IN Carlynton-Montour Summer 2020 | Page 22

HOW TO GET TOP DOLLAR IN A SELLER’S MARKET High demand and low inventory make up a seller’s market in real estate. Listing your home in a seller’s market could be the difference of having your home sell in days versus months. Demand for houses typically drives up competition, allowing sellers to potentially receive above asking price for their homes. But listing in a seller’s market doesn’t automatically guarantee your home will sell quickly. You still need to take the time to find a good real estate agent, ready your home to be listed, and do some research on the housing market in your neighborhood. Once you decide you are ready to take the next step and sell your home, do some research on real estate agents in your area. Ask family, friends, and coworkers for recommendations and feedback on why they liked their agents. Once you have a few recommendations, reach out to them to learn more about their experience in selling homes similar to yours, the types of clients they usually work with, and to gauge if your personalities jibe. It’s critical to have someone you can trust. After hiring an agent, ask him/her to do a walkthrough of your home from the outside in. An agent will be able to provide you with constructive feedback on how to best ready your home for the buyer’s eyes. Be sure to keep an open mind when hearing feedback, because decorations or paint colors that appeal to you may not appeal to buyers. Once your home is ready to list, work with your agent to do some research on the housing market in your neighborhood. In a seller’s market, you may be able to list slightly higher because of limited inventory, but you’ll still need to list at a fair market value. If you list too high, it will immediately turn buyers off. 20 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ icmags.com