5 Things to Avoid When Selling Your Home in Today’s Competitive Market

dontdoitWhile it’s widely known that being present during a home showing can do more harm than good when it comes to getting your home sold quickly and for top dollar, many sellers are often unaware that there may be other ways they’re hurting their chances of unloading their home.
Here are five things sellers should avoid if they want to attract prospective buyers, rather than scare them away.

1. Letting your pet roam free. You may have the most gentle pet in the world, but that doesn’t mean prospective buyers want your pet jumping on them or following them around when they come to view your home. Some people simply don’t like animals and just seeing a dog, cat or rabbit may drive them away before they’ve had the chance to give your home a proper once over. If you have a showing scheduled, do yourself a favor and take your pet to a friend’s house and be sure to remove any of its toys and food before visitors arrive.

2. Hanging wallpaper. You might want to jazz up a room with a cool design or color by incorporating wallpaper, but industry analysis shows that an increasing amount of people see wallpaper as a turnoff. If you already have wallpaper in your home, you may want to consider taking it down and replacing it with paint.

3. Transforming your garage. In today’s day and age, it’s important to let your garage function as an actual garage. While turning your garage into an office or yoga studio may have been great for you, many prospective buyers are looking for a garage where they can park their car(s) and maybe even set up a workspace with their tools and lawn equipment. In addition, the garage is typically seen as a great space to store extraneous items, and if your home doesn’t offer the luxury of additional storage space, it could be seen as a negative.

4. Bold paint colors. While your friends may love your deep gold accent wall in the dining room or your aqua blue bedroom, color is one of those things that everyone has an opinion about. And having something too bright or too different may turn a prospective buyer off. Paint the home in neutral colors—especially the bedroom and living room—and let the rooms speak for themselves.

5. Personal items and wall-to-wall pictures. When prospective buyers come to see your home, you want them to be able to imagine themselves living in the space, and more often than not, an overabundance of personal items will keep them from being able to do this. If your home is on the market, pack these items away and try to make the home as depersonalized as possible.

About the Author
Greg_Close Main

Greg DiGiorgio is a highly reviewed Arlington MA Realtor who is a dedicated, passionate, and market-savvy professional who puts his clients’ satisfaction before all else. His attention to detail, superior people skills, broad knowledge of the real estate industry as a whole, and his pure determination to indulge his clients with first class service sets him apart. In addition to Greg being an Accredited Buyers Representative-ABR, he understands the power of creative, well-organized and highly effective marketing and offers customized marketing plans that maximize property exposure to the most qualified buyers. He has appeared several times on Fox 25 News where he was interviewed on current market trends and conditions. A real estate transaction is really about managing people, their desires and their finances. It is an intricate and consequential negotiation.


Greg understands that it is important to secure not only the most able buyer, but also to the one that is most likely to close the deal. When so much is at stake, Greg is the one you want to represent you. His fair yet aggressive negotiating style and protectiveness of his clients’ best interests and ultimately, their assets, has gained his respect with colleagues and clients alike.


Greg also knows that every transaction represents the most important purchase or sale a person can make, and he takes every precaution to ensure that communication is impeccable with all parties involved from beginning to end. Whether it’s patiently guiding first time buyers through this exciting process or following through with clients’ needs long after the transaction is over, Greg’s warm, caring yet efficient business style will turn you into a client for life.


Driven


Greg grew up in the Greater Boston area and has a deep appreciation for the North East way of life. He attended The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing, with a concentration in Marketing Research. Greg’s professional background is rooted in the technology sales & marketing. As a result, he learned to adapt to many different people and situations quickly and competitively. The insight that he has gained from many years of involvement in bringing all components of a transaction together smoothly has granted him a unique perspective and approach to the real estate industry. His enthusiasm and tenacity has allowed him to emerge as one of Greater Boston’s finest Realtors, and one of the highest reviewed amongst Arlington MA Realtors!


My Goal


My goal is to provide the best experience possible to my clients while helping them achieve their real estate goals. My streamline systems and use of technology ensure a smooth ride along the way. Whether it’s a first-time buyer, a seller, or investor, I strive to gain lifelong clients and friends by providing them with a fun, relaxing, but yet educational experience throughout the entire process.


Objectives for my Buyer Clients


Counsel session to determine wants & needsSchedule times to view properties

Run comparable analysis report for subject property

Help negotiate terms of the offer

Provided options for home inspectors

Help negotiate & finalize terms of Purchase & Sale Agreement

Assist in finalizing finances with Mortgage Broker

Handle any other paperwork and/or tasks including meeting mortgage commitment deadlines to making sure the transaction closes on time.

I keep an open door policy with all my clients even after the sale should they have any questions, or need help with any of their real estate needs. The closing of a real estate transaction is not the end, but just the beginning of a relationship.


Objectives for my Seller Clients


Listen carefully to make sure your goals and objectives are clearly understood

Explain the home selling process thoroughly

Discuss agency relationship

Price your home accurately

Stage your home for sale

Plan & implement a proven & innovative marketing plan

Work diligently to sell your home quickly and efficiently

Follow up with open house leads & showing brokers to obtain feedback

Work hard to ensure that each step of the transaction is running smoothly

To ensure that all smoke & carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working correctly, and to obtain certificate from town/city

To obtain final payoff for city/town water bill

“Most Importantly to communicate with you consistently and efficiently throughout the entire home selling process”

Certifications and Recognitions


Winner of Leading Edge Real Estate’s Outstanding Creative Marketing Award. Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)

Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR)

Member of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing (ILHM)

Licensed Massachusetts Real Estate Broker

Member of Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB)

Member of National Association of REALTORS (NAR)

Zoning & Building Codes Certificate

Residential New Construction Certificate

Title V Certificate