OUR 5 STEPS TO SELLERS SUCCESS

In this sellers guide, Carin shares what she finds most important to know about home sales for sellers.

For more personal sales advice you are welcome to contact Carin directly on +34 6868 14998 Carin@caestatesmarbella.com  Together we will create sales strategies to best meet your individual needs. Please take a look at our sellers guide below

STEP 1: Home Staging

Most buyers decide if they like your home during the first 10 seconds of entering.  You only get one chance to make that first impression. The sales opportunity is usually lost if they do not like it immediately. Buyers prefer homes that are well maintained, tidy, and clutter-free.  Of course those looking for a renovation project will see through poor maintenance, clutter and mess.  But these buyers offer the lowest prices. Much lower.

A few, often simple, home improvements before selling can significantly boost your homes sales price. At CA Estates we help sellers determine what they can do to improve their homes sale-ability. We know what buyers are looking for and can provide ideas to maximize your home’s appeal.

The following three improvements will impress buyers most. 

  • Refurbishment 
  • Reparations
  • Maintenance 

A small investment in time and money can generate a faster sale at a higher price. What needs to be done in a home varies. I will give you a helpful and personal recommendation when we meet.  Below is a brief explanation of each category.

You want to renovate “market smart” to make your home more attractive. Without over investing.  For example modernising a tired kitchen with new doors and appliances. They don’t have to be expensive.  Simple facelifts like fresh coats of paint and new floor coverings can pay off with a faster sale at a better price. 

There are two important points to keep in mind when doing small renovations to sell. Do not over renovate. Do not renovate with colors and decorations that are unique to your personal style. Keep it simple and neutral.

As a seller, you should try and put yourself in the buyer’s shoes when you prepare your home for sale. Think of what you wanted to see when visiting potential new homes. There is nothing more off-putting than coming to a home that looks neglected by its current owners. Broken door handles, cracked walls, chipped tiles and grimy showers are a NO. 

Here is a short list of small improvements and repairs that don’t have to cost much. These can make a big difference in how the buyer perceives your home. Hence increasing the chance of getting a higher sales price. At CA Estates we have a comprehensive checklist to provide you when we meet but below I’ve listed some examples for you.

Exterior: Repair and fix anything damaged such as terrace decks, gutters, banisters, shutters, lights, and walkways. 

Interior: Fix leaking taps and toilets or replace them with new ones. 

Add lights and big mirrors to areas that can appear dark such as hallways and dark corner rooms. This creates a more bright welcoming feeling.

The maintenance area could be the most important of all to pay attention. Ignoring our comprehensive list of suggestions can be a deal-breaker. You must do this before showing your home.  Even if you live in your home during the sales process you need to do this. Do the following now to make a great impression immediately. You want the most money for your property so you have to help it look its very best. 

Exterior: Cut the lawn, weed the garden, and plant flowers. Cut hedges and bushes. 

Clean the pool.

Interior: Clean and tidy the entrance, clear stairs and halls from ornaments and personal stuff like family pictures. 

Clear out anything that looks cluttered. This includes clearing space on kitchen counters, shelves, bookshelves and tables. Hide appliances and put any salt and pepper shakers as well as cooking oils in cabinets.

Vacuum, tidy and clean all floors and surfaces.

Add room fragrances and fresh flowers. 

The above are just a few examples from our comprehensive checklist. Homes that are tidy, clean, and fresh smelling make a much better impression than a home that is cluttered, messy and stuffy. 

Even if a cluttered home is clean it appears smaller, darker and messy. A cluttered home also gives the impression of needing lots of maintenance. This will deter buyers.

When your home is clutter-free it generally seems bigger, brighter and more spacious. Less clutter also gives the impression of requiring less maintenance. 

I am happy to discuss all these steps when we meet. I want to help your home look the most presentable and to make the very best impression. 

NOTE Did you know there are home staging companies that can help you stage your home for sales success. Contact me for more information on how that works.

It can be easy to forget to get your paperwork in order.  This is just as vital to ensure an efficient successful sale. You will be requested to provide all documents related to the property you want to sell. 

Ensure your paperwork is up to date and accurately and legally reflects your property.  The last thing you want is for a good sale to fail due to an anomaly, or delay, in your paperwork.

The Checklist is a simple list of all of the major selling points of your property.  Ensure your agent is aware of things which are not obvious but can help a good sale.  For example, was your home designed by a famous architect? The agent will usually spot the obvious attributes such as orientation, views, etc.

Your agent will then use this Checklist to ensure buyers are made aware of all of the key selling points of your property when touring buyers.

STEP 2: The Sales Price Strategy

Finding the right asking price for a home is the most important in all aspects of selling it. But it’s also the most difficult task.

You don’t want to price your home out of the market. If the price is too high you can lose potential buyers. Equally you don’t want to market your home too cheap and sell below market value. 

I have lots of experience in the Marbella real estate market.  I know what prices homes get listed for and sell for. I give you my sincerest advice to position and price your home correctly to get the best price.

You can of course do some research to find the right balanced price. Check what prices similar homes in similar condition have sold for recently in your area. Be fair in your comparisons. Two homes located in the same street may not be comparable. IE: Plot size, house size, choice of qualities, and design throughout play an important role.

The majority of Marbella buyers consist of secondary home buyers. They start their research online from their home country. They are not in a rush to buy. They often wait for the ultimate deal to appear. A secondary home is not a “must have” like a primary home. A secondary home is a “nice to have.” “A dream come true.” To wait a little longer to get the best deal is usually OK. The Marbella buyer views on average more than 15 properties before they decide to buy. The buying process in Marbella often takes up to six months.

There are 3 things I recommend a seller to think of when determining their sales price.

The hard truth is that the market is not interested in how much you need to sell your home for to buy your new home. The market is not interested in your financial goals. The market doesn’t care about how much you bought the house for in the first place either.

In a buyer’s market it can be difficult to achieve the price you want to meet your financial needs. If you need to sell you have less time to wait than if you want to sell.  You have to be honest with yourself. Overpricing when you need to sell is very bad for both you and the property. An overpriced home takes longer to sell and it can go ‘stale’ in the market which lowers its perceived value.

Study the websites that have homes for sale in your area. Then come and talk to me and get opinions about your findings and the sales price achievable. 

I recommend that you take a look at the real estate pricing pyramid. It can help you understand the real estate market pricing psychology.

The above pyramid shows sellers how properties sell. Help understand the pricing strategy outcomes. The price makes an impact on how many buyers, viewings and offers it will attract. It also dictates how fast the home sells.

In real estate, we often talk about the “Golden window” of a property sale. 

Experience shows that you are much more likely to get top money for your home if you sell it within the “golden window of opportunity” period. 

In a primary home market a new listed property attracts the most interest during the first 2-5 weeks.  A home that is not sold after 5 weeks from it first being listed goes stale on the market.  Buyers start to wonder if there is something wrong with the property as it hasn’t sold.  After  5-6 weeks, there will be less interest, fewer viewings, and fewer potential offers. The golden window is between 2-5 weeks.

In secondary home markets like Marbella, the golden window of opportunity is longer. After 3 months on the market general interest decreases. Both agents and private buyers have seen it several times. A home that’s been on the market for more than 9-12 months is letting the market know that there is something wrong. Buyers start to think that the home is badly overpriced and that there could be faults with the home.  With this in mind, there is less likelihood of you getting the asking price that you want if you overprice. It’s crucial that you price your home right from the beginning. Your sales goal should be to get a solid offer within that golden window of opportunity. 

Graph demonstrating the Golden window of opportunity and the property market activity in Marbella.

STEP 3: Marketing

So what about marketing your home?

Successful marketing starts with you preparing your home for sales success. How you chose to present it to the market, how you decide to price, and how you decide to advertise it will make a big impact. These points will determine the attention it gets and its perceived value. You should aim to maximize the homes´exposure during the first 3 months. I will provide you with all our best strategies to achieve your home sale within this time frame. If your home has been on the market for quite some time without success you may want to relaunch it. I also have strategies to help you with that. Please call  on (+34) 6868 14 998 or email at Carin@caestatesmarbella.com.

Popular traditional marketing channels are; billboards, home for sale signs, and magazine advertisements. We find that almost all buyers look for properties online these days. Having your home listed on websites and on social media attracts buyers. There are various ways that you can present your home online.  Some of the most appealing strategies of effective marketing include these. 

  • A video of your home home
  • A 3D presentation. 
  • Floor plans
  • Professional Photography. 

A simple but detailed written description of your home is also very appealing to buyers. 

I have many marketing strategies for reaching the right buyer online. 

When meet in person we share ideas and agree a strategy. Depending on the listing agreement you sign with CA Estates we design a successful plan for your home.

Here are a  few of the successful online marketing channels.

  • Facebook 
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Email marketing to our extensive list of buyers
  • Email marketing to our extensive list of Agent collaborators
  • Multi Listing websites

I am also in favor of traditional marketing can organize: 

  • Open houses
  • Local and international networking
  • For sale boards
  • Magazine advertising

NOTE! A recommendable marketing strategy is allowing a “for sale”  board outside your property. A person calling from a for sale board is already happy with the area and the location of your home. Hence these For Sale board enquiries are from serious and motivated buyers.

STEP 4: Viewings

Your most important marketing is the presentation of your home during a viewing. The perception of your home at a viewing is the “make or break” of a deal. 

You have to make sure that your home is presentable for each viewing. I will provide you with a comprehensive checklist. Here are just a couple of things extracted from the checklist. 

  • Open all curtains and shutters to let in as much light as possible
  • Turn on all lights throughout the whole house including dark corners
  • Ensure the property is at a comfortable temperature with AC in the summer or a lit fireplace in the winter

I recommend that you are absent from your home during viewings. This way a buyer feels more comfortable making comments and enjoying your home. You should also take any pets out during a viewing. Pet areas in the house need to be clean too. Remove any smell. Not all people love pets. 

If you don’t live in Marbella full time and are not here I recommend that you leave a key with me. That leaves your home open to view any time.  I will use your property Checklist to ensure buyers are made aware of all of the key selling points of your home.

CA Estates has a comprehensive checklist which we provide to our sellers. It’s a list that must be followed before any viewings. No matter which agent you choose to work with you should demand that they provide one. CA Estates also has the pre viewing checklist. It ensures our agents organise your home before each viewing  if you are not present to organise.

I also recommend that you have a regular gardener and a cleaner to come clean when appropriate. For me it’s important to present your home in the best shape. I want every possible buyer to like your home. Please keep in mind also that the above is part of a list that we use at CA Estates to achieve the best sales price for your property.  Remember that we discuss each homes´ needs as we meet and plan the sale.

In Marbella you can have as many agents you want to represent your home. I recommend picking one experienced agency as your sole lister. A good listing agent should give you all of the services I mention in this guide and provide you with an extensive checklist.

An exclusive listing agency will spend more marketing money on your property. They do so as they know that they will get return on the investment on the sale. No other agency can win the sale before them like a multi agency listing could do. 

If you choose to list with more than one agent I recommend that you limit the number of agencies you choose to list with.  Stick with 2-3 agencies. When you limit your sales contracts to a maximum of 3 agencies you will still get good sales focus.  Each agency has a good chance to win the sale and will want to promote it. They may not spend as much as an exclusive lister but they will invest in selling your property.

STEP 5: Offers and Deal Closing

Negotiating the price of a home can be the most complicated part of a home sale. Other times it can be very simple. It all depends on the buyer and the seller.

There are a few things I want to remind you about in the negotiation process.

  1. As a seller you are trying to maximize the sales price of your home. Be careful about giving too much information on your personal needs to the buyer. Remember that the buyer wants the best possible deal. If the buyer finds out that you are desperate to sell they will make a low offer.

    As we are in a luxury second home market many buyers will start with a low offer.  We are very experienced negotiators with the aim of agreeing a deal which is good for both parties.  

  2. Focus on the big picture and what it is that you are actually trying to achieve. Don’t let small things get in the way of a big deal. IE. Could it be worth you fixing a broken door to get that good sales price?

  3. Be willing to meet half way if there are certain buyer demands that you might not agree with. Ask yourself: Is it worth it? Can I afford to let the buyer have his way? 

  4. Be flexible on the completion dates to meet the buyers needs. When you get an offer that you are happy with, be as cooperative as possible. You want to work towards meeting the buyer’s needs for the completion date. You being flexible and helpful reduces the risk of the buyer getting buyers remorse. (Buyers remorse = regretting their buy.)

  5. Demand a reservation agreement immediately with an accepted offer. You shouldn’t agree to take your property off market until you know that there is a reservation deposit in place.

Conclusion

The home sales process in Marbella is quite simple. It starts with you deciding to sell your home. It is important that you prepare your home before it’s  listed.  This will help it sell at the very highest value. A small investment can make a big difference. You need to analyze the market to determine the sales price.   I advise you to use the pricing strategy tools provided in this guide. It is good to remember the “Golden Window of Opportunity” when setting your selling price. Speak with me on how to achieve the best sales price for your home.

By allowing for sale boards on your property you will attract enquiries from the right buyers within your area. You need to make sure that you have professional photography, a video and a 3D presentation too. They help to sell your property before the buyer has seen it.

Choose an agency that you find is knowledgeable about the market.  A good agency is there to help you organize your home for each viewing and gives you feedback. At CA Estates we follow this process to make sure we provide the best service. 

This 5 step method helps get the highest market price possible for our selling clients. This guide is only a little taste of what we can do for you as our client. I hope that what I provided you in this guide was helpful and useful to you. I hope you are ready to call me on (+34)6868 14 998 or email us at Carin@estatesmarbella.com

Contact us for a free consultation.

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