Ready to sell, but confused about pricing?  No matter what you hear elsewhere, pay close attention to any advice that a real estate professional offers.  Remember that the agent doesn’t set the listing price – you do, but more importantly, the sales price will be what an educated buyer is willing to pay for your property.  Make sure you understand all the facts before making your pricing decision.

Would you think that a home that sells in just a few days was probably under-priced?  More often, you’d be wrong – most likely, the home was perfectly priced!  If the sellers – and the buyers – did their homework, they probably found out exactly what other homes in the area listed for, sold for, and didn’t sell for.  Homes priced at “fair market value” stand a great chance for an early sale, without all the inconvenience and stress associated with a lengthy listing and multiple price reductions.

If you begin by asking for more than your home is worth, you’ll be cheating yourself out of consideration by serious, qualified buyers who know better.  You’ll get less interest, less offers, lower offers, or even worse – you could accept an offer that will be later withdrawn when the buyer discovers that the lender’s appraised value came in lower than the asking price.

The real proof that a quick sale wasn’t priced too low is to compare your selling price to homes in the neighborhood that haven’t sold yet or have “expired”.  Ask the agent to supply all information pertaining to the pricing of your home, then you’ll understand how pricing correctly from the get-go will most often result in a full price sale and the shortest time required for marketing, allowing you to open escrow and minimize the total time required to complete your move