Not every home crushes the numbers, and here’s why some go back on the market or sell for less

By Laura Briedis

In this hot real estate market, it is especially important to get it right the first time.

“You don’t want to have a sale fall through and have to put your house back on market because it will lose its luster,” says Kevin Wasie, owner of Exactly real estate company. “When your house loses its freshness on the market, it will attract less interest from prospective buyers and usually will result in a lower sale price.”

Though we are still in a seller’s real estate market, Kevin says the number of homes going back on the market once they are under contract is up 13%. So, before hiring a real estate agent, make sure to look at the number of deals that an agent has that fall apart and must be put back on the market, as that is a way to gauge how good he or she is.

There are many reasons a home sale may fall through after entering into a contract, including buyer’s remorse or too many problems found during the inspection. More recently, however, with such a seller’s market, homeowners often are getting multiple offers on their homes and they just take the highest offer and not necessarily the most sound.

“A good real estate agent will help you navigate through all offers and evaluate them to see which one has the best chance of making it to the finish line,” says Kevin. “I always recommend a solution that most aligns with the seller’s goals. Some sellers want to take the highest offer that might have more risk, while others need to know that their home is going to close on time—even if it means making less money.”

As an example, last month Kevin listed a home in Brunswick for $300,000 and had 21 offers in just two days. “We sold the house for $325,000, which was over asking price, but not the highest offer,” he says. “The sellers left about $5,000 on the table because we had more confidence that the deal would close with another, more qualified, buyer, so we took that offer. There is a lot that goes into the decision, as we look at the buyer’s employment, which lender they are using, and the experience of their real estate agent to get a better gauge.”

At Exactly, the real estate agents do all of this and for less fees. They handle everything from 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 a more fair process,” comments Kevin. “Selling a home that is worth $600,000 takes the same amount of work as selling a $300,000 home, so I don’t think it is fair to charge so much more commission. Every home we sell goes through the same process from ‘for sale’ to ‘sold,’ and we help homeowners worry less and profit more.”

Free Book—Real Experience!
Get the real story when it comes to selling your home for the most profit.

To celebrate the launch of the book, REAL Experience: The Tactical Field Guide for Buying and Selling a Home by Ben Walkley and Kevin Wasie, Exactly is offering free copies of this Amazon bestseller. The book offers insider tips on how to minimize stress and maximize revenue when selling your home.

To get your free book sent to your home, fill out the form at ExactlyUSA.com/FreeBook. Kevin will drop it in the mail and send you a guide on how to maximize your profit when selling a home.

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.