Changing Leavenworth Realtors: A Guide to Selling an Expired Leavenworth House
Are you considering firing your current real estate agent?
Thinking about deciding not to re-list with them and changing Leavenworth realtors?
This time of year in Leavenworth we talk to a number of homeowners throughout the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee area who are considering putting their house on the market to sell. Some need to sell, while others are still trying to decide if the time is right.
One group we particularly enjoy helping is those home sellers who have tried in the past to sell their house with another agent but without success. Known in the real estate business as ”expired listings” these are homeowners looking for better advice and a change in direction.
This house on Ranger Road in Leavenworth’s Ski Hill neighborhood was on and off the market for 4 years.
Our suggestions:
Stage the house to sell which included removing lots of personal items and decorations that prevented buyers from actually SEEING the house.
Professional Photos
Accurate Pricing (based on recent sales of similar homes)
The result: dozens and dozens of showings instead of a few each summer, and more importantly – SOLD in about 5 months.
This next house was a challenge because it was off the grid and ran on solar power with a generator backup. Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. It had been on the market nearly two years before we met with the sellers.
Our suggestions:
Stage the house to sell. Remove wall paper, new paint and carpet, remove art and antiques that are distracting
Professional Photos
Accurate Pricing
Before and After: Wallpaper
The result: Sold in just 2 months!
The sellers said “Geordie and Allyson are right on! They really know the business and did a great job prepping us and the house for a quick sale. It worked like a gem and I totally trust them to get the job done.”
This last example is another we are very proud of. This was a 6 unit condo complex in downtown Leavenworth. The units were newly built and had been on the market about a year before we were asked to help out. We worked with the bank that was carrying the loan to sell these as short sales.
Our suggestions:
Allow nightly rentals in the covenants
Professional Photos
Realtor Lock Box and Easier Access
Accurate Pricing
The result: All six units closed within a 6 month period.
By now, you are probably seeing a theme among the advice that we give our clients. The advice we give sellers is the same, whether we are listing it for the first time or we are helping out a seller on an expired listing that has been on the market for years.
The house must look absolutely fabulous, both in person and online. It also needs to be priced competitively. Modern buyers are smart and they will compare your home to Zillow’s Zestimates and to the tax assessed value in addition to other houses in the neighborhood for sale. If your house is listed for $100,000 too much (which is unfortunately all too common) the number of showings will be small and the number of offers even smaller.
If you tried to sell your house in Leavenworth last year without success, we would love an opportunity to meet with you. The changes we suggest might be easy or they might be difficult. You might not be pleased with our assessment of the value of your home in today’s market.
We promise though to be honest and up front with our assessment and to give you the very best that we have to offer.
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