As you probably know, you can never simply look at a bold real estate headline and know if it’s the right time to sell, or what you might be able to net for your home. Try as they might, no website algorithm has been able to pinpoint what a home is actually worth at any given time because there are far too many factors at play. That's where experienced real estate brokers make a huge difference. Pricing and preparation are the keys to maximizing a sale at any time or place, but neighborhoods, seasons, and buyer-mindset greatly affect what is achievable for a given home as well. When you're contemplating selling what is perhaps your greatest investment, it pays to have an experienced professional on your side to help navigate and decipher the information to apply it to your specific situation.
Over the years, we’ve developed six unique and distinct steps to characterize the market and help our clients make decisions about their property. We know of no other residential broker or team who comes close to ‘slicing and dicing’ the market in the ways that we do:
- "Microhood" Analysis – a long-term view of a given portion of a neighborhood to analyze changing trends in price, time the on market, and offer strength
- Comparative Market Analysis – a detailed property-by-property comparison of recent "comparable" listings to determine the optimal list price range
- Preparation List and Listing Schedule – scope, schedule and budget for preparing a property for listing aimed at specific buyer aesthetics of a target market
- Rental Analysis & Long Range Planning – if appropriate, a look at the potential of renting your property and selling sometime in the future, with an eye on tax advantages & milestones
- Competition Summary – a weekly review of listing status, prepared in the weeks immediately prior to listing a home, to answer the question of 'how hot is my market right now?'
- Competition Touring – touring comparable listings with the “eyes of a buyer” to hone in on listing price, target market and property distinctions
Step 5, the Competition Summary is designed to determine if there are Buyers out there ready to make an offer on your property. Each week, we look at the status of properties in a specific area, price range and property type similar to yours. Paying close attention to the number of active listings, price reductions, and accepted offers, we’re able to track Buyer demand in the area. We augment the numbers by talking with the agents of recently sold listings to gather additional info that might help us position yours to succeed in the market.
There’s no crystal ball, but with these various ways of 'slicing and dicing' market activity, we can hone in on both general buyer demand and specific pricing factors to help you set the right price for your property at that specific moment in time. For instance, in one study of a specific price market in Wallingford & Green Lake, the number of active listings dropped from 10 a few months earlier, to ZERO the week before we listed. No doubt that in that area, it was a Seller’s Market and a good time to list. Keeping track of all aspects of a market helps us keep you informed and ready to adapt.
Do you know of someone who might benefit from this level on service and this depth of analysis? Give them our names. We’d be happy to help.
