Analysis will help determine an optimal price range based on your goals, taking into consideration:

 

• Comparable properties that have sold (your precedent)

• Properties currently for sale (your competition)

• Overall market conditions

 

Preparation.  You’ll look your best at a job interview in a business suit, so your house should look its best when it goes on the market.  I can suggest cost-effective improvements to increase your house’s appeal both inside an out, and help you see the home from a buyer’s perspective to remedy any functional problems that might arise during a home inspection, all of which can help reduce the stress and emotion frequently involved in selling a home.

 

Marketing.  Any agent you hire will put your home in the MLS, where it will be fed to dozens if not hundreds of web sites.  There are other marketing strategies, however, that can help uncover the right buyer, and I would be happy to discuss what I do differently to help you achieve your goals.

 

Negotiation.  If your agent has done their job, you’ll get an offer on your house.  And you won’t like it!  Either it will be too low and you’ll be upset and possibly insulted; or it will be full-price (or occasionally over) and you’ll be unhappy because you’ll think the house was priced too low.  Sometimes your emotional attachment to your home can interfere with your consideration of offers.  This is where your agent becomes invaluable.  I can help you understand the context of an offer and negotiate creatively and effectively while keeping your ultimate goals in mind.

 

Results.  You may see some agents touting themselves as "top producers" or quoting their dollar volume.  And there's nothing wrong with that--it suggests a degree of experience that should help you feel comfortable.  But there are three numbers that will provide a real window into the success they've achieved for their clients, not themselves:

 

Percentage of Listings Sold.  I believe it was George Halas of the Chicago Bears who said of the forward pass in football, "There are only three things that can happen when you pass the ball, and two of them are bad."  When you list your house, there are also three things that can happen: it can sell, the listing can expire without the house selling, or you can take it off the market before either of those happens.  One of those is good, one is bad, and the other depends on the circumstances.  You should ask every agent what percentage of their listings they have successfully brought to closing.  (The average in southern New Hampshire is 75%.)

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A low Percentage of Listings Sold can result from a few things.  First, agents who routinely overprice their listings will see more of them expire instead of selling.  Second, when problems crop up during a transaction--inspection issues, a lapsed FHA approval on a condo, clouds on the title, etc.--an agent who is adept at negotiating or solving those problems will be more likely to prevent a deal from falling apart and get the buyer and seller to the closing table.  

 

Average Days on Market.  How long does it take your agent to receive an offer that's acceptable to you and get your house under contract?  For a listing that's overpriced or poorly marketed, this can extend for months, and the longer your house sits on the market, the less likely you are to sell at or near the list price.  (The overall market average fluctuates quickly.)

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List-Price-to-Sold-Price Ratio.  If you have to drop your price during the course of your listing, either because you're not getting showings, or buyers who have seen it are not submitting offers, then it can hurt you in the long run.  People might start to wonder what's wrong with the property, and again, it becomes less likely that you'll realize your asking price.  Accurate pricing and strong negotiation will result in a high Ratio.  (The average in southern New Hampshire is 94%.)