Home Selling Tips Are Back!

At the end of 2007 I focused this real estate blog on just the needs of home buyers. However, since then several people have still asked me to sell their homes and I did. I actually did pretty well last year selling every home I listed with an average market time of 61 days.

Some of the people who asked me to sell their homes also wanted me to help them with their purchase of a more expensive home. Some were just former clients moving away. Regardless, I want to meet my clients’ needs as best I can. I hope to accomplish that my bringing home selling tips back into the scope of this blog.

I’ve also had a Realtor with a prior career in marketing join my business. My partner, Mary Kaye Buettgen, is now helping me with listings. Mary Kaye has 25 years of successful marketing experience and knows far more about home improvement projects than I do. Now my sellers can benefit from our combination of complementary skills and perspectives.

So here’s some helpful information for home sellers! Last week I “consulted” with an expert on what home buyers want, a young man who just bought one of my listings in Palatine (shown left). At the closing table I asked him why he chose the house over the others on the market. He shared that price was definitely key. He could tell that the home had been well cared for. He noticed the newer, high quality windows and knew that such windows were expensive. He also liked the size of the back yard. For the price, he saw that the home was a good value.

My sellers worked very hard to clear out the clutter and clean so the home would show well. They were also willing to price it competitively in this hyper-competitive market. As a result, it sold in 6 weeks for 96% of original list price. I also helped the sellers buy the larger home they needed. They’re now unpacking in their new home, a beautiful, contemporary 4 bedroom ranch in Lake Zurich.

If you’re thinking of selling your home and would like to get the best price in the shortest amount of time, let’s talk!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fran Bailey shows, previews and tracks downtown Chicago homes for sale giving her the insights needed to help her clients negotiate the best price and terms. Fran has been quoted in numerous Chicago and national publications. To schedule showings of listings regardless of broker or to contact Fran email her at fran.bailey@bairdwarner.com or call 773.793.4516. Learn More