For Sellers

For Sellers

Why use an agent?

Selling a home takes more than just putting a "for sale" sign out front. You need an agent with experience and training to help you determine the right price, come up with an effective marketing strategy, and anticipate and solve any problems that come up during the selling process. A real estate professional can help you with every part of selling your home, and offer you a smoother, hassle-free experience.

When you’re selling your home, there are a number of advantages to working with an agent:

He/she knows real estate values in your neighbourhood and will help price your home competitively by preparing a market analysis of homes that have sold, competing homes that are still on the market and homes that were on the market but didn’t sell.
He/she will establish a marketing strategy for your home, ensuring that it’s exposed to as many potential buyers as possible.
He/she takes care of the tasks involved in selling a house, ensuring that the transaction is simple and low-stress for you.
He/she is an expert in the home selling process and will advise you of your rights, options and obligations.
He/she is an experienced negotiator and will work for you to get you the best possible price.

Effective marketing for your home

An agent can help you market your home by exposing it to as many potential buyers as possible. The first step is putting it on the MLS. But listing your property is only the beginning; your agent will prepare a personalized plan that includes everything he/she plans to do to sell your property. At Royal LePage, your property will be aggressively promoted through:

A posting on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
Royal LePage property advertising publications
The Royal LePage web site
Other Royal LePage offices and real estate professionals
Mailings to potential buyers in your area

Pricing your property right

If you price your property too low, it may sell quickly, but you’ll lose out on money. If you price it too high, it may not sell at all. Your agent can help you figure out the best asking price for your home.

The benefits of the right price

A well-priced property may generate competing offers, which will drive up the final price. Other real estate professionals will be enthusiastic about presenting your property to their buyers. Your home will sell faster because it is exposed to more qualified buyers.

Listen to the market

As part of your pricing strategy, your agent will put together a comparative market analysis, which is a good indicator of what today’s buyers are willing to pay. It compares the market activity of homes similar to yours in your neighbourhood:

Homes that have recently sold represent what buyers are willing to pay.
Homes currently listed for sale represent the price sellers hope to obtain.
Listings that have expired are generally overpriced or have been poorly marketed.

Don’t overprice your home

Some sellers believe that if they price their home high initially, they can lower it later. Instead of making you more money, this strategy could end up hurting you.

Early activity is key. As soon as a home comes on the market, agents and potential buyers sit up and take notice. If it’s overpriced, interested parties will quickly lose interest. By the time the price drops, the majority of buyers are lost. When a home has been for sale too long, buyers will be wary and may reject the property.
You’ll miss the right buyer. You may think that interested buyers can always make an offer, but if your home is overpriced, potential buyers looking in a lower price range will never see it. And those who can afford a home at your asking price will soon recognize that they can get a better value elsewhere.
You could run out of time. You may end up having to drop your price below market value if your home doesn’t sell initially. Price it right the first time, and you won’t end up having to sell it for less than it’s worth.

Getting your home ready to show

If you’re planning an open house, or are expecting buyers to be looking at your home, make sure their first impression is a good one. Here are few hints for making your house look great to potential buyers:

Exterior

House in good repair
House number easy to read
Eavestroughs, down spouts and soffits in good repair
Garage/car port clean and tidy
Litter picked up
Cracked or broken window panes replaced
Lawns and hedges cut and trimmed, garden weeded and edged
Walks shovelled and salted
Boot tray inside front door
Doorbell and door hardware in good repair
Porch and foyer clean and tidy

Interior

Chipped plaster and paint touched up or replaced
Doors and cupboards properly closed
Leaky taps and toilets repaired
Burned out light bulbs replaced
Squeaky doors oiled
Mirrors, fixtures and taps cleaned and polished
Seals around tubs and basins in good repair
Floors cleaned, garbage containers empty
Inside of closets and cupboards neat and tidy
Appliances cleaned
Countertops neat and polished
All lights turned on
Air conditioner turned on in warm weather
Fresh air in house
Fireplace lit in cooler weather
Halls and stairs cleaned
Drapes opened during daylight
Carpets freshly vacuumed
Fresh flowers in various rooms
Jewelry and valuables locked safely away or taken with you
Valuable property, such as art, vases and figurines out of reach, out of sight or locked away
Pets absent, where possible, or contained during the showing, and litter boxes clean

Pierre Legault

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Performance Realty, Brokerage (Independently owned and operated)

250 CENTRUM BLVD Ottawa, ON K1E 3J1

Phone: 613.830.3350

Toll Free: 888.830.8757

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