When selling your home, flexibility is the key

Most real estate experts will say the most important factors to consider when selling your home are price and condition. But I’d like to flexibility to that short list. No matter where your house is, what the price is or if it’s staged to perfection, if you, the seller, can’t be flexible with your schedule when it comes to showings, your house won’t sell quickly. 

Selling your property takes a great deal of time and effort, especially if your goal is to sell it fast and for the highest profit. You’ll hear a lot about properly staging your home before it goes on the market. Just as important as the condition of your home, is providing buyers plenty of opportunities to view it. 

Discuss your showing strategies with your agent including availability, notice needed, etc. Showing your property won’t always be convenient, especially in this busy age of jobs, pets, kids and life, but it’s important to note that buyers are busy people too. So if you want that perfect buyer to fall in love with your house and make the best offer, they typically have to be able to tour it first. Do your best to work with potential buyers to accommodate their schedules. Here are some tips to help the showing process seem less daunting.

• Set aside 15 minutes at night or in the morning to do a quick-clean to tidy up the house … that way you’ll be ready just in case you get that call for a last-minute showing.

• If you have pets, it’s best to crate them. If you don’t have the flexibility to do this quickly before a showing, enlist the help of a neighbor.

• For those with young kids at home, have a few baskets around for quick and easy toy storage. Also, be prepared to leave the house with the children. Have a bag packed with extra food, diapers, clothes and toys for the little ones during their outing. Remember, if you make the inconvenience an adventure – your kiddos will think it’s one too.

Also keep in mind that buyers don’t always know what they’re looking for until they see it. Or, in other words, they don’t know what they’re NOT looking for until they see it. So if potential buyers come back with less-than-flattering comments about your property, don’t sweat it. It’s like online dating and your house just isn’t “the one.”

Bottom line, if you aren’t willing to be flexible and show your home when buyers want to see it, the process will be much longer and more painful. Just remember, sometimes the most inconvenient showings turn into the right buyers as they appreciate your flexibility, which points the way toward an easier and more successful closing.