Spring and summer are traditionally the hottest seasons for real estate. Buyers are out shopping, sellers are listing, and homes are being bought and sold left and right. While this past spring saw a bit of a slowdown on the real estate front, summer is poised to pick up again quickly, thanks to low interest rates and strong buyer interest. If you’re thinking about selling your home soon, you’re likely to see a competitive summer market.
Impress Buyers in a Competitive Summer Market
The economic slowdown of the past few months led many sellers to take their homes off the market, leaving the Pittsburgh real estate inventory quite low. For sellers, this is great news, as it means less competition. However, as the country reopens and the market picks up again, sellers will likely begin to list again, too. Here’s how to stand out from the crowd.
Clear & clean some space
One of the most important things you can do when selling—even in a seller’s market—is to give your home a little TLC. Start with a weekend decluttering project, aiming to clear out some space in closets, storage spaces, and on shelving and countertops. Then, give your home a deep cleaning to clear the dirt and dust from all the space you just opened up.
Consider your decor
Once you’ve got your home cleaned and clear, take some time to focus on your decor. When staging a home, it’s best to keep it simple, neutral, and tasteful. You might start by removing any photos, knickknacks, posters, or other personal items. The idea is to enable buyers to envision their lives in your home. If your home is hidden behind your decor, color schemes, or personal belongings, this might be difficult.
Use high-quality photos
Now more than ever, buyers are using the internet to find homes. And that means your home has to be able to impress a buyer shopping online. The best way to do this is through high quality photography. That doesn’t just mean upgrading to the latest iPhone or buying a digital camera; it really pays to hire a professional to accent your home’s best features. A professional photographer will be able to use lighting, angles, and various lenses to paint your home in its best light.
Tell a story about your home
Pictures might be worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean your listing should be devoid of all words. On the contrary, you should include as many details about your home as possible to allow buyers to get a good feel for all that your home has to offer. Let buyers know what you love about your home. What makes it special? Don’t just focus on your home, either; tell buyers about your yard, your neighborhood, and your surrounding community.
Find a fantastic agent
If you do nothing else, do this: find yourself a fantastic local agent. Your agent is probably the #1 most important element of your home sale. A good agent will know how to make your home stand out, no matter how competitive the market is. Your agent can also help you get your home looking its best, will use high-quality photography to ensnare online buyers, and will craft a compelling listing description.
But above and beyond that, an experienced local agent will know how to get your home seen—by qualified buyers, by agents with interested clients, and even by potential investors around the world. A good agent is more than worth his or her commission—both in final sale price and in headaches (or lack thereof).
Thinking of Selling Your Pittsburgh Home This Summer?
Are you thinking of selling a home in Pittsburgh this summer? We’d love to help! Contact Century 21 Frontier Realty today to learn more about how we can price your home right, get it looking fantastic, and list it for top dollar.