Update 2023:
I thought it would be fun to revisit this blog post from 2021 when the market was at it's height. After years of record inflation, raised interest rates and increased "buyer pickiness", lets discuss the current situation and why I still have zero tolerance for a sloppy listing!
Fast forward two years later to 2023 and we find ourselves in somewhat of a similar situation....inventory is even lower than it was 2 years ago thanks to rising interest rates that were supposed to "level out the market". For the record.... more inventory would have leveled the market...
Which for you sellers.... ding ding... that means the prices are still at highs. If you are thinking of selling, you should sell.
Why?
There is even less for those original first time home buyers to buy to upgrade to, and some of those are settling for a home that no longer serves their needs on the basis of what their interest rate was when they purchased.
But does that make sense? Comfort vs Expense is always a factor.
I have one thing to say about that...if I were a renter, and I had another child or I had a new life circumstance that required me to upsize or downsize to make me and my family comfortable, I would probably just find a new rental. And it would probably cost me more. If a 1 bedroom apartment doesn't serve my family... I will have to find a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment, home rental, townhouse..... that would cost me more...except they hardly exist. But it interests me how people value an interest rate on a buy vs what interest rate and principal they will pay to their landlord....
When you are a homeowner... that is still the case, but more often at a lesser scale, and you BUY a new home you are comfortable in and can refinance when and IF rates dip lower....which we can't predict. When our parents were buying in the 80's, interest rates were 14-15% if not more.
When you rent, you don't have that option, and I have never seen a rental rate decrease over time along with the market.
Anyhow, that is not my point. My point is tight inventory not being an excuse for subpar listings. Pay very careful attention to the investment a listing agent makes into marketing the home online. Remember, they are not just marketing to 99% of the buyers that will see your listing, but they are marketing to those potential buyers agents as well.
So! Here are the Teresa Truth Bombs:
Cell phone pics of a home? Red flag.
Not using the best photographers for your home? Red flag.
Exterior photos only? Even bigger red flag,
... and you should not accept that as service.
Your agents Facebook, Instagram and TikTok business pages should be featuring your listing regularly, with top notch photography AND wording. Wording is very important. Your home is more than a 3/2 in Larkin Twp, Midland Public Schools.
Your home has features and attributes that should be discussed to draw buyers in, and it should be personalized and well thought out custom to your home. This has not only...not changed, but it is even more important as the buyer pool has changed and become more pickier.
A large percentage of our buyers are Millennials who are used to paying top dollar for everything, and they don't necessarily want to have to update everything...so your updates are important. Your photos are important. Understanding your lot lines and borders are also important.....regardless of whether we are low on inventory or not.
Well planned listing descriptions, and the investment of professional photography build wealth and value into your listing, just as decluttering and cleanliness builds value. See below for my 2021 rant :) It has been fun to give my today's perspective on my 2021 rant!
2021:
Some may think that with Midland's low inventory that investing time and money into your listing may not be necessary to procure an offer. While you may attract showings regardless, homebuyers are always put off by bad photos. And I know, because I talk to them every single day.
Having poor quality photos in your listing gives the seller a disadvantage. One of them being that they may leave the impression that perhaps they are not being represented professionally.
Professional listing photography in a clean home with reduced clutter adds value to your listing because it shows that the seller cares to present their home with the best perspective to a buyer possible. When a seller cares, it helps build value to a buyer because they feel like the home is more likely to be well maintained and cared for. It adds value by showing buyers a warm and welcoming environment that they are more likely to want to call home.
A few important listing photography standards are as follows: removing all unnecessary items from countertops (there should not be pop bottles on the kitchen table), closing toilet seats and turning off the tv. There should not be humans or animals present in the photos, or reflections of them in bathroom mirrors. Beds should be made and laundry should not be present in listing photos. Vehicles should not be in the driveway. Listing photos should not be taken with a cell phone. My primary photographer and I provide my sellers an entire list of photography dos and dont's prior to our scheduled photography appointment.
The next thing that is important with your listing presentation is your description. Your home is more than a certain amount of bedrooms and bathrooms, a structure style and a lot size. Your home deserves a well thought out description to keep a buyer engaged in the listing and to properly describe all that your home has to offer.
Bonus value? I include these services at my expense. By investing in professional photography and doing the work of providing a proper listing description, we help build value for the seller which equates to more interest, more showings, more offers, and that means more money! Part of my system also includes listing photos and descriptions being approved by the seller prior to hitting the market.
If you are interested in listing your home and want high quality marketing and care for your listing, please contact me at 989-859-2326 via phone or text, social media or email teresa@midlandsold.com
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