Don’t Sit on Selling Your House
I’ve heard the story more than I can count. Someone was ready to sell their home and then the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and now they are stuck in their home. They want to sell, they even found their dream home listed on the market to purchase, but the virus has infected their ability to sell their home. And I follow up this story with the same answer every time: Why aren’t you listing your home?
While the real estate market may not be operating in a traditional manner during these tough times, your YCAR real estate agent, and professionals all across the Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana areas are working tirelessly behind the curtain to make sure the industry is still safe and viable for you to own what you so rightful earned and deserve. While, I will admit, there are still unknowns, economists, experts and even the data from March reveals that you are in a prime position to sell your home to a very attentive and desirable market.
Your Home is in the Palm of their Hand
Where are you right now? In your home. Where is everyone else? In their home…searching, most likely on their devices and computer for their high school graduation to post on social media, the latest stats on cases of the virus in our area or the real story about “The Tiger King.” But they are also browsing homes on the market. Screen time is up for people as they find ways to pass the time. One of those ways is searching a more desirable home. You’ll find real estate professionals doing more ads, more social media posts and more ways to remain connected with prospective buyers who are, literally connected 24/7 now. Putting your house on the market now will allow people the opportunity to
Get Ready for the Boom
Arguably, the hardest industry that needs to adapt to this new way of life for the short term is the real estate industry. Open Houses are closed, and private showings are publicly forbidden. We all should STAY AT HOME and do our part in making sure our community is healthy so we can get back to normal, everyday life. But when that happens, it’s going to be the loudest mic drop every as people flock out of their homes.
When the stay at home order is lifted, WATCH OUT! Your home’s opening is going to be similar to a new iPhone® release, a new PlayStation® or people trying to get tickets to YLive. People will have already seen your home online, been cooped up in their homes and ready to see your house in person, living out the dream they have been imagining as the walls of their home started to close in. They will have been obsessing over your house for weeks, months even. But not unless you take advantage of listing it now.
Days on Market is a Thing of the Past
Let’s be honest, every day is running together, right? The only reason I knew it was actually Easter Sunday was because of the messages on Facebook. I actually said out loud, “Today is Sunday?” And I’m guessing I am not the only one. Days on the market used to be taboo. A home that has been on the market for an extended amount of time carried with it a stigma that it could be bought for a lower amount than listed or there was something wrong with it that no one has bought it yet. Throw that thought out of the window! In a post Covid19 world, days on the market for the immediate future will not be a hinderance to your sale…it will actually help you! Why? Well, the aforementioned point that people are connected, of course! With more days on the market, that gives more and more people an opportunity to have seen your home in preparation of the flood gates opening back up. You can use this time to proactively show your house to the market looking for it online. When the world returns to business as “usual,” the days on the market will not be a factor in the negotiation or sale as everyone will know what happened during that time and it will not be a stigma anymore. Rather, it will be a useful tool in being able to show people your home while they sit finding all the imperfections being stuck in theirs.
We are all sitting in our homes now, waiting for this to pass…and it will. However, if you were thinking of selling your home, now is the time to consider listing. The attention of people online and your ability to engage with them through your real estate agents has never been better. The opportunity to take advantage of low rates, rising home values and higher engagement rates online during this time is only playing into your hands. The one thing you don’t want to do, is sit on them.