So, you’ve decided to sell your home? Before you do, consider these Boston area home selling tips for the best results.

Follow These 4 Boston Area Home Selling Tips

Choose the right real estate agent. Of course, you can try to sell your home yourself, but most people seek the aid of a professional. Once you choose a capable and knowledgeable real estate agent, you will enter into a listing agreement with their brokerage firm. The agreement usually requires you to give your agent 3-6 months to sell your home. During that time, if the home sells you will pay the agency a commission for their efforts.

Be prepared to sell. In this information-rich and high-tech real estate market, first impressions are important. So, if your home isn’t in the best condition — especially if it’s priced too high — it may be on the market longer than you want. And a house that’s quickly identified as having been for sale for a long period of time automatically sends red flags to prospective purchasers as having problems. If you’re serious about selling, commit to a price range with the listing agent and be ready to accept a contract in that range. This could very well be one of the most important home selling tips we can offer you here.

Create a relationship with your agent. While the real estate brokerage firm is important, more important is the agent charged with selling your home. He or she will be your point person. Make sure you and your agent are on the same page with respect to sales price, projected sales time frame, move date and other components during your Boston area  home selling process. It will make for a smoother, less stressful experience.

Move quickly when you receive an offer. Many times in a bustling real estate market, when you get a serious offer, you need to act quickly. When you accept the offer and escape the contract, the countdown to closing — the ultimate goal — begins. Sellers often underestimate how long the home selling process can take. And once your home is under contract with a buyer, it can take several weeks before financing is approved and the actual closing occurs. Be prepared to move quickly in the event your purchaser is paying cash or is pre-approved for financing. You certainly don’t want to lose a potential sale because you weren’t ready to move. The bottom line: expect the unexpected. Have a plan and know what your next move will be regardless of whether the closing will occur a month or more, or if it will be in a week.

Follow the above Boston area home selling tips and you just may turn the “newbie” label into a savvy experienced home seller!

Although we never work for sellers or list property for sale, we know and can find you the very best listing agents anywhere to help you with selling your Boston area home. Contact us now for a list of the best listing agents in the Boston area area to help you in selling your property.

Find more tips to help you sell your home by hopping over to our Boston area Home Selling Tips section of articles just below the Boston area Real Estate Categories to your right. And remember to find us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.

Real estate agents are experts at Boston area home selling. If you’re in the market for a home, it’s always best to work with a professional. Although we never work for sellers or list property for sale and always represent home buyers only, we know and can find the very best listing agents anywhere to help you with selling your home. Here are five important reasons to work with a real estate professional.

Boston Area Home Selling: Why Use an Agent?

A real estate agent is a licensed professional — trained and dedicated to the legal principles of the profession in the state in which the license is issued.

An experienced, knowledgeable real estate agent is equipped to navigate the Boston area home selling journey. Often their experience and personal relationships make them invaluable in keeping sellers focused on the end result — selling your home to the most qualified buyer at the best price.

Real estate agents know the market and can offer price guidance. An agent worth his or her salt can discuss market conditions that will ultimately affect the Boston area home selling process. They know the average square footage costs of comparable homes, what’s sold and for how much, and how long various homes stayed on the market.

A good real estate agent is a savvy negotiator working on behalf of the client to achieve the highest level of satisfaction. The most successful agents are those that rely on referrals from satisfied clients. As such, doing a good job for their Boston area home selling clients may produce future prospects.

Real estate agents are promoters. An effective real estate professional formulates and implements an overall marketing plan for the sale of your home. By ensuring that potential buyers are pre-qualified and are serious prospects, your real estate agent can reduce the number of “tire-kickers” or less-qualified purchasers that may consume time during the Boston area home selling process.

In today’s home selling market, using the services of an experienced real estate professional can be one of the smartest moves you can make.

See more articles pertaining to Boston area home selling in the Boston Home Selling Tips section of our site below Boston Real Estate Categories in the column to your right.

Remember, we also post tips daily on Twitter and Facebook. Check us out there too.

There comes a time in most every homeowner’s life when they’re ready to sell their home. Make no mistake, it can be a challenging undertaking for some. Often there are financial, emotional and even social consequences to consider. As a result, many homeowners struggle with fears once they contemplate entering the Boston area home selling market.

Although we never work for sellers or list property for sale, we know and can find you the very best listing agents anywhere to help you with selling your home. Contact us using the form to your right for help in finding you the best agent to list your home.

Facing Boston Area Home Selling Fears

Here are five popular fears expressed by homeowners — and tips on how to overcome them.

My Home Isn’t Selling
Probably the greatest Boston area home selling fear is that a home would remain unsold for an extended period of time. It can be especially stressful if the sellers have contracted to buy another home contingent on the sale of their current one. However, know this: most homes, if priced correctly and in good condition, will eventually sell in normal market conditions. Overcome this fear by contacting a real estate professional as far in advance as possible. Work with the agent to develop a marketing plan for your home. Depending on the market or neighborhood, it could take several months to sell your home.

My Home Requires Work Before it Will Sell
Some homeowners entering the Boston area home selling arena for the first time are fearful of their home’s condition or appearance. They are also afraid it will cost too much to make necessary repairs or maintenance. Often they fail to realize the interest level of prospective buyers will be highest if the home is in good condition and enjoys optimum curb appeal. More importantly, the better the home’s condition the higher the potential offer. To overcome this Boston area home selling fear of spending too much money to put your home on the market, consider this: rely on your real estate agent for advice on which improvements (fresh paint, landscape additions, etc.) may provide you with the “best bang for your buck.”

I Won’t Sell my Home by a Certain Deadline
Another prevalent Boston area home selling fear is that a home won’t sell by a specific time frame. Many homeowners may want or need to sell prior to the start of a new school year or before the holidays arrive. To address this situation, it’s important to examine the most recent comparable sales and list the home at or lower than that price range. Again, engage a real estate professional to assist you in pricing the home to sell at a fair and competitive price for quick results.

My Real Estate Agent Wants me to Reduce my Home’s Sales Price
Generally speaking, real estate professionals are extremely knowledgeable about the Boston area home selling market. Let’s face it, homeowners often feel their property is worth more than other homes in the neighborhood for a variety of reasons — most of which are emotion-driven. The best way to overcome the fear of selling a home for less than it’s worth is to discuss it with your agent. Get on the same page. Trust the agent’s experience and judgment. Simply put, allow your agent to do their job.

Having Strangers in my Home is Unsettling
Once a homeowner has decided to enter the Boston area home selling environment they’ve invited prospects to come tour their home. However, many people struggle with that aspect of the process. One solution to the fear is to “de-personalize” the home so it will feel less intrusive. Remove personal items such as photographs, trophies or awards. Store smaller collectibles, “breakables” or valuables in a safe place. Doing this will provide better peace of mind and may help alleviate this particular Boston area home selling fear.

Find more helpful Boston area home selling tips in our Boston Home Selling Tips section of articles just below Boston Real Estate Categories to your right. We also post tips daily on Twitter and our Facebook Page… follow us there as well.

It’s important to note a few critical Boston area home selling tips when getting ready to put your house on the market. Real estate experts say home staging can be extremely important in the appeal to prospective buyers. Keep these suggestions in mind for the best results:

Proven Boston Area Home Selling Recommendations

Think of Your Home as a Movie Set

Look at your home as if you were directing a motion picture. Try to envision your home’s rooms from another person’s perspective. Put away all excess items including excess personal possessions such as family photos, knick-knacks and collectibles. Remember, less is more when it comes to successful Boston area home selling. Your furnishings can remain, but make sure they complement the room without overpowering it with too much color or by taking up too much space. Try repositioning the furniture and experimenting with what looks best “through the movie camera’s lens.” The trick is, after all, to make the rooms in your home appear as large and clutter-free as possible. In addition, it may help to add a few subtle accessories like a few candles, fresh flowers or a few sofa pillows.

Keep it Clean.

As the old adage goes, “you only get one chance to make a good first impression.” Put your home’s best foot forward by making sure it’s as clean as possible. Look for dust traps and clean spaces that sometimes are overlooked, such as window sills, storage cabinets, laundry rooms and other places that may be more closely inspected by home buyers. Consider hiring a cleaning company. It’s always a good idea to “have another pair of eyes” looking at your home objectively — just as a prospective purchaser will.

Pay attention to outside details. Clean porch light fixtures and pressure wash brick, siding, decks or porches if they need it. Spruce up the landscaping by removing or cutting back dead or unsightly shrubbery. Trim the hedges and weed the flower gardens. A nice job of edging will also give your home optimum curb appeal and ultimately improve your Boston area home selling efforts.

Make it Inviting.

The key to making your property stand out above the others on the market is to create a connection between a potential buyer’s imagination and your home. If a prospect can envision themselves living in your home they are more likely to build an interest in it that may lead to an offer. Keep your rooms well lit — preferably with natural lighting — by opening blinds or curtains. Proper lighting creates an inviting appeal to the mind’s eye.

Define Rooms in Your Home.

One last Boston area home selling idea is to make sure the rooms in your home communicate their purpose. Quite simply, if you have a spare bedroom that has become a storage room, return it to its original purpose. If you have a home office, keep it as organized and presentable as possible. That will assist prospects in being able to see themselves using such a space for their bill-paying, working from home office, or other activities.

A Boston area home that’s priced correctly and has an overall general appeal should sell within 30-45 days in a good housing market. That’s the consensus among most real estate agents and industry experts. When a sale doesn’t occur in that timeframe, some home sellers and real estate agents can get discouraged, frustrated and antsy. It makes matters even worse when homes in your neighborhood with less time on the market sell quicker than yours!

What to do to Sell Your Boston Area Home

A typical scenario goes like this: The real estate agent may recommend a price reduction. The home seller senses the agent wants to make a quicker sale. Within the first few weeks of the house being on the market there exists a discord between seller and real estate agent. Agents know from experience — the longer your Boston area home stays on the market without much movement — it loses momentum, newness and interest. It’s soon replaced with dozens of others that may be more attractive simply because they are new listings. Plus, prospective purchasers will adopt a mindset that a particular house is undesirable if it’s on the market for awhile.

Consider these ideas to spur more offers on your Boston area home:

Real estate professionals agree that location, condition and price are the key elements in why some homes sell faster than others. Because the location can’t be changed, let’s focus on the other elements.

A Boston area home that’s been on the market for several months with few showings or offers is a candidate for reassessing its condition and its asking price.

As a seller, you could be getting feedback from potential buyers and/or their agents about certain features of your home. If it’s something that can be changed or improved, consider taking your home off the market and performing the work that is necessary to help the house “show” better. Many times it could be minor flaws or cosmetic blemishes that can be rectified easily and relatively inexpensively.

If the home’s condition isn’t an issue, or if the seller is unwilling to take the time or spend the money to make necessary changes, the remaining option may be to reduce the asking price. Hopefully, you and your real estate agent discussed the sales price at great length prior to listing your home. However, market conditions change and some homes move faster than others — and for a variety of reasons.

So, it’s probably a good idea to reassess where you and your real estate agent are in your relationship. If you’re not thinking the same way on the sales price, strategy, staging and timing, something has to give. Changing real estate agents can sometimes be the only remedy to a frustrating situation.

If you’re thinking of selling your Boston area home or if you’re contemplating hiring a new agent, meet with him or her and discuss your plans and needs. A good agent will listen to what you want, and a smart client will listen to the trusted real estate professional.

Understanding your options in the real estate market is important to ensure your home will sell — even if it takes a little longer than you anticipated. You don’t want to price your home too low and leave money on the table. But, if the home is priced too high and you aren’t open to reasonable or competitive market offers, it could be on the market for an extended period of time.

Of course, every situation is unique so it’s important to select a real estate agent that will work with you to sell your home as soon as possible and for the best price the current market will bear.

See more articles pertaining to Boston area home selling in the Boston Home Selling Tips section of our site below Boston Real Estate Categories in the column to your right.

Remember, we also post tips daily on Twitter and Facebook. Check us out there too.