If you’ve been thinking about selling your house, you may be wondering if now is indeed the right time to sell. Are people still buying? How does the market look? Is it smart to sell during a pandemic, or is it better to wait?
No one can say for sure what the future holds, but as a Realtor®, I can tell you what advice I’m giving my clients and what I think is in store for the Charleston market in the upcoming months.
If It’s Ready, List It
If your house is ready to go on the market, put it on the market. This is what I recommend to people considering selling, for one main reason.
At this moment, you have a prime opportunity to get prospective buyers excited about your home. People are spending a disproportionate amount of time online right now and those who are poised to buy are looking closely at the available listings. Photos, walk-through videos, and live virtual tours via video apps like Zoom and FaceTime are all ways potential buyers can see what your home has to offer. If you list now, you maximize the time these buyers have to see your listing and get excited about it, so when in-person showings get back to normal, your home will be at the top of their list.
What about days on the market? Normally, if a property has been on the market for many weeks or months, that’s a red flag to prospective buyers. They automatically assume there’s a story behind it and wonder if there’s something wrong with the property or with the price. However, during this unusual time, buyers will understand. Don’t let that stop you from listing your home.
Or Get It Ready Now for Listing
If your home isn’t ready for the market, take the time now to get it into shape. I recommend arranging a home inspection so you know which problem areas to address before potential buyers enter the picture. That way you will be in a position to ask for top dollar for your home and you won’t have any surprises during the selling process.
In addition to home repairs, consider repainting, decluttering, staging, and having professional photos taken to show off your home to its best advantage. Find more on what to do to prepare for sale in a blog from earlier this year.
Predicting the Charleston Real Estate Market
In a previous blog about buying during Covid-19, I predicted a flood of properties coming on the market right as things open up again. That means a buyer’s market, which is not an ideal time to sell. However, I think this will be a short-lived phenomenon, and it will quickly turn into a seller’s market in late summer. Prospective buyers who need to move in order to start a job or get kids into school before the academic year starts will all be interested in the same available listings, which gives you, the seller, more leverage.
What if you’re in the same position, and need to sell sooner rather than later? That’s all the more reason to have your home in the best possible shape for sale and to build that excitement through photos, videos, and virtual walk-throughs. Remember that as big a financial investment a home is, it’s also an emotional one. When people fall in love with a home they love, they are typically willing to negotiate. You can use this to your advantage; you just have to be ready.
Work with a Professional Every Step of the Way
Whether your home is ready to list tomorrow or still needs some work done before it’s ready to sell, you can benefit by working with a real estate agent like me today. An experienced agent can connect you to the professionals you need to get your home sold, including home inspectors, plumbers, electricians, photographers and videographers, home stagers, and so on.
An agent will also help you market your property effectively in order to maximize the number of showings and increase the likelihood of a sale. At William Means Real Estate, we are doing more virtual walk-throughs than ever before, using no-touch best practices to ensure health and safety for everyone. A virtual walk-through takes marketing to the next level and we’ve found it very effective in creating excitement in prospective buyers.
If you’d like to learn more about holding a virtual tour of your home, or you’re looking to sell or buy a home in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, or the wider Charleston, SC area, give me a call at 843-806-7222 or email me here. I look forward to hearing from you.
