I met someone this weekend that hiked the entire Appalachian trail last year. I've always heard about people doing this but never met anyone that had done it. Can you imagine walking from North Georgia to Maine in one trip carrying all your gear and camping overnight in the woods with snakes and bears and bobcats in weather sometimes too cold for even the bears. I love to camp and love the outdoors but I don't think I could spend 5 ½ months hiking in the wilderness.
I was thinking about how this is similar to selling a house and believe it or not there are some similarities. Wanna hear them? Good, here they are.
Imagine walking for 5 ½ months and finally reaching your goal....the end of the trail. You've accomplished something that only about 10,000 or so people have done. You walked 2178 miles, took approximately 5 million footsteps, and traveled up to elevations of 6625 ft and down to only 124 feet above sea level. But you reached your goal. Success.......and a shower and shave.
Now imagine trying to sell your home in a buyer's market like we have today. You're on the market for 5 months and have shown your home a handful of times and then the listing expires.........no payoff, no reward, no goal reached. Homeowners are seeing this happen more often than not lately mainly due to overpricing. If you want to sell your home in this market you can't chase it, you have to stay ahead of it...simple as that.
Like the hiker, your goal is clear, to sell your home for the most money in the quickest time possible. This takes some sacrifice in today's market and it's hard to swallow when your Realtor tells you what your home will probably sell for and it's much less than what you think. And if your Realtor isn't providing you with a detailed market analysis and explaining exactly how the suggested value was comprised that Realtor is not helping you and is part of the problem. As a Realtor, we have an obligation to give you the facts and show you the data, not sugarcoat and tell you what you want to hear just to put a sign in a yard. Overpricing a home is like a car with no wheels......you can push the gas until it runs out but it's never going to go anywhere.
Sellers, keep this in mind when you're hiring a Realtor to market your home. Be honest with them and demand they be honest with you even if it hurts and if you do this you will reach the end of the trail.......hopefully in a lot less than five months!!!
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty Lanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to www.SteveSellsGwinnett.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I have over 5 years experience selling real estate and I'm a life long resident of my coverage area.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Hiking and Selling a Home are Strangely Similar!
