What Helps Sell a House? In 2024, It’ll Be These 6 Things

Selling a house is one of the biggest decisions you can make, and in today’s complex housing market with high interest rates and hesitant buyers, it can feel like a daunting task. In this post, we tapped into advice from some of the top real estate agents in America and selected their best tips. Whether you’re hoping to attract high offers, sell fast, or simply make things go smoothly, we’ve got you covered. This is what helps sell a house.

What helps sell a house the most?

By and large, the easiest way to save time, sell your home fast, and land the returns you want is to team up with an experienced real estate agent. Not only do they have the know-how to help you tackle tough tasks, such as price setting, marketing, and negotiations, but agents often have a Rolodex of connections to help you prepare your house for its sale.

These are reasons why only 7% of home sales are sold as “for sale by owner” (FSBO), according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Of those FSBO sellers, the majority (57%) already knew the buyer of the home.

At the same time, leveraging an agent’s help can dramatically swing how much profit you pull in after you’ve sold your house. In fact, a recent NAR report found the median FSBO home brings in an average of $105,000 less than agent-assisted sales.

Connect with a Top Agent

Our data shows the top 5% of agents across the U.S. help clients sell their home for as much as 10% more than the average real estate agent. It takes just two minutes to match with the best real estate agents, who will contact you and guide you through the process. To connect with an agent, simply tell us a little bit about your property and how soon you’re looking to sell.

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As the market continues to rebalance following the pandemic era, sellers can no longer count on buyers bending over backward, making offers significantly above the listing price, waiving contingencies, or getting into bidding wars with other buyers. Instead, top agents are now emphasizing the importance of motivated sellers getting back to basics, according to HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights Surveys.

Below, we’ll review some recommended incentives and the tried-and-true strategies that help sell a house.

1. Offer home warranties and improvement allowances

In our latest survey of over 1,000 top real estate agents across the country, it’s clear that sellers need to provide additional incentives to attract the best buyers and the best offers.

As timid buyers face high mortgage interest rates and elevated home prices, 51% of agents recommend sellers sweeten the deal by offering home warranties to ease buyer concerns.

Another 40% of agents suggest providing home improvement allowances to tip the scales toward closing a sale.

2. Bring out the best in your home’s interior

If you want to place your home’s value on full display, it’s important to spruce up the house’s interior. These home interior improvements can make a major impact when you decide to sell your house:

Tackle repairs and upgrades

One of the fastest ways to set your house up for a faster sale is to dig into any deferred maintenance and knock out necessary repairs. However, it isn’t a smart idea to simply make upgrades on a whim. Each repair and update carries costs and takes time. That’s why it’s important to do your research, identify the upgrades that will grab you the highest ROI, and look for the features that are in high demand within your area.

One handy trick is to visit open houses around your area. This hands-on research can help you keep up with the preferences in the area. That way, you’ll have an idea of how to stage, paint, and design your home to fit local trends.

Another great way to identify repair needs is to snag a pre-listing inspection. These are inspections that the seller pays to have done prior to listing the home. Although having an official pre-listing inspection will cost you money, it also can point out those essential repairs that could hold up your house sale later on.

Deep clean your house’s interior

Cleaning your house’s interior helps you sell your home in several ways. First, it prevents potential buyers from getting distracted by dust or messes. Also, it can bring out qualities of your home that may otherwise be overlooked. What’s more, it reassures home buyers that there aren’t other neglected amenities lurking somewhere else within your house.

“A deep clean never fails to solicit buyer comments like ‘the house feels solid, well-maintained, or meticulously cared for’ — even if the house is really outdated,” says Jessica Riphenburg, one of the top agents in Madison, Wisconsin.

For older homes in particular, you may want to also consider hiring a professional cleaning service to sparkle every nook and cranny.

Stage and depersonalize your home

Staging your home is a critical step if you’re hoping for an easier time selling. In fact, in Homelight’s 2023 End of Year survey, 67% of agents say staging is helping to sell homes across the country, with 31% labeling it as “essential for a sale.”

“You have to have a home staged and be a 10 out of 10 for showings to look better than the competition and get that emotional connection to your home from someone,” says Janice Overbeck, one of the most successful agents in the metro Atlanta market. “I highly recommend getting a professional stager in.”

In addition, HomeLight’s 2023 End of Year survey found that a professionally staged home can sell for up to 13% more than an unstaged home. On a $400,000 home, you could sell for as much as $52,000 more.

Since you’ll want to make it easy for potential buyers to picture themselves living in your house, it’s important to neutralize spaces and prepare them carefully. Here are a few ways to depersonalize your home:

• Paint rooms in simple, neutral tones
• Tone down kitchen floors and backsplashes when possible
• Pick up clutter and store toys in totes
• Pack away knick knacks

from HomeLight Blog https://www.homelight.com/blog/what-helps-sell-a-house/