Spring is quickly approaching which is typically the busiest time of year for people to put their homes on the market. Although Whistler doesn’t follow characteristic real estate trends Spring is, year after year, a popular time to sell, and with the current state of record-low inventory, those that do decide to sell their home this Spring will be richly rewarded. If you have an investment property in Whistler, or are looking to sell your recreational or full-time home, here are the steps to listing your home for sale. These vary slightly depending on motivations, if a property is tenanted and other unique conditions but as a seller this is what you can expect with the process.
Step One: Determine if you’re ready
There is a lot of temptation to sell a home in today’s hot market. With sales prices the highest they’ve been since the Olympics, record low inventory and a huge demand from buyers, it really is the perfect conditions to sell your Whistler home. But just because the market is in your favour, doesn’t mean it’s the right time for you. In a recent article I go over Three Questions To Ask Yourself Before Listing Your Home For Sale. Make sure to check it out.
Step Two: Choosing the right real estate agent
It only takes flicking through the Whistler Pique to notice how many Realtors there are in town. When choosing a Realtor it’s helpful to look at performance history, and if they have experience selling homes like yours. A Realtor with a consistent history of being best in class will likely exceed your expectations. Asking friends and family for referrals and interviewing a few Realtors until you find the right fit will help in choosing the right agent.
Step Three: Creating a selling (and pricing) strategy
Once you have chosen the right real estate agent, you will work with them to create a selling strategy for your home. The strategy will take in current market factors, your unique selling goals (including pricing and timing), and who the ideal buyer(s) are for your home. Determining your property’s list price is an important part of the strategy, I talk about this in detail in a recent article. Essentially, price is determined by market comparibles, taking into consideration the unique attributes of your home, and looking at your personal sales goals, all within the context of the current market environment.
Step Four: Filling out paperwork
Once a strategy is set and a price has been decided it’s time to get the paperwork complete. You will need to complete a Working with a Realtor form, a Property Disclosure Statement (PDS) which will indicate the condition of the property (read more about The Property Disclosure Statement), and a listing agreement. Once these documents are complete your property can officially be ‘on the market’.
Step Five: Preparing marketing materials
Marketing materials will be prepared to show your home in the best light. Professional photos, virtual tours, and possible drone footage will highlight the key features of your property. A descriptive blurb will further inform prospective buyers about the features of your home and your property will be displayed on a network of listing sites for maximum exposure. Print advertisements and other marketing materials may be used, all marketing collateral will be decided by you and your agent.
Step Six: Having open homes, Realtor tour and showings
Now that your home is for sale you can choose to have open homes on the weekends which opens your property up to potential buyers to view. Generally a Realtor tour takes place once a week where Realtors visit newly listed properties in the hope of finding suitable buyers. In the following weeks expect Realtor showing where real estate agents will take interested buyers through your home. Of course the schedule and frequency of all this is in your control, and can be decided upon before your home hits the market.
With all this complete it is likely your home won’t be on the market for long. In January 2017 the average days on the market for a Whistler property was 32 days, with the average sales price 98.3% of the list price. If you are looking for a Whistler Realtor to sell your property contact me today. Achieving Diamond Level performance with Whistler Real Estate Company, I have a proven track record of selling homes and am positioned as one of the top Realtors in Whistler. I’d be happy to provide you with a free market evaluation and discuss a strategy for selling your home this year.
