It shouldn’t come as a surprise by now that the housing market has taken a drastic shift from where we
were one year ago. Mortgage rates have since doubled and consumer interest, though still peaked, is
more or less cautiously optimistic. The Houston housing market has finally shown the signs of cooling
that many other cities in the country began feeling mid-summer. What does this mean if you’re
considering selling your house in 2023? Simply put – it means you need to manage your expectations
and be prepared for buyers to take their time in making a decision.
If you are ready to sell your home, all hope is not lost. There is no “magic” window of time that you’ve
missed out on. The truth is inventory continues to remain low. Even though we are seeing homes sitting
on the market for 30, 60, even 90 days, those that are presented well and priced appropriately (notice
we didn’t say low) will always sell faster than their competitor. So, if 2023 is your year to move up, move
out, or move on, here are our five expert tips for selling your home in the year ahead.
Work with an agent that has hyper local knowledge
Finding the right agent doesn’t always mean contacting your friend from high school that sells homes in
Katy when you currently live in EaDo. It also doesn’t mean that you have to use your great aunt because
you don’t want to upset the family. Do your research and find a professional real estate advisor in your
community. And then interview them!
When interviewing real estate agents, you’ll want to ask questions about their methods for marketing
and promoting your property. Find out their knowledge on the current market and they’re expectations
for selling your home. Ask questions about current neighborhood trends, including days on market,
average price per square foot, and their advice on pricing your specific home.
You’ll want to find an agent that hyper local knowledge – that means they have a pulse on all things real
estate within a close radius and recent timeframe. Comparing properties that sold six months ago, when
interest rates were low, won’t necessarily help you price your home today.
And lucky for you, Steel Door Realty has an army of professional agents across Texas! If you’re ready to
sell in Houston, we have agents specializing in the Heights, Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Northside,
Montrose, Spring Branch, Bellaire, Spring, Cypress, The Woodlands, and Katy. We also have agents in the
Bay Area and in the Texas Hill Country, including New Braunfels, Hallettsville, and Schulenberg. And
lastly, if you’re ready to “keep it weird”, we even have an agent that lives and breathes everything
Austin!
Manage price expectations
Pricing your home properly is the most important piece of the puzzle when deciding to sell. Pricing your
home too high OR too low can ruin your chances of selling quickly. Once you sign an agreement with
your real estate agent to sell your home, the first thing they’ll do is compile hard data of recent sales to
help you compare your property to others. Remember, its never apples to apples, but these details will
help you see the pros and cons your home offers compared to others. From there, with your agent’s
guidance, you will set a price for your home.
How do you know if the price is right? TRAFFIC. Homes priced accordingly will see consistent traffic in
showings and at the open houses.
Now, its not ALL about price – you need to make sure your home is presented in the right light and
marketed appropriately for that price you have set. A great example of this is in the photos used on the
MLS. NEVER let an agent take photos of your home with their iPhone! You will want to be sure your
agent hires a professional photographer. They will capture the home in the best light and edit them to
enhance specific qualities.
Prep and stage your home
If you want top dollar for your home, you have to show it in its best light! Work with your real estate
agent and walk the perimeter of the exterior, and then go room by room inside looking and critiquing
every single area of the home. Find and fix areas of disrepair and signs of aging. Make a list of all the
repairs and upgrades you have made to the home.
Next it is time to declutter, rearrange, and (maybe) stage. Decluttering is a MUST. You want your home
to present clean and allow the buyer to envision themselves and their things in your home. Of course,
you can leave some personal touches and cool pieces of art, but you should organize everything,
including the pantry and clothes closets!
Your real estate agent should have a team of interior designers at the ready. Ask them for
recommendations and consider bringing someone in to identify the best furniture arrangement and
other design elements to best showcase your home. You can even consider staging all or parts of your
home if you’ve already moved out or simply don’t have a room already decorated. Staging your home
(whether its furniture brought in or using your own) spends 73% less time on the market!
Be willing to negotiate
Today’s buyers are doing so with their heads. Gone are the days of making offers before even seeing the
property in person. Our current buyers are taking two, three, even four showings on the same house
before submitting their offer. Why? With interest rates as high as they are, buyers now don’t want to
feel that dreaded buyer’s remorse.
There’s a chance you won’t get a full price offer on your home. And that can be OK. It’s up to you and
your real estate agent to identify your tipping point on what you will and won’t negotiate. You should
discuss these details with your agent prior to listing your home, and again when an offer comes in.
Discuss what number you are comfortable negotiating to, and what that might look like during and after
the inspection period.
And, if you’re just not willing to negotiate on price, there are other things you CAN negotiate on,
including offering a seller contribution, repairing certain items found in that inspection report, or letting
your home sit on the market a little longer in hopes of getting that full-priced offer. Every seller and
every situation is different – make sure you and your real estate agent are working together with your
best interest in mind.
Be flexible
Lastly, throughout the entire process, it is important to be flexible. Go into the selling process
understanding that it often doesn’t happen in a day or in a weekend. Allow showings to happen, even if
you work from home and you have kids running everywhere. Allow open houses. Allow as many people
to see your home as possible. Share your real estate agent’s content on your own social media
platforms, if you’re comfortable doing so. And ask your friends to share it, too!
Remember, real estate is ALWAYS happening. People are always buying, selling, and moving. If 2023 is
your year to make big moves, let Steel Door Realty help guide you through the home selling process! We
are dedicated experts that make your home our commitment!