Getting the highest price and the cleanest offer for your listing

The springtime is the best time to knock it out of the park with your real estate listing, and market conditions in Madison are ideal for sellers right now. Here are 2 recent success stories which show how smart marketing and a hot market can help you net more than you ever imagined on the sale of your home.

Client Success Story #1 

Our clients with two young children were outgrowing their starter home on the east side of Madison. They listed their home with Shelley Lazzareschi and received an amazing 14 offers for their home. One of the offers was for $13,000 above the list and stood out among all of the others as the clear winner. In addition to a great price, this offer included a few other terms which were very appealing to the sellers. 

For starters, these buyers excluded a home warranty and a radon testing contingency from their offer. They also agreed not to ask for any inspection-related repairs totaling $3,000 or less. Best of all, they excluded an appraisal contingency. All of these terms (plus a few others) gave the sellers confidence that their home would close without any issues...which is exactly how this sale played out.

Client Success Story #2

Our down-sizing clients on the west side of Madison listed their home with Dan and attracted 3 competing offers to their listing. Once again, one of the offers stood out as being head and shoulders above the rest. This winning offer was for $14,000 above the list and included a few other nice terms which made accepting it an easy decision. 

These winning buyers included a modified appraisal contingency, where they agreed to cover the gap for any appraised value up to $10,000 under the contract price. Like the buyers above, they submitted a modified inspection contingency which eliminated any request for repairs totaling $3,000 or less. Also like the buyers above, they excluded a home warranty and radon testing contingency. It was almost as if these buyers read our article on how to write a winning offer. Every term in their offer was written in a very seller-friendly manner. 

3 Keys to Success

Why were both sellers so successful with their listing? Really, it comes down to each client's decision to follow 3 simple steps. The first important step was their decision to take a very proactive approach to their sale. Both clients were planners and started working with us many months before their homes went on the market. When we first met with each seller, we identified a few low-cost painting and flooring projects which dramatically improved the marketability of each home. We also planned ahead for each listing by taking exterior photos when the yards were in full bloom. Most important, our sellers worked with the best stager in the business, Debbie Lea. Both clients embraced Debbie's ideas and flawlessly implemented her recommendations. 

Another key to success was each client's decision to participate in our "coming soon marketing". Essentially, we jump-started our advertising as our clients put the finishing touches on their homes. This approach worked wonderfully. Justin Lackner's beautiful photos attracted a ton of early interest to each listing, and the showing requests started rolling in...

The third key to success was each client's decision to allow 4 to 5 days of showings before negotiating with any buyers. This was another smart play which maximized each listing's exposure to the market. It gave buyers the time they needed to schedule their showings, ask their questions, and draft their offer to purchase.

Because our clients took these 3 steps, both listings received dozens of private showings, which were in addition to the several dozen buyers who attended each open house. The competition was fierce, so many of the buyers were highly motivated to write their highest and best offer.   

Do you need a smart plan for selling your Madison area home?

Visit our sellers blog for more tips and ideas. Then contact us for a complimentary consultation. We'll give you the direction you need to move forward with a smart home-selling plan