The spring real estate market is officially underway. But in the D.C. area, it can be tough to make your home stand out. News4’s Erika Gonzalez reveals the four secrets to help bring in the buyers.
Spring hasn't started yet, but the spring housing market has.
In the D.C. area, the market can be tough to navigate. News4 spoke to realtor Ashleigh Wehmeyer of Compass Realty, who said if you want to sell your home fast, you need to make a good first impression.
"Approach it like you were online dating. Just like Tinder, you want buyers to see your home and swipe right. That's why staging is a must," she said.
The right furniture, paint and greenery will help your home sell faster and for more money.
If you want to see your home fast, you need to sell the dream, Wehmeyer said.
"Buyers want to see what their life will be like when they move in. As soon as your home hits the market, it’s no longer yours," she said.
She urged sellers to roll out the welcome mat for house hunters. If you deny a showing, you could be sending buyers off to purchase someone else's home instead.
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One mistake people make is pricing their home too high. Buyers have three major fears: that they’re paying too much, that they’re getting a bad deal and that they’re missing out on a better house.
To avoid those, Wehmeyer recommending working with a licensed realtor who can consider the neighborhood comps, your updates and market conditions.
She encouraged sellers to fix easy things around the house before they put their house on the market so buyers can feel confident they're make a good purchase.
Lastly, in a hot real estate market like ours, the number of days a home sits on the market counts. If a home doesn't sell right away, buyers begin to worry that something is wrong.
"Overpricing your home can keep up to 60% of eligible buyers from seeing it in their online searches," Wehmeyer said.
The bottom line is simple. People in this area have a lot of options. But you only have one home to sell, so spruce it up and price it right, and you'll be under contract in no time.
