I love a beautifully staged house. I appreciate artistic photography. It is very nice to tour listings at broker open house and indulge in a free lunch and a cold bottle of water on a gorgeous California coastal day. Marketing and advertising are expected, but at the end of the day it is a single 5-letter word that trumps all the other real estate frills: P r i c e, yes price is the power tool in a real estate agent's bag of tricks.
Let me share a story about a nightmare listing and how it sold in hours, not weeks or months or even days. The property was owned by an elderly woman and she loved cats, lots of them. They were everywhere--in the trees, in the backyard and in the house--and so was their waste, fur balls and smell. Think medical mask time.
The savvy agent priced the home right for the condition and location. The deep discount drew an acceptable offer and the agent had the photos to document the condition to out of the area relatives. The home was not staged, nor was it white glove clean, it was, however, priced right for its condition and it sold.
The above example is an extreme case, but there is a lesson in the sale. Every property will sell when price is aligned with value. Today's buyer's are too smart to make an offer on overpriced property. They wait for a price reduction or they move on to a competitively priced property.
It is often said a property is worth what a ready, able and willing buyer will pay for it. Price your property right and the buyers will come with offer in hand.
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