Hank Miller

Sell Your Home

As this economy continues to founder, selling a home in the Atlanta real estate market at this time is a significant challenge. Sticking a sign in the ground and a home on the MLS and calling it marketing is long gone. Although antiquated, many agents still expect results from doing just that. Every year, the use of the internet increases and buyer habits change; agents must adjust. Add to the mix the lure of foreclosures and bank owned homes, and it is easy to see how a listing can quickly fall into an abyss.

The Required “Trifecta”
This is the market we have; it’s not improving anytime soon and even when things stabilize the “new norm” isn’t likely to be much different than now. Homes are selling, but those that are have the three main factors properly aligned: PRICE / EXPOSURE / APPEAL.  It’s accurate to say that if any one of those is out of sync the home will struggle at best and fail to sell at worst. The internet has forever changed buyer activity; more buyers are finding potential homes on line than ever before – a trend that exponentially increases annually.

A strong case can be made that the single most important is PRICE; it is also the sole aspect completely in control of the listing client. The market cares not about what listing client “needs to get”, what “they have in it” or “what they think”. The market cares only about what comparable properties have very recently sold for. Coincidentally, that is the same thing that the appraiser that will care about – and they will be completely disinterested in everything except attempting to validate the contract price….and over 18% of the time that didn’t happen in the Atlanta market last year. Buyers have many zillow-like sites that estimate “home values”, if the listing isn’t close the buyers will pass.

Effective and widespread EXPOSURE cannot be overstated. The internet is the field of battle and success isn’t won with a site or two. Homes need to be everywhere a buyer may be, they need to have compelling narratives, plenty of complementary photos and they have to make the buyer want to physically see the home. Buyers move fast, estimates are it takes about 10 seconds for a buyer on line to decide to look further at a home or hit next.

If you get the buyer to the door, the home needs to have great APPEAL. Current buyers expect homes to be in move in condition. Gone are the days of rolling repairs into mortgages, most buyers don’t have the funds for updating. Homes in disrepair should be updated as much as possible; paint, carpet, yard maintenance, thorough cleaning….all no brainers. Of course mechanical updating, kitchen and bath remodels all add to the appeal. Buyer expectations are high, homes that are selling meet them.

Hound Dog is led by Hank Miller, an associate broker and certified appraiser; the advantages to seller clients are clear. The team works best with sellers that acknowledge the market, in fact those not reasonable in their expecations don’t typically become clients. Explore the links below and be certain to review the Home Seller and Market Conditions posts for the latest information.

• The Hound Dog Process – an overview of how we sell homes
• Price the Home to Sell – the comprehensive data review and pricing process
• Offer Reviews – analyzing and reviewing offers
• Expired Listings – why didn’t the home sell?
• Discount Brokers – a candid assessment of the siren song
• For Sale By Owner – what the numbers show, assuming an offer is received

Selling a home in this environment is not easy, improper research when selecting an agent can magnify the challenge. Far too many ineffective agents remain, many lack the ability to be forthright and candid with potential clients. Many tell clients what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear, just remember that the market is always right and always has the final word.

Please feel free to contact us VIA EMAIL or by phone at 678-428-8276 with any questions.