How to Get Top Dollar When Selling Your Home
Your home is probably your most valuable asset, so if you’re going to list it for sale, it’s vital
you maximise your selling price.
Otherwise, you could miss out on tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
With that in mind, here are the top four things you must do if you want to get top dollar when
selling your home.
#1 HIRE A GREAT AGENT
Great real estate agents are skilled at marketing and negotiating; they have a large database
of qualified buyers; and they use tried-and-tested systems.
Mediocre agents, by contrast, are poor marketers and negotiators; they have few qualified
buyers; and they’re disorganised.
Another thing great real estate agents do is to look at the vendor’s home through buyers’
eyes, by asking themselves what potential flaws buyers might identify. Is the garden
overgrown? Is the bathroom outdated? Is there too little storage space?
Then, great agents recommend tradespeople to fix the problems – whether through
cleaning, repairing or renovating – because they know that every flaw that gets removed is a
buyer objection that gets eliminated.
They also give advice about improvements that can be made, to maximise the value of the
home in buyers’ eyes.
If a great agent and a mediocre agent were to list the exact same home in parallel universes,
the great agent could potentially sell it for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars
more.
That’s why it’s so important to choose a great agent to sell your home, even if their fee is
higher. Because if you have to pay a great agent an extra $2000 in commission but they’re
able to get you an extra $100,000 for your home, you’ll finish well ahead.
#2 STAGE THE HOME
Despite the proverb, most people judge books by their cover. So it’s not enough just to have
a great home – you also have to present it in a way that maximises its appeal to your target
buyer.
That’s why it’s crucial you invest in staging. This can involve minor touches like rearranging
the furniture, replacing artwork and removing personal items, as well as cosmetic upgrades
like repainting walls, fixing broken tiles and adding more lighting. A professional stylist will
know what furnishings, colour and spacings to use to maximise buyer appeal.
#3. SHOOT A HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO
Some buyers learn by reading – which is why you need to have a written ad when selling
your home. Others, though, prefer to absorb information visually.– which is why it’s vital to
have a video as well. The best property videos:
● Are shot and edited by professionals – to make your home look desirable
● Tell a story – to hook buyers’ interest
● Get emotional – to make buyers fall in love with your home
If you really nail your video, there’s a chance it will go viral, which will expose more buyers to
your listing and maximise buyer competition.
#4 PRICE YOUR HOME ACCURATELY
One big mistake a lot of vendors make is putting an inflated value on their home, either
because they think it’s worth more than it is or because they believe the best way to get top
dollar is to start high.
Listing your home for an inflated price is more likely to cost you money than make you
money. That’s because the best way to maximise the final selling price is to maximise buyer
competition – but if the listing price is too high, you’ll scare buyers away. Conversely, if you
set a price that reflects market conditions, you’ll probably attract more buyers – which will
increase your chances of sparking a bidding war.
Your asking price needs to reflect market conditions, which is best assessed through recent
comparable sales. A great agent will give you expert advice on what price to set, and will
also suggest the best method of sale.
FINAL WORD
When you sell your home, it’s important you choose an agent you’re comfortable with.
Ideally, they should have a lot of experience and a strong track record. You should also feel
they understand you and genuinely care about your interests.
Jonny Warren is a great agent. He set four suburb records in the 2021-22 financial
year, and was named ACT Property Marketer of the Year in 2018 and 2020. If you want
to know how Jonny could help you get top dollar for your home, contact him on
jonny@jonnywarren.com.au or 0431 797 891.