The Crucial Time for Selling Your Home
Ask any Grand Rapids real estate agent: when is the most crucial time when you’re selling your home? Most will tell you it’s the two weeks immediately after listing. As soon as that listing is created, it’s like someone punches a big stopwatch and says “Go!” Nearly every home will see the most traffic within the first two weeks after it comes on the market – about four times as much traffic as subsequent weeks.
The reason is this: If a buyer has been shopping for a while, and your home comes on the market and meets a buyer’s criteria, they will want to see it. 92% of homebuyers start their house hunt online, and because many people set their searches to show the homes that are newest on the market, your home will get exponentially more views online in first few days. However, the only way a potential buyer will ever get in the car to come see your home is if the online listing is clear and compelling, with great pictures.
The job of your Grand Rapids real estate agent is to make sure your home does show up on those searches – that it’s priced competitively, and that the many attractive features of your home are accurately described. It’s also important that your agent markets your home to a network of other agents and buyers, and is available and accessible as questions and offers come in. An experienced real estate agent should be able to put in the extra effort and give your home an extra marketing push during that crucial time period.
What can a homeowner do to really set their home apart during that first two weeks? Prepare. There are 3 main ways to make sure your home sale gets off to a good start:
- Condition
. Make sure your home is ready when the listing comes on the market – clean the carpets, fix little things that are broken, manicure the lawn, make sure you’ve done all your decluttering. It’s important to make sure your home’s condition sets it apart from other homes on the market.
- Pricing
. You also want to make sure your home is priced correctly so it shows up in a potential buyer’s search. Here’s where your realtor’s knowledge is crucial in creating a competitive market analysis that will help you to price your home right in the first place. You can get started by requesting a free Home Valuation
from The Sprich Group.
- Access. Your home has to be shown in order to be sold, so make it easy for agents to get clients into your home. If a home can only be shown during a restrictive time frame, or if agents have to make appointments far in advance to see a home, it’s possible that buyers will just move on to other homes.
The quicker you can sell your home, the quicker you will be able to get on to your next adventure, without having to be concerned about keeping your home spotless and available for showings. Take advantage of the bump your home will receive during the first 2 weeks, and make sure you’re working with the right Grand Rapids real estate agent. Contact The Sprich Group for a free Home Valuation today.
Photo: Dafne Cholet ( some rights reserved )
