Wondering why your Sanibel Island Home is not Selling? Realtor.com posted a video with some insight as to why you’re Sanibel Island Home hasn’t sold yet.
Why Hasn’t the Right Buyer Surfaced yet? 5 Possible Reasons:
- PRICE: This is crucial. Many sellers overprice their home in hopes of making a little more profit, or to set a buffer in case negotiations drop the price. If you’re in no hurry, especially in the seller’s market we’re currently in, you might luck out. The risk you take is when you have to sit on your listing for too long and then reduce the price after all. This could look bad to sellers as they might wonder why you had to drop the price and question whether there’s something wrong with the house. The best approach: work with a knowledgable realtor to price the house at what it’s worth. “When the price is right, buyers will flock to it.” And if you overprice it and have to reduce the listing price to the market price, you might as well do it from the start. Some sellers worry if the house sells “too quickly” that it was underpriced, but it’s more likely that the price was spot on.
- PRESENTATION: How does the house look? Make sure to clear away all clutter. Buyers need to imagine themselves making the house their home, not see it as yours. Work with a realtor or other professional to stage the home to create just the right environment. If you do it right, the payoff will be well worth it, creating more value potential buyers, which can affect the bottom line and how you price the home.
- PHOTOGRAPHY: This has to do with presentation as well. In our digital age, the photos are the “first impression,” not the open house or walk through. Your realtor can help you find a professional to take attractive photos. They have expertise with lighting, angles, composition, and more. It’s easy to move furniture around and take away distracting décor to let the home, amenities, and architecture shine. This is the first step to get buyers in the door!
- MAINTENANCE: Whether you’ve been taking care of normal, ongoing maintenance in your home or not, make sure you take care of those items before you list your house. You don’t want any surprises for the buyers OR yourself, especially down the road during a potential buyers inspection, after you’ve already made an investment with your time and energy with that party. It never hurts to get an inspector to come out to your house before you try to sell it and make those improvements ahead of time. You’re realtor can even include that in the listing or communicate to potential buyers that you’ve done your prep work with a pre-inspection and updates ahead of time. That’s a huge plus, especially when a potential buyer under contract finds it to be true when they receive a positive inspection report themselves. And again, this can help justify your listing price and affect the bottom line.
- SMART REDO: If you really have just had trouble finding an interested buyer, you might want to consider a “relaunch.” Make those improvements you weren’t interested in doing previously or didn’t consider. Take staging more seriously with some fresh interior and/or exterior paint, add more curb appeal with landscaping, make tasteful cosmetic improvements, and get rid of more of your stuff and do some rearranging. There are even professional stagers that have an inventory of popular furniture and décor that they can come in and set up. If it’s a vacation home, selling the house furnished could be a big plus for buyers. After you’ve put in the work, work with your realtor to get a new MLS number and communicate the improvements to buyers.
There are so many approaches to really make your listing pop and garner interest. You could even go from hearing crickets to receiving multiple offers!
Whatever you do, the last piece of advice that’s not included in the list, but is equally important, is getting the right realtor. We have many knowledgable Sanibel realtors that can work with you to accomplish your unique goals. And if you’re looking to buy, search our MLS for available properties, or get in touch with our office at 239-472-2411 for general inquiries.
Sources: 5 Reasons Your Home Isn't Selling 5 reasons why that listing may linger
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This article is provided by John R Wood Properties, a full service Sanibel Island real estate agency made of people who love where they live as much as what they do. With local knowledge and decades of combined experience, our Sanibel and Captiva Island realtors are passionate and dedicated to exceeding your real estate needs.
About the author: Nina Rogers is a writer, designer, and illustrator who grew up on Sanibel Island. As a Communications Content Manager for John R Wood Properties, Nina enjoys keeping people updated with the latest in local news and Sanibel real estate.
