It’s a hot seller’s market, but is getting the highest price for your home the only factor to consider?
By Laura Briedis
In such a hot seller’s real estate market right now, many homeowners are receiving multiple offers on their home. While that is a good thing, knowing how to negotiate the best deal is key.
That is where an experienced real estate agent can help.
“Taking the highest price offer is not always the best option,” says Kevin Wasie, founder of Exactly, a local real estate company. “There are five aspects of every home offer: the price someone is willing to pay for your house, the type of financing (conventional, FHA, cash) they have, the kind of inspections they are requesting, the timetable of when you will need to move out of your house, and, lastly, what happens if the appraisal falls short.”
Depending on your circumstances, your best offer may be the one that allows you to stay in your home an extra two months while your new home gets built. Or it may be the one that is a sure thing rather than taking a risk.
“We recently listed a home for $325,000 and the sellers received offers for $375,000 and $400,000, and they chose to go with the lesser offer because the buyer removed several contingencies, including the appraisal,” says Kevin. “So the sellers felt more confident in the one that was a sure thing instead of the possibility of getting more money.”
As part of its six-step process, Exactly does a thorough custom market pricing analysis upfront so homeowners can confidently set a listing price.
“For the most accurate valuation of your home, our pricing analysis takes into account what is happening super locally, from the local unemployment rate, current interest rates, the macro community of what has sold in your school district, comparable homes that have sold with similar characteristics, and the inventory of homes currently on the market,” says Kevin. “Plus, doing this upfront gives us the data we need in case we may have to appeal an appraisal.”
“We base our recommendations on analytics and our experience in the local real estate market,” he adds. “It’s like a surfer who has been surfing for 20 years and is able to know when a wave is coming, as opposed to a new surfer who doesn’t know what to expect.”
There is an art to negotiation, so working with an experience real estate agent is paramount.
“In today’s market, if the house is priced correctly and marketed well, homeowners are getting multiple bids,” says Kevin. “I just listed a home that had 15 offers in a matter of several hours. But this leads to its own type of stress trying to manage all the offers and picking the best one.”
At Exactly, sellers get all of their offers emailed and texted instantly and have a dashboard where they can see the offers so there is transparency. This proprietary software summarizes all the data to help homeowners make quick decisions.
Exactly real estate agents handle everything from the pricing analysis and marketing of the home to negotiating the final deal and delivering the keys to the buyer for a $4,800 package fee—instead of a percentage of the sale.
“Flat-fee pricing is more of a fair process as you should not have to pay more just because you have a more expensive home. The work a real estate agent does is the same,” comments Kevin. “And even though you are only paying $4,800, you are still getting the same superb experience from a local broker/owner who has sold hundreds of homes.”
To list your house or for more information, call 866-515-6789 or visit ExactlyUSA.com. Exactly Real Estate is located at 209 South Main Street, 6th Floor, in Akron.