The Three Ps are common knowledge in the world of Real Estate and should be on the forefront of any seller's mind, as the key to selling your home lies within this "golden rule":
Price.
Consult your Real Estate Agent for what they call a CMA (comparable market analysis). This report will take homes within a certain radius of the property address in question and tell you what homes are actively being priced at (what sellers currently want for their home) and what they are being sold at (what they are actually getting for their home). The report can also tell you average days on market (how long it generally takes for homes in that area to sell), and the LTS % (The % of the asking price that was actually paid (list to sale price). DO NOT CONSULT ZILLOW! Zillow's own "zestimate" disclosure states that they can be off by up to/over 25%. Do not use Zillow. Working with a real estate agent, you can help them with their analyses (comparing upgrades, views, other amenities, that zillow has no inkling of). You can also preview the homes active in the market with your agent to help with your comp. Price is tricky because the market changes on a daily basis. It is a good idea to revisit the pricing on your home frequently while it is on the market. Low/no activity is a good sign that you may be priced too high.
Presentation.
Your home is not new, but you sure want to make it look as new as possible! Vacating and staging your home is the absolute ideal way to put your home on the market, but it is not always possible. If you will have to put your home on the market as owner-occupied (meaning: someone is still residing in that home while it is on the market), make sure you have a checklist/routine that you go through to put the home in "staged" condition whenever you step foot out the door. You never know when an agent is going to want to bring a client by. I have heard of many instances where agents show up unannounced with their clients, so try to keep the home in as pristine a condition as possible. Do your best to de-personalize the home (take down pictures of the family). Make sure that all prescription medication, valuables, and other personal items are in a place that cannot be easily found (potential buyers do not have a problem looking opening and closing drawers and cabinets)!
Promotion.
How will your home be marketed? Think of fun and different ways to promote your home. Make your open houses inviting and fun. Invite your neighbors to preview your home before the first open house. Let all of your friends know. Real estate agents are marketing gurus and should come up with several ideas to market your home. No home is the same, so no marketing plan should be the same either.
