Five Ways to Horrify a Realtor

We love realtors, and you should, too. After all, your realtor is there to offer expert advice on perhaps one of the biggest investments of your life. Plus, they don’t get paid until you buy or sell a home, so you should avoid making their job scarier than it has to be. In the spirit of Halloween, we gathered a few tips on how to make selling your home less horrifying for a realtor.

Postpone the fish fry until after your house sells

Keeping everything clean for a showing or open house is common sense, but have you smelled your house lately? Odor is a subliminal motivator that can help sell your home, so keep it smelling fresh with simple, clean scents like citrus, vanilla or cinnamon. Also, it is possible that you’re immune to your stinky habits, so have an honest friend come over and take a whiff. Just don’t cook him or her sauerkraut afterward as a thank you.

Save your tricks for trick-or-treaters

Realtors are smart. Smarter than you when it comes to buying and selling homes. Little tricks like covering deteriorated floors with rugs and hiding mold damage will backfire. Your best strategy is to be honest with your realtor about any flaws or repairs so they can help find a solution. Trying to pull the wool over their eyes risks you being caught in a lie and a potential buyer backing out of a deal.

Lighten up the bat cave

Most people don’t like living in dungeons, so don’t show your house when it’s as dark as a waiting tomb. Open the blinds, pull up the shades, and let as much glorious light in as possible. And, if darkness is your strategy for covering up flaws, see Tip #2.

The devil is in the details

So maybe your home is clean and fresh, but did you check the little details? Are your toilet seats down? Is there a load of dirty delicates in your washing machine? Did you clean the hair out of shower drains? Give your home a thorough once-over before a showing. No realtor should be putting down toilet seats before an open house.

When it comes to pricing, stay in this dimension

This may sound harsh, but it needs to be said. Your home IS NOT worth what you “need” to get for it. It’s worth what it will appraise for, meaning it’s worth about what homes of similar size are selling for in your neighborhood. Also, if you receive an offer right away, it does not mean the home was priced too low. Trust your realtor on pricing. They also want to sell your property for top dollar, so follow their advice early in the process for best results.

Follow the above tips and avoid being a horrifying client. And remember, as a homebuyer, having your heart set on a house that is out of your price range is the most horrifying experience of all. Get a pre-approval from United Home Loans before you begin your hunt. Call us at 708-531-9060 or contact us below.