We have a market tested
9 Step System to help sell your
home fast and for the highest price.
The Real Estate Market Has Changed
When the market advantage changes from seller to buyer or buyer to seller, basic marketing remain constant but the strategy changes. We will discuss our 9 step system of basic marketing although strategies will vary substantially based on the property, your goals and the market itself. Obviously it is crucial to understand the strategies for each of the variables. If you want to maximize the proceeds from the sale of your home we can explain the best way to take advantage of the current market. Selling a home can be one of the most stress producing things in life. This market tested 9 step system will give you the marketing tools you need to get the highest price possible when you sell and help reduce the stress associated with the sale.
Homework, Homework, Homework.
(The Crown Team does this for you). Determine the sales price of all homes in your neighborhood over the last 6 months, compile a list of all current homes for sale and in escrow (sold not closed). Create a market analysis to establish your Market Value.
Diligence in setting a price will have big rewards.
Ever wonder why some homes sell in a couple of days and others take months? There are a number of factors that go into why any home sells. The amount of time and effort put into establishing the market value of a property will ultimately result in a much smother and more timely sale. Pricing a home too low in any market has a very obvious effect on how much money you'll receive at closing and yet can decrease "the selling time" by 50-90%. Now, pricing too high can be just as 
foolish as pricing too low if you're in a declining market. A declining market loses value daily so while your over priced listing sits, you are losing equity as you wait...how much are you willing to lose by waiting to take decisive action? By the way...overpricing in a declining market will have a reverse effect on "the selling time" when compared to under pricing in any market. Remember the average buyer looks at 12 to 18 homes before they make a purchase. This means your home needs to stack up with the competition or you'll lose! Setting The Price
Find the Realtor that best represents your needs.
It's almost sad to see people hire real estate agents to represent them in a complex major financial investment without having any idea as to their ability or experience. Almost 75% of homeowners claim they would not use the same agent who sold their last home. Most dissatisfaction can be traced to inexperience, lack of training and insufficient feedback from a lack of poor communication. We strongly recommend the following article entitled 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire an Agent. This article gives you straight, to-the-point questions you should be asking when you interview agents who want to list your home. Remember it's your home and you are responsible for who you hire so don't be fooled by a lot of fast shiny talk.
Set the stage to show your home in the best light.
National builders spend large sums of money in research, design and display of model homes. Corporations spends billions on packaging design. The appearance of your home is critical, and it will cost you if
you ignore this fact when it comes time to sell your home.
There is not much you can do about your home’s style, floor plan or location. Although you can do a lot to improve its appearance and first impressions. The appearance and feel of your home will have a greater emotional impact on the buyer than almost any factor. Fix it, Clean it, pick it up, straighten it, un-clutter it, scrub it, and dust it. Get it ready so the buyer says...WOW!
Another very important part of getting your home ready for sale is depersonalizing and neutralizing the home. Sounds cold, although from lots of experience we know that it works. Removing personal items that distract from the actual product you are selling, the house, allows the buyer to mentally imagine themselves living in your home. Buying decisions are most often based on emotion, not logic. We will gladly help you with this part of staging your home and getting it ready for sale
Marketing information needs to be readily available.
You may be surprised that many traditional marketing tools are in fact very ineffective in getting a home sold. News paper advertising, agent tours and open houses are good examples, in fact only about 1% of homes are sold as a result of an open house.
see: "The Truth About Open Houses"
People calling for information about your home probably value their time as much as you do. The last thing they want to run into is a game of phone tag, or an high powered sales pitch. If you are going to place ads in a news paper make sure they have a 24 hour pre-recorded number with a unique ID# for your home. Buyers will then have 24/7 access to detailed information about your property without having to talk to anyone. It’s proven that 3 times as many people will call for information with this system. Remember, the more buyers you have competing for your home the better.
"Get The Information"
Know the buyer.
When it comes to the negotiation process, you want as much control as possible. What is the buyer’s motivation, do they need to move quickly? Do they have the funds or financing necessary to pay you your price? Knowing this type of information gives you a stronger hand in the negotiation process because you know how far you can push to get what you want. A good agent is going to be right on top of this.
Make sure the contract is complete.
The law requires that a seller disclose to a perspective buyer any material fact that may have a bearing on their decision to buy the property. Savvy sellers go beyond the laws to disclose all known defects to their buyers in writing. If a problem has been disclosed legally it normally will prevent a lawsuit at a later date.
Make sure all terms, costs, milestone dates and responsibilities are clearly laid out in the purchase contract. Any deviations from the contract should be in writing and clearly thought out before the contract is amended.
Know the reason you’re selling, and don't share it.
When you make the decision to sell your home you start a process that can be relatively enjoyable or your worst nightmare. The reasons you have for deciding to sell will affect everything you do to get your home on the market...from getting you home ready to the price you select.
Now that you and your agent understand your decision and motivation, don’t tell anyone else or it could be turned around and used against you when its time to negotiate. If asked, simply say that "Your housing needs have changed".
Don’t move before you sell.
It's a well know fact in the real estate industry and many studies have proven, it is more difficult to sell a home when it is vacant. Homes are simply not as appealing when they are vacant. Other factors that come into play are: you may appear desperate because of two house payments, empty homes are more susceptible to vandalism and damage, many insurance companies will not insure an empty home indefinitely. In essence an early move could end up costing you thousands of dollars.
Some of the most costly mistakes home sellers make:
