by: Ariel Kormendy, Realtor & Operating Partner – The Kormendy Trott Team

Many people will tell you (especially Realtors), that making a good first impression is crucial when it comes to selling your home.  This is true.  However, I continuously shake my head at how little effort many home sellers and for that matter, many Realtors make in the proper preparation and it all starts from the very onset of the process.

When considering to sell your home, you’ll likely do some research to find the Realtor that fits what you’re looking for or someone you feel you may click with.  Maybe you got a referral from a friend or family member or maybe you’ve seen some great marketing or social media posts that caught your attention.  No matter how you find a Realtor to represent you and your home in the sale, this is the person that will make your home a star or a dud.

So, what happens once you’ve called made that call to your favourite Realtor?

Here’s some insight… When I get a call from someone to list their home for sale, I immediately focus on 3 items when I first visit your home;

1. Cleanliness and Maintenance.  If the home is dirty, smelly or neglected in any way, buyers will be distracted or even worse, not consider the property unless it’s at a discounted price.  Today’s buyer is looking for the proverbial “move-in ready” home, unless they’re buying it to renovate or use it as a rental property. For most of the buyer audience, they want a clean and well maintained home, one that shows a pride of ownership. I pay much of my attention to how well the home is taken care of and if it is lacking in some areas, what we can do to address it so others don’t have the same impression. It is absolutely vital that we ensure the home shows clean and tidy.  It will go a long way in attracting the right buyer.
2. Attention to details and upgrades.  You likely have seen homes listed for sale where the owner has spent thousands of dollars on upgrades, renovations or improvements but they unfortunately never get the attention they deserve, meaning most buyers don’t even notice.  It’s imperative for a Realtor to recognize what the good selling features are of your home and their benefit to the buyers. I typically take a lot of photos and mental and written notes to ensure no details are missed in the marketing. Taking it a step further, this is where I suggest any additional improvement areas that would add value and a good return on the investment. I might recommend things to homeowners such as specific lighting improvements, landscaping changes, paint selections or maintenance and up-keep items that they wouldn’t have thought of or done otherwise (and this is even before our certified stager does the pre-staging consultation!). This is another big step in ensuring the home is sold for top dollar.
3. Who is the target demographic for the home? Here’s the thing.  If we know who the likely buyer is for your home, we know how to effectively market it to the right audience. So, as an example, if you own a townhome in a growing suburb where most buyers for similar homes are young families and first time home buyers, do you think your hand-me-down furniture from the 80’s that your parents passed down to you is really going to appeal to them?  Not likely. Or that ugly builders light fixture above your beautiful handmade dining table… does it do a good job of adding value to the home and the future buyer?  Nope. A home should be appropriately presented to ensure the viewing audience is engaged and interested at every point of contact. Remember, most home buyers will see your home for the first time online and if they don’t like what they see, they won’t go to view it in person. Staging has become a critical step in preparing homes for sale, but also ensuring the proper placement and style of furniture and accessories to best showcase the home to the likeliest of buyers is the key.  We’ve all seen “staged” homes that leave much to be desired, so making sure the focus is on the overall appeal and creating a model-home like environment is what works best.

So, start by making sure the house is clean and well maintained, spend some time and money on making small impactful improvements and “declutter” anything that might be getting in the way of showing the homes true potential to the likely buyer. Once all that is done, a great Realtor and staging team can turn your home into someone else’s dream home. Remember, you’re ultimately making that first impression for the buyer and if you’ve taken the steps necessary for a good first impression all around, you’ll likely be that much closer to a successful sale.

If you have any comments or questions leave them below and be sure to check out all of our great buyer and sellers tips by visiting our YouTube series at www.ktquicktips.com which we’ve designed specifically to help improve your purchasing, selling and home ownership experience.