Everyone trying to sell a house, wants, understandably, to sell it fast. So most sellers spend a good amount of time, effort, and money making repairs and renovations, hoping it will all translate into a fast sale. But there’s a better way. Take a look at these secret (and some not so secret) agent hacks for a fast sale in Chicago.
1. Watch Your Language
Especially for online listings, the words you use matter immensely, so agents are careful to use the right keywords and the most effective descriptors. For example, lower-end homes that have the word “luxurious” in the listing, have been found to sell for 8+% more than expected. And higher-level homes with “captivating” as a descriptor in the listing sell for 6.5% more.
But you can’t just throw around any word you want as one of the agent hacks in Chicago. If, for instance, you market your home as luxurious, it will need at least some high-end finishes and appropriate amenities. There must be something to back up the listing claims.
Also, certain words should be avoided, words like “fixer” and “TLC,” which are immediate red flags for buyers. According to the same study, when listings contained the words “fixer” or”investor,” the homes sold for less than expected.
2. Use Lots of High-Quality Photos
Another one of the effective agent hacks for a fast sale in Chicago is as simple as including plenty of high-quality photos in online listings. Homes with few photos are significantly less likely to sell within 60 days. Experts recommend, then, including 20+ sharp, clear photos.
3. Price Right
Pricing right isn’t so much one of the hacks as it is an absolute necessity. For a fast sale, you have to price in the sweet spot, neither too high nor too low and within likely buyers’ price range and online search parameters. If you price too low, you’ll lose money and buyers may think something is wrong with your house. If you price too high, it may languish on the market a long time – and, again, buyers may then begin to think something is wrong.
Pricing is one area where it pays to use experienced agents. They can run the comps and help you find the right price. Many people tend to overprice in order to be able to reduce the price during negotiations. But, again, if your house sits too long, both buyers and agents may overlook it as an old listing or even assume your house can’t pass inspections.
4. Remove Yourself
Another one of the simple agent hacks for a fast sale in Chicago is just to remove anything from your house that marks it as your home and impresses your personality on it. Take down your idiosyncratic art and knick-knacks, take down family photos, and paint over weird colors. The goal is to remove your personality fingerprints in order to neutralize your home to make it appear as a blank canvas and a model home. Potential buyers should be able to envision it as their own home filled with their own belongings.
5. Use Social Media
Another great agent hack for a fast sale involves using social media, especially Facebook. People don’t use it specifically in their searches, but social media now has far reach and great influence. So social media postings announcing your home for sale with a link to listings can be a powerful marketing tool.
A fast sale at a good price is always a seller’s goal. And these agent hacks for a fast sale in Chicago can help you attain it. Even better is to call on the services of a local real estate professional who may be able to help you with an even faster sale.