5 Seller Tips for Speedy Home Sales

It's every seller's dream to have their home listed under perfect conditions in order to sell quickly and for top dollar. While putting on a great open house and making a remarkable first impression are crucial to attracting buyers, there are other variables to consider when selling a home in 2017.

Luckily, 2017 is a great year for your seller clients:

• Mortgage rates are still low
• Inventory is shrinking
• Home prices are rising
• Job markets are strengthening

"Sellers have been in the driver's seat for the last two years, but this year is shaping up to be even better for several reasons," says realtor.com®. "Nothing is bad for sellers today."

2017 is poised to be the year of the home seller, real estate experts say. Here are the top five things for sellers to consider to list their home to sell in 2017:

1. Price the home to sell

Let your seller clients know how important it is to base the listing price on the market. What works in California will not apply to Michigan markets. Use local market reports to help your clients understand the market conditions and set expectations.

2. Expand the listings reach

You want your client to know that you're doing everything in your power to spread the word about their property. You also want to ensure that the listing is highly visible to potential buyers. ListHub offers free listing syndication to brokers looking to expand their listings reach, sending listings to over 80 national publisher websites along with dozens of regional sites. Other options include:

• Social media
• Print and online classifieds
• Flyer distribution
• Word of mouth

3. List during peak season

Timing is everything when it comes to successfully selling a home. While buyers may search for a home year round, realtor.com says, "prime home-buying season begins in April and reaches its peak in June." Furthermore, "sellers who list their home during the prime spring and summer months benefit from a larger population of buyers and potential bidding wars, which often result in higher prices and faster closings."

4. Stage the home appropriately

According to realtor.com, on average, staged homes sell 88 percent faster and for 20 percent more than non staged ones. Thus, appearance is everything when it comes to selling a home and attracting potential buyers. Some buyers may have a difficult time envisioning themselves or their family in the space. While cleaning, decluttering, and depersonalizing are customary, it's the staging that allows buyers to picture themselves cooking in the kitchen and cuddling up for movie night in the living room – and ultimately wanting to make an offer.

5. Offer incentives

Deals are attractive to everyone! Why not sweeten the pot for potential buyers by incentivizing their purchase? Here are a few incentives to consider:

• Partial or whole credit towards closing cost
• Shorter closing period
• Transferable warranties

There a multiple factors that make 2017 a great year for sellers—but as with anything in real estate, selling a home will still require hard work and persistence. Make sure your clients know how hard you're working to get their home sold and use the tips above to improve the likelihood of that happening quickly!

ListHub provides brokers with a platform to advertise listings to the widest possible audience of consumers, along with the tools to use your online marketing program to your advantage. Click here to watch a short video about the ListHub Pro tools available to help you demonstrate your value to seller clients.

This article originally appeared in the ListHub newsletter.