While it may seem like the responsibility of selling your home falls squarely on your Realtor, it’s actually a shared responsibility— and one that the seller must take seriously too. A number of factors that you control can actually be detrimental to getting your property sold. What it comes down to is not just knowing what those factors are, but understanding why they affect your home’s list price and ultimate sale.

First impressions are everything!

A buyer’s first impression of your home is everything, which is why keeping your home in good condition at all times is key. Before hosting an open house your Realtor will provide guidance on how to put your home’s best foot forward.  And it is best to not skimp on taking their advice. In advance of the open house and private showings you will need to make necessary improvements and repairs to the property that will otherwise affect your home’s value and list price.

Curb appeal is obviously one place to start, as it is that irreplaceable first impression. If you leave landscaping issues or damage to the exterior of the home unrepaired you are likely to lose a buyer’s interest from the get-go. Any damages or wear and tear inside that you may also ignore will only exacerbate a buyer’s disinterest. Ultimately, if you don’t take the time to invest in making the repairs and improvements your Realtor recommends you could be staring down the barrel of a long selling process—something you should not be aiming for.

Distractions! Distractions! Distractions!

Aside from ensuring your property is in presentable shape, make sure that distractions are kept to a minimum during open houses and showings. Distractions in the form of your family pets or personal messes in the living space are especially detrimental to your home’s potential sales price. You want to spotlight your home, not the personality your belongings and pets give it.

Wrangling your pets during open houses and showings are a must. While Fido may be your pride and joy, he’s likely to raise red flags to buyers who will look for Fido’s own footprints in and around the property. Perhaps you have seemingly minor landscaping problems due to your dog’s propensity to dig, but if you leave them to steal the spotlight at your open house, that just might tip buyers off to go looking for other issues that will lead them to lower their offer.

Similarly, buyers can naturally be curious about your taste in art, or whether or not you should have bought that area rug, but you don’t want them to think much else when viewing your home. Messes suggest that you don’t care to show off your property’s best attributes which could also lead to a lower list and offer price. Moral of the story: don’t distract buyers from showing off your home’s best and list price-worthy features!

Speaking of showings…

Simply put, make your home available to sell. The time immediately after your home goes on the market is when you will get the most interest, and consequently, the most traffic. Making your home available for showings, private or for open houses, is absolutely necessary to getting the “Sold” sign out front. Keep in mind that weekends are prime time for buyers to do their hunting.

Buyers have been known to see homes at odd hours for one reason or the other—perhaps at nighttime, during what is typical family dinnertime, just to get a feel for the home and neighborhood at 8pm on a Tuesday. While it may be of some inconvenience the rule of thumb is to strike while the iron is hot. If a Realtor has a buyer for your home, let them see it, despite the time of day or if it is your otherwise lazy Sunday in. The more you deny and/or delay your home for Realtors to show and buyers to view the more likely you are to see your list price decrease proportionately as buyers lose interest as new properties crop up.

Time is of the essence and it’s not always your friend

When it comes to real estate, time really is of the essence. As interest in your property wanes and time on the market increases you will face the difficult reality that your list price may require some tweaking. A seasoned agent will guide you in list price reduction. While many factors go into why properties don’t move quickly, things that sellers do such as not being flexible in allowing showings, delaying responses to your Realtor’s requests, or leaving your home in disrepair as mentioned can negatively impact your home’s sales price. As a seller, it’s on you to avoid the pitfalls in your own behavior that ultimately could cause your sales price to go south.

If you are buying or selling a house and are looking to hire a successful real estate agent to help you through the process, take a look at AgentHarvest's list of top-ranking local Realtors in your area. We found these agents by examining their sales track records, awards, rankings, client testimonials and by conducting personal interviews.