Sell Your California Home For Top Dollar

HOW TO SELL YOUR HOME FOR TOP DOLLAR

1. Make your home look like a model - even if it isn't. Hire a Realtor that offers the services of a professional decorator who will assist you in preparing your home for sale - using the existing items in your home.

2. Keep the thermostat set so that buyer's are comfortable. Imagine buyer's looking at several homes on a hot summer day, even if your home is perfect, when the buyer's are uncomfortable when viewing your home, they will not like it.

3. Lots of light. When you know your home is being shown, turn every light on, even on a sunny day. Open curtains (unless the view is unpleasant). When leaving for work, at a minimum, leave on the lights in the entry and the first several rooms that a buyer will naturally be drawn too. Have your windows professionally cleaned.

4. Open houses. Talk to your agent about the frequency and advisability of having open houses to the public.

5. Constant exposure. Your home won't sell unless buyers and their agents know about it. In order to sell for top dollar, your Realtor must repeatedly and regularly draw attention to your home. Depending on your customized marketing plan, this may include: open houses, broker's open houses, internet, email and a customized print campaign.

6. Aggressive Target Marketing. Who is the likely buyer of your home and where are they now? Your Realtor's customized marketing plan should include a plan on how to find this buyer.

7. Create Urgency. When a buyer feels the asking price is fair, and has a sufficient sense of urgency, he will often pay full price and in a heated seller's market it is common for homes to sell in a multiple counter offer situation, resulting in a selling price even higher than the asking. There are a variety of ways to create urgency and in some instances the "right marketing plan" can and will result in a full price (or higher) sale.

Phyllis Harb, a California native is a Realtor/Marketing Specialist at RE/Max Tri City in La Canada, California. RE/MAX Tri-City offers additional offices in La Crescenta, Glendale, Los Feliz and Pasadena. Harb has been assisting Los Angeles County home sellers and buyers since 1989 and additionally offers over 10 years experience in real estate lending. Harb has an award winning web site @ http://www.RealtorHarb.com & may also be contacted at 818 790-7325.