Seller Resources
85% of home sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home.
*From NAR 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Almost 50% of home sellers traded up to a larger sized and higher price home.
*From a 2009 study of first-time buyers by Long & Foster Research Division
On average, agent-assisted homes sold for $43,000 or 24% more than FSBOs.
*From a 2009 study of the first-time buyers by Long & Foster Research Division
Sellers who listed their home at the price originally recommended by their agent sold the home 38 days faster, saving over a month of mortgage and tax payments.
*From Long & Foster Research 2009 Home Seller Survey
A staged home boasts an average of 2 or more showings than an unstaged home, and sells for a higher list-to-sales percentage.
*From a 2009 study of the first-time buyers by Long & Foster Research Division
Homes considered to be in good or excellent condition sell 16 days faster, and with fewer price reductions, than homes in fair or poor condition.
*From Long & Foster Research 2009 Home Seller Survey
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Pricing Your Home to Sell

Getting the Best Value for Your Home

Getting ready to get into the real-estate market? Most sellers today are nervous and unsure. They wonder: is taking a loss on our house inevitable?

Facing Foreclosure? Here’s Your Best Way Out

News headlines today are filled with stories about homeowners in financial distress—people who face a lender’s foreclosure on their home. Millions of home owners are wondering what to do.

Stage It, Sell It, Profit!

Staging is more than an exercise in tasteful interior design. It is a business decision that can have a huge impact on your financial return and timeline.

What's Happening in Your Market?

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The 1 Minute Housing Market Report is your source of monthly market data. Find out how your area compares to the rest of the nation.

 

Video: Three Tips for Selling

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8 Quick Fixes to Increase Value
 
To attract buyers, sellers must up the ante to convince them that their property offers what many want most — top value for dollar expended. Here are eight fast fixes:
 
1. Buff up curb appeal. You’ve heard it before, but it’s critical to get buyers to want to look on the inside. Be objective. View listings from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house number, and even how window treatments look from the outside. Add something special — such as big flower pots or an antique bench — to help viewers remember house A from B.
 
2. Enrich with color. Paint’s cheap, but forget the adage that it must be white or neutral. Just don’t let sellers get too avant-garde with jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Recommend soft colors that say “welcome,” lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones. Think soft yellows and pale greens. Tint ceilings a lighter shade.
 
3. Upgrade the kitchen and bathroom. These make-or-break rooms can spur a sale. But besides making each squeaky clean and clutter-free, update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso maker. In the bathroom, hang a flat-screen TV to mimic a hotel. Room service, anyone?
 
4. Add old-world patina. Make Andrea Palladio proud. Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional to the room’s size, and architecturally compatible. For ceilings nine feet high or higher, add dentil detailing, small tooth-shaped blocks used as a repeating ornament. It’s all in the details, after all.
 
5. Screen hardwood floors. Buyers favor wood over carpet, but refinishing is costly and time-consuming. Screening cuts dust, time, and expense. What it entails: a light sanding, not a full stripping of color or polyurethane, then a coat of finish.
 
6. Clean out, organize closets. Get sorting — organize your piles into “don’t need,” “haven’t worn,” and “keep.” Closets must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.
 
7. Update window treatments. Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken. To diffuse light and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.
 
8. Hire a home inspector. Do a preemptive strike, since busy home owners seek maintenance-free living. Fix problems before you list the home and then display receipts and wait for buyers to offer kudos to sellers for being so responsible.
 Sources: Ernie Roth, Roth Interiors, Los Angeles; Angel Petragallo, abrÒ, Group One, Boise, Idaho; Melissa Galt, Galt Interiors, Atlanta; Steve Kleiman, CEO, Oakington Realty, Houston; Sid Davis, Sid Davis & Associates, Farmington, Utah, and author of First-Time Homeowners’ Survival Guide (Amacom, 2007); Steve Hochman, Friendly Note Buyers, Roxbury, N.Y.; Margi Kyle, designer and spokesperson for Hunter Douglas

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