I think it's time to make it more appealing for potential buyers. Real estate can be quite the rollercoaster! the stress and uncertainty are getting to me. I think I'll cut rents to attract potential buyers and exit the market, but i'm at crossroads if to allocate the entire $680k liquidity value to my stock portfolio?
"Overall, buyers hold a lot of the cards right now, and sellers are having to give out more concessions to close a deal." All the best, buying on sale is actually one of the best ways to invest in stocks, and advisors are ideally suited for such task
Until the Fed clamps down even further I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. If you are in cross roads or need sincere advise on the best moves to take now with financial markets will be best you seek a fin-professional with fiduciary responsibilities who knows about mortgage-backed securities for proper guidance.
There are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with ‘’ Sophia Maurine Lanting” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look-her up.
My realtor showed our home to an out-of-town buyer. No pictures, nail holes patched, fresh WHITE paint, carpets cleaned . The potential buyer said, great, we won’t have to do anything to move-in. Offer was asking price. Sold! Great advice.
That's the way to do it! It's beyond me how people are so lazy when it's time to sell their house. I too prepared my last house for sale. I got 3 offers above asking price the day it went on the market (2023). Never give a buyer an excuse to not buy your house!
Audra praying that you are overwhelmed with subscribers. Your wise advice and professional teaching has been an incredible blessing to all of us. My family thanks you.
You are head and shoulders above ALL other real estate channels. I'm retired from several aspects of the real estate industry, so I think I know what I'm talking about. Consider me blown away. Your talent, knowledge and presentation are worth far more than whatever you are charging for it.
As a home stager, I tell every client that there should not be ANY sign of a pet in the home . . . Remove all food bowls, toys, leashes, beds, etc. While we all LOVE our pets - buyers don't appreciate any pets - especially when it's not THEIR pet. For odors - Amazon sells a fabulous product calls Fresh Wave. It doesn't mask the smell . . .it actually kills and breaks down the molecules that cause the odors. I've used it through homes to get dog smells out (and probably works for stinky teens!) WORKS incredibly well! :-) Thanks Audra as always for hitting every critical point! Appreciate you!
@@fondacarm1384 Yep. I wouldn't say 'won't purchase' the property but the best practice is to put away anything that might be objectionable to buyers. I've been a home stager for 20 years and see it all the time. (Pet smells - huge turn off; and any sign of a pet. stow trash cans outside or in the garage; toilet scrub brushes out of sight. If there is a potential ick factor - put it away) (Even in a town with two HUGE rival universities here - I've been in a home where someone from x University walked out because the Seller had all Y University memorabilia displayed) You want to sell your listing? Do what Audra has shared. In this market you need to be doing everything she has shared. Good luck if you don't. SMDH.
@@feesor Removal of anything related to a pet is JUST for showings and for MLS photos. Good luck selling your house as Audra shared if you leave the crates in for showings and in MLS photos. . Guess you or your clients REALLY don't need to sell anyway. The market is turning towards buyers now and the pendulum is swinging. Good luck with all that.
Audra like I said before, I’m going to put my house up for sale within the next year most likely in the spring. I don’t listen to anyone but you, you’re the best, funny and to the point. Keep up the good work . Thank you.
LOVE when sellers are there! You can get ALL the info strait from them instead of my agent saying. "I don't know. I'll have to ask." Then they ask the seller's agent...then they take 4 yrs. to answer your question WITH an answer that does not answer your question! Hate that. Love a seller in the home.
Yes. That is what I said. The owners have the info. Also when any inspections are done the inspector needs to work with the owner or he will flag things that are not bad. The inspector will say the chimney needs cleaning, hire a chimney sweep. But as the owner, I've never used it enough to warrant that.
Audra, Thank you for sharing your expertise. We just recently sold our mothers home. I credit the Audra Lambert, Realtor channel with our amazing success. We educated ourselves by following advice presented on this channel and received a cash offer on the first day the house went public. The offer was above the listed asking price. Thank you so much for educating us on finding a top listing agent and guiding us through the process of preparing, and staging, the house for the market. You are a real gem. Thank you. Thank you.
Yes Absolutely Agree Share and subscribe she deserves 100k Subs! She advocates for educating everyone and I'm so grateful for her gifts and talented work.
Just sold our house in San Diego. We made NONE of these mistakes as we paid attention to your previous videos from a few months ago. We had several interested bidders and got over asking. Yes, we used Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee LOL!
We got 2 offers on our home the 2nd week. We rejected the first (ridiculous) offer and the 2nd offer came in on day 8 and we accepted. It was contingent on the sale of their home but it was already under contract with closing date scheduled. So we were under contract 9 days after listing for above our asking price. And yes, you did help us!
Hello from New Zealand. Sold our house last week, 4 weeks after listing to an American couple. We were so pleased to get top dollar, and watching you over the last couple of months, thorough cleaning and following your advice was so worthwhile. Thank you Audra. You’re amazing and deserve a million subscribers.
Hey Audra!! Thank you so much for all the good info. I'm a seller and buyer Florida. My Realtor said that I'm her best-seller ever and that my house will look like an HGTV home. 😊 She doesn't know my secret: which is you! 🙂 You have taught me a toon! Keep up the good work, you are helping a lot of people. My house will be going to the market really soon. Blessings to you, Luci.🏡
I don't know if you realize that most agents are not like you. YOU would be the best representation for any home! Your look, energy, presence would tell me, "I want the home SHE's selling!"
A friend of mine was present for her own open house. She wasn’t “annoying” since she simply looked like another person at the open house. She didn’t wear a sign to let potential buyers know she was the seller. That being said, I’m not planning on being here when we sell our home, I’ll be glad to miss all that.
That was my thoughts too. I would think if you just sit in the kitchen, it really wouldn't matter if you're there. Of course as long as you don't say anything if they say they hate your kitchen...lol
Yes to cameras!!! I caught a realtor going through my prescriptions( she didn’t have a buyer with her). Luckily she didn’t take anything because I did have my major prescriptions on my person., yet I felt so violated. Needless to say she is no longer a realtor. So glad I had a camera not only for watching buyers but agents as well. Geez!
This is exactly why I do not trust realtors!! Either this or they just don't care. As a buyer I've seen them all. Meeting at the house with no lights on etc. and the agent doesn't care. I have to ask to open it up and turn on lights. I've had agents tell me their seller is too high priced etc. I don't trust them with my house.
Just sold my house 15 days ago. I am so happy with the agent I hired very professional he actually coach me in everything. Everything done correctly & prOfessionally and smoothly. Happy seller and buyer here, we aall became friends! Audra you are still the best.
Hi, I watch your show from Norway, and love it! One thing we do here, that you have not mentioned, is that when an offer comes in, all interested buyers are informed via SMS so that the bidding process can start. It is really exciting!
I just recently sold my house. Actually, a few times, the buyer showed up earlier before I left the house. and almost every time, they asked me to stay. My house listed beginning of May, and closed end of May. My listing agent never showed up in any showing, not once. And there was no open house either. I think the most important thing is the house/price itself.
In my area, the listing agent is not supposed to be present during showings. Unless it's a really high-end home with expensive art or something. Then sometimes the listing agent will insist on being present for all showings.
Excellent. I would have done the same. Nobody knows the house like the seller. I have all the questions! Hate it when I'm at a house with an agent that has no clue about the house and the seller's agent is not there. That's when you need the seller and her "touch" on the home rather than a cold sterile darkened home.
Yes, on the smell. I walked in as a potential buyer to a house and the minute we walked in the front door I noticed a smell. I immediately knew that was not the house for us and we moved onward.
I wish my sellers were there and told me what was important to know about the old house I bought. To this day I am still trying to figure out things, and it’s frustrating.
Thumbs up on that comment. You understand how it works. I'm currently buying a house from a seller and he is fixing things up and I'm asking questions and learning and figuring things out.
When I am looking at European houses and apartments painted in other colors than white, I love it, even if the colors may not be to my liking. You can always repaint the walls and make it your own. America lives by standards, boring I would say. White walls were one of my big culture shocks! Now after having lived here for a long time, white walls are a miner annoyance. The biggest problem, and not only mine is the whole real estate industry, investors and banks buying and raising home prices making them unaffordable for many people. Flipping is another annoyance, why do that???
True, most countries are much more vibrant! We in the US can be very plain Jane at times! I agree color is amazing in many cases, but the light colors appeal to the masses. Some people cannot see past colors in a home.
Thank you for the great tips. As a seller, i will be getting rid of the light grey, hate it anyway. our agent wanted to put our house, on 6 acres, for $510k, but we told her $425k or lower because we know from shopping house in another state, the homes that are moving are mid $300s or lower. and I mean moving in a few days. We need enough to pay off our current mortgage and maybe take $80k with us and we are NOT shopping for higher priced homes, we are downsizing or looking for fixer uppers because everything in the US is too expensive right now.
I have relaxing and muted color's on my walls around the house and not planning on painting it white. However the woodwork will be painted a clean crisp white. And the floor really cleaned. Wish me luck!
My worst nightmare is soft muted colors in a house!!! Everyone will have to paint. Just do it and it will open up the house, make it appear bigger, brighter and cleaner!!
@@jsmum196 I do agree it will make it bigger and brighter but right now I'm prepping for a garage sale and packing up my personal stuff. The wall colors are clean and my house has been well maintained for years. I have not put on the market yet but doing my due diligence to get it ready. Audrey has given me some great ideas!
I remember walking into my (soon to be condo), ALL WHITE with a ton of sunlight blazing into the rooms. It looked bright, but not good. Reminded me of an institution or modern art museum with no art all the walls, lol. Absolutely NO character, boring. It WAS a blank canvas, only thing it had going for it.
Sold my home on first day listed with multiple offers, over asking and both cats in the home, the people loved them. How do I know, because we were all in the house vacuuming and getting ready to leave for the day and it just sold like that! I have regal Persians and they are like little pieces of decor. One even asked if the cats came with the home!
The pet thing is so accurate. We toured a home last week, and there was a cat who was very upset about us being there. He swatted at my leg and almost scratched me, and we were all stuck at the top of the stairs while he was on the staircase hissing at us. My husband had to try to find a way to chase him down so we could leave. It was unnerving having him run around our feet with his back arched and just freaking us out the whole time.
You are so point on everything you had said. I would never decorate my home for any season if I had listed my home during that time. You see a Christmas tree in pictures when now the time is early spring Easter. If you want to put a seasonal wreath on your door, do it after the pictures are take. Then remove it right after the holiday.
100%!! Remove all seasonal decor before the photos. What if you end up having a deal fall out and you have to re-list it, or you decide to pull it off the market until after the holidays? And now your Halloween decor looks really out of place at Easter?
@@AudraLambert question: my realtor wants to take pictures of the outside now to show what it looks like in summer (we live in Minnesota). I'm thinking if you show pictures from a different season, doesn't that make it look like your house has been on the market a long time? Potential listing in February?
If the house smells, I'm out. That includes plug ins etc. That's why a new house doesn't smell or a house with people who never drink or smoke. Those homes don't smell either.
Nothing is more uncomfortable than having the seller there. Earlier this year I flew into a city across the US just to buy a house. It was perfect in every way for my family. Even after seeing it in person, we loved it. We walked away because of the seller. My realtor and I both came to the house and the seller was there giving us a tour. He was an older man, with the start of dementia and was telling us crazy stories of what he was and wasn't doing with the property. It was one of the most bizarre experiences and my realtor told me to walk because she thought it was a huge legal issue. House should have been a bidding war - eventually sold for $40,000 under listing.
Side question how are realtors get paid with the new ruling going in showing homes if they're buyer doesn't buy anything? Love your advice on seller selling their homes we have a modest home in Oregon.
As a seller I agree about not being there even though it helped us once to know the buyer wasn’t qualified for no contingencies on sale of the other house
Appreciate your comment. Your agent should be helping with the qualification verification and other details. Sounds like you are a take charge kind of person. Good for you!
I've seen an old couple of sellers sitting in their garage during the open inspection of their super lovely home (A lot of time and energy and love have been put into this sweet home). I felt so bad for it and I think this was the same feeling for them.
@@aloha8410 Sellers or rather, owners should be with the inspector during the inspections to inform them of the whys and hows. Otherwise the inspectors will have a list and the list will be inaccurate to wrong.
Thank you! Points well taken and understood. This is extremely valuable information and will use them during the upcoming sale of my home. Most annoying thing Real Estate Agents Do: NOT tell these things to the Seller and expect us to not do these things. Been there….would have been great to have an Agent who did more than just collect the commission after my first meeting with her. Thanks for the great content!
Not planning on being in the house for showings but what about a ladt minute call and you're in the middle of fixing dinner etc? You can't always stop what you're doing and be ready in 30 minutes or less to split.
I sold my home recently, with gray painted walls. Super clean and depersonalized. Let the cats stay. House sold with multiple offers over ask in less than 24 hours.
I recently sold my condo for $400k and i want to invest the money in the stock market. However, it appears the market is at an all-time high. Should I invest elsewhere or wait for a market correction?
The stock market is risky But staying on the sidelines is riskier. Missing the next bull run will be far more costly to your long-term wealth than getting in at the "right price". Consult a financial advisor if you're unsure how to proceed.
Having an investment advisor is the best way to go about the stock market right now. I was going solo, but it wasn't working. I’ve been in touch with an advisor for a while now, and just last year, I made over 80% capital growth minus dividends.
Mind if I look up your advisor please? I've worked in real estate for over 25 years and have neglected a major stock portfolio. This served me well when I was flipping and renting houses, however I need a different plan now
I've been stuck with the popularly ‘’Melissa Terri Swayne” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look her up.
Thank you for putting this out, it has rekindled the fire to my goal... was able to spot Melissa Terri Swayne after inputting her full name on the web, she seems highly professional with over a decades of experience
Audra, great comments. I dearly would like to sell our house. I hope next spring to have everything spruced up , started painting all rooms “Pure White”. Builder had everything painted Builders Beige, even the ceilings (9 foot high) ugh! Our daughter in law is our real estate agent, certified stager, very qualified can sell commercial, land large or small, all levels of housing low end to over $1,000,000 homes. She is amazing. Thank you again for your helpful comments, you are spot on.
I definitely like the camera idea but thinking cameras may make a buyer feel more uncomfortable. What's your experience with buyers that see cameras everywhere? What reactions to them have you seen?
There was an Alexa Echo Dot running while we looked at an empty house. The owners kept the internet running just to spy on buyers! We tried not to say anything while near the Echo Dot, but it's hard to not say anything while touring.
@@jsmum196 Sounds like the agent doesn't want sellers to hear any feedback for whatever reason. Unless there's no signs posted regarding cameras. Maybe they're letting them know for "recording law" reasons
@@schex9 Depending on where it was located and how big the home is, I don't think it's capable of listening to conversations that far from it. Me personally...I wouldn't be shy to voice my opinions good or bad. Seller obviously wants feedback. I probably wouldn't be shy expressing my opinion if cameras were present either. But that's just me. Wondering though how the majority of buyers react to cameras.
Great job Audra! Tell it like it is!! On the contingent note we did that last year, except our market was still hot and the house we were buying wasn't. Our house, which we prepped for sale, sold in the same day it went on the market. But I agree it's not an easy situation.
You have a great personality and I so enjoy listening to you. I’m wanting to sell but can’t seem to get stuff gone fast enough. I may miss my opportunity this year. Retired and widower…
Same issue here...health concerns make it very hard for me to get the house ready. Realtor and I agreed I need more time and we will revisit in February.
Understandable, you can only do so much! Take your time and maybe aim for Spring next year! Best of luck getting your home ready. Thanks for watching and reaching out, much appreciated!
When a seller is there it feels like stalking to some people. You want them to visualize themselves living there not hear your stories about the property.
Great video Audra! We just sold a home and bought another one and both our agents were superb. We (as you recommend here) trusted their expertise and didn’t get in the way of them doing their jobs, and therefore had very good results.
"Curb appeal" and first impression is a very strong factor in getting buyers interested. The buyer doesn't live at your house and will notice the dirt and blemishes that you have mentally filtered out, and, frankly they are looking for things wrong. Don't give them any. The buyer (or at least their agent) also knows what your house should sell for, if your ask too much, the buyer's agent will cross your house off the list as "overpriced" before even leaving the RE office on house tour. And, RE agents go on weekly group home tours of new listings; they have already seen your house. You don't want your house to show so ratty that it falls into the dreaded "fixer" class and is not top-drawer for showings.
Hi Audra, Love your haircut. I always enjoy your videos and have learned so much. I won’t be selling for a couple of years but I’m keeping all your videos that will help me when the time is right. My situation is a bit different than people selling in the city as I live in a rural mountain area. We only have a couple of realtor agents so may need bring in someone from the nearest city if a local realtor doesn’t meet the standards you are setting. Plus I don’t think they do staging here because we don’t have the resources to have that done. I’ll check to see if that’s true, but if we don’t, what would you suggest as my furniture is older and I won’t be taking it with me when I move. We don’t even have a have an organization who will pick it up to sell for the less fortunate and I can’t just give it all away since I need to live here until I’m able to sell and move.
Ahh..thanks for the haircut compliment. Means a lot. I lost 70% of my hair..its finally coming back. Sounds like you live in a different area than where I live:). If you don't have staging services and your furniture is older, I would keep the older furniture and just make sure you declutter....A lot. You don't want a vacant house. It creates awareness that no one is living there. Better to be safe. You could potentially virtually stage as well.
😊 Thank you Audra! I really needed to hear all 10 of these! Especially the issues about pets. I finally made the connection. Having pets on property is too personal. I depersonalized like crazy... And left my pets roaming around during showings. *hand to forehead* I will do better!
That was good tough love Audra. As I write this, I'm waiting for my paint to dry - White Dove, and it looks so darn good. Great video & selling advice today - thanks for taking the time to share this valuable info with all of us.
Only at #2 in the list but unfortunately some listing agents do the dumbest things such as not even putting the best features of a house in the description. If all the appliances convey and are new, it has a new roof and chimney, great landscaping, etc. that should be listed in the description. Some people do read the descriptions after they view the photos. Then there's the issue of wanting to always get a quick sale (even if the seller) would lose a lot of money. It's so easy for a realtor to say "it's a buyers market and you need to list the property close to the comps", because they are biased and want a quick sale. Certainly it is true that if you price it too high for the locality and condition of the house you will get no traffic. But listing agents should never try to bully you into under-pricing your house. The other issue is that everybody (realtors, owners, investors) talk about comps in a casual way but when it comes to choosing which properties are truly comparable to the subject property they omit important details like how close the comp is to the subject property, the condition of the comps and your property and the age of the comps. Really an objective analysis must be done by an appraiser. And even appraisers fail to identify the true costs of some objective criteria due to inflation, for example a high end kitchen remodel.
I think you have made it clear about what color your walls should be. How about the exterior of the house? I plan on selling my house in the next 2-3 years and will have to paint the exterior before putting it on the market.
Sellers don't make mistakes. They control what happens. Sellers need to be present during the showings because they need to give info and answer questions. Same with when an inspector goes through. Annoying does not matter. Buyers can suck eggs. If buyers are not asking questions during the showings, they will be asking questions post purchase and not being able to get answers. Realtors don't know what they are doing. They may be professionals, but that does not mean they know how to sell any particular house. The buyer bought it and owns it so the owner knows what is important. Houses don't need to be depersonalized. If they are, they will sell faster. If the owners still live there, they don't need to sell it fast. Sellers that live there do not want to or need to sell. Selling fast is only needed to be done when the owners moved away and it is vacant.
We did all of this several years ago before the pandemic...perfectly...except the paint colors....and I'm 100% convinced it kept the house from selling. We repainted, changed the living room orientation on the advice of a designer, then the pandemic hit and we gave up. I'll tell you what though...nothing makes you want to STAY in your house more than getting it properly staged. You know you've staged correctly when you start getting that conflicted feeling "wow, this is not too bad, maybe we should stay..."
I had a great agent and we did all you said. I got over asking price. First thing I did when I moved in was paint it all a bright white. It looked awesome. It sold to the first looker before it went on the market the next day. My realtor held off accepting it so I could have more lookers and maybe get a better offer but after a week we took the first offer. $20,000 over asking. 🤪
Fabulous advice in this video. One question though. Would that also be white for the inside of the house? Any recommendations for that please? Thank you
Great Question! The exterior doesn't have to be white. Of course you don't want to stand out in the neighborhood. It really depends on the style of your home...and where you live. White in the interior...no matter where you live:)
Nothing is timeless. I really wish trends in home design would slow down. These HGTV-type shows feel that they have to constantly change home style so that they can have something "newer" than the trends that were on point 5 years ago. I had an agent try to tell me that Shaker-style cabinets are out of style. They've been used for 250 years! We are chasing our tails with all of these new trends!
@@schex9 besides shaker cabinets I think white marble baths, Edwardian fixtures, hardwood floors and white traditional kitchens have stood the test of time.
What would you suggest on exterior paint colors? I need to paint the exterior of my home that I will be selling next year. Its an older home built in the 50's with hardy board siding. It looks and feels like a farm house beach cottage but I am 15 miles from the beach. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!
I was uneasy leaving my realtor alone in the house because she had to let everyone and anyone in and show them everything! I was worried about her safety during the only open house we had. I was fine when she did appointment showings without me. But I did leave the house during that open house because she said she was not worried about it.
All of the doors, architraves, windows, baseboards, and crown molding in our home are painted Swiss Coffee, however, the walls throughout our home are painted in a very soft linen color, which I consider a neutral color. The hardwood floors have been refinished in a light neutral, and they look beautiful. Why would I possibly consider painting the walls white?
I am grateful that I stumbled upon your channel. Your information is beneficial to us as we plan to sell our home. We did a home inspection and are currently making repairs. Our walls need to be repainted, and we were going to repaint the same beige color, but you have convinced us to go with Dove White or Swiss Coffee. Thank you for your videos!
Back in the days my husband was being transferred by his employer, my “go to” wall color was “relocation beige.” Also, I would walk out if anyone other than my Real Estate Agent was in a house I was looking at to purchase. I warned several agents this would happen and it did. As usual you are 💯% on point!
Redfin and Zillow estimates are high. I would list closer the lower end of their estimates. Comps in your surrounding area are the best measure. However, agents in your area may be telling you the same thing I am telling my sellers...the market is slow. You may want to list your house slightly lower than the last comp. Just keeping it real.
If they hide under the bed when strangers come in that helps. Selling is a pain! You would have to put them in carriers for the few minutes buyers are there.
Audra, you're a Natural at what you do! Just Love your Plain Speaking, Tell-it-like -it-is persona! You present the Educational truth in such an entertaining way 😄 Smarts, Humor, and Beauty, tell your husband he hit the Trifecta! 😊 🎉
I always want my agent to go to the house first to tell me what it smells like. (I wish they would!) If I decide to see the house, I ask that automatic scent machines be removed due to "allergies".
Your professional opinion, Audra: if a seller does not get any offers more than what they paid for the house more than 15 years ago (along with doing upgrades - not fancy, but better than what it was - plus all the maintenance needed over that 15 year period: roof, etc.) - does that indicate to you that the realtor still priced it too high?
Yikes!! You should have some appreciation over the last 15 yrs. It really depends on where you live. Market times are different for every area. Your realtor should be a good guide. In my area, 60 days is a long time:). It may not be in your area.
@AudraLambert Great advice. We had a large 4 br, about 2200 sq ft, had to move out of state due to military orders, lived in the house for 7 years, sold the house at year 14. Had the house on the market on and off for about 3 years in the additional 7 years, with 2 sets of tenants in between. We sold our house after repairing the serious tenants damage and remodeling. At year 14 in 2020, it sold for less than we purchased it for in 2006. I think my Realtor and wife had enough and decided to sell it at lower than market value.
@@AudraLambert I thought so too. My realtor had it originally listed at $50k higher than what I paid for it - even though he recommended it should be higher because he said people are going to think something is wrong with it. I wanted to be conservative because I wasn't selling it to make a huge profit and was hoping for a quick sale. After 60 days, I pulled the listing. Later a few realtors called me to see if I wanted to list it again so I invited them to come over and do a market analysis and give me suggestions should the day come that I want to try again. Both of them said that my listing price was fine. So, I guess it just was 'not the right time' - but, even so, I would have thought all but the worst of the worst homes should appreciate at least some amount in 15 years (it was just last year and the market still seemed to be doing well - neighbor up the street sold theirs quickly - and no other homes for sale in my community at the time)! Thanks for your thoughts!
Can you please do a video on how many days for a buyer to produce financing after making a empty offer no pre-approval letter and stupid owner accepts it not just California laws
binge watched your videos! so happy to finally find someone who is Straight forward, honest, clear, data driven, not emotional, and loves checklists!!! my engineering brain loved it! It made SOOOO much sense to me when you mention you used to be a "computer nerd" in one of your videos HAHAHA. Keep sharing your wisdom and knowledge!
I recently went to an open house and there were a couple of people (likely teenaged kids) studying. The agent didn’t introduce them, but.i was so uncomfortable and I felt I was disrupting their family life. I left quickly.
Audra -- if you see this -- how, as the listing agent, do you sell the home to buyers? Do you walk through the house selling it while the buyer's agent is quiet? I would MUCH prefer my listing agent to present the house to buyers rather than a buyer's agent who knows none of the non-obvious advantages of the home. The buyer and the buyer's agent would be free to talk about the house after the presentation, but my listing agent says she'll open the house -- no lockbox -- but will sit in her car and wait for the buyer & agent to finish and never approach them. It simply sounds weird to me!
Is it common for seller's agent to be present at showings? All the youtube realtors i see talk about the sellers agent showing the house. I have never had a sellers agent present !!!
Yes, I hear that complaint a lot. I am either present or a member of my team is present for all my showing appointments. A lot of agents do not offer this service. Its a shame.
Please encourage staging as most people have old tried furnishings and your home will sell much faster if it is staged and it will sell for more money. Online first looks are where staging g gets them in your door! Be the first showing in your neighborhood not the last!
i love the advice and love the commenters who either are not in the US (most people on YT are not americans so you have to be very aware of that in terms of education, bias, etc) or have never sold a house. The pets thing is key, it's like a smoker house. When you have a 'doggy' or a 'kitty' house, the showing agents will tell prospects "Ok this is a stinky house but you can get it for a deal. . . "
Finally someone who really says everything straightforward with no baloney. Thank you.
You are so very welcome..hope other's agree with you..lol:0
I think it's time to make it more appealing for potential buyers. Real estate can be quite the rollercoaster! the stress and uncertainty are getting to me. I think I'll cut rents to attract potential buyers and exit the market, but i'm at crossroads if to allocate the entire $680k liquidity value to my stock portfolio?
"Overall, buyers hold a lot of the cards right now, and sellers are having to give out more concessions to close a deal." All the best, buying on sale is actually one of the best ways to invest in stocks, and advisors are ideally suited for such task
Until the Fed clamps down even further I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. If you are in cross roads or need sincere advise on the best moves to take now with financial markets will be best you seek a fin-professional with fiduciary responsibilities who knows about mortgage-backed securities for proper guidance.
this sounds considerable! think you know any advisors i can get on the phone with? i'm in dire need of proper portfolio allocation
There are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with ‘’ Sophia Maurine Lanting” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look-her up.
She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I ran a Google search on her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.
I seem to remember in one of your videos, that you mentioned some people complained about your laughing, but I love it! I smile every time you giggle.
Love her Joy
@@patriciacooke886 me, too!
@@karenwood8124 same here, doesn't her spunky personality & humor (laughs included) just put you in a good mood? 🙂
It's OK, some people are just no fun. I love Audra's tips ... and giggles!
My realtor showed our home to an out-of-town buyer. No pictures, nail holes patched, fresh WHITE paint, carpets cleaned . The potential buyer said, great, we won’t have to do anything to move-in. Offer was asking price. Sold! Great advice.
That's the way to do it! It's beyond me how people are so lazy when it's time to sell their house. I too prepared my last house for sale. I got 3 offers above asking price the day it went on the market (2023). Never give a buyer an excuse to not buy your house!
Audra praying that you are overwhelmed with subscribers. Your wise advice and professional teaching has been an incredible blessing to all of us. My family thanks you.
Ahhh...thanks so much. Really glad I can help.
You are head and shoulders above ALL other real estate channels. I'm retired from several aspects of the real estate industry, so I think I know what I'm talking about. Consider me blown away.
Your talent, knowledge and presentation are worth far more than whatever you are charging for it.
As a home stager, I tell every client that there should not be ANY sign of a pet in the home . . . Remove all food bowls, toys, leashes, beds, etc. While we all LOVE our pets - buyers don't appreciate any pets - especially when it's not THEIR pet. For odors - Amazon sells a fabulous product calls Fresh Wave. It doesn't mask the smell . . .it actually kills and breaks down the molecules that cause the odors. I've used it through homes to get dog smells out (and probably works for stinky teens!) WORKS incredibly well! :-) Thanks Audra as always for hitting every critical point! Appreciate you!
A potential buyer is going to avoid purchasing a home because a dogs food and water bowls are left out??? C’mon already!! SMDH
@@fondacarm1384 Yep. I wouldn't say 'won't purchase' the property but the best practice is to put away anything that might be objectionable to buyers. I've been a home stager for 20 years and see it all the time. (Pet smells - huge turn off; and any sign of a pet. stow trash cans outside or in the garage; toilet scrub brushes out of sight. If there is a potential ick factor - put it away) (Even in a town with two HUGE rival universities here - I've been in a home where someone from x University walked out because the Seller had all Y University memorabilia displayed) You want to sell your listing? Do what Audra has shared. In this market you need to be doing everything she has shared. Good luck if you don't. SMDH.
There is no way I am taking the dogs crates out of the house. You are crazy!
@@feesor Removal of anything related to a pet is JUST for showings and for MLS photos. Good luck selling your house as Audra shared if you leave the crates in for showings and in MLS photos. . Guess you or your clients REALLY don't need to sell anyway. The market is turning towards buyers now and the pendulum is swinging. Good luck with all that.
@@FawnhillFarmhouse this is a dog neighborhood!!!!! I will take my chances I would rather have a dog lover by my home anyway.
Audra like I said before, I’m going to put my house up for sale within the next year most likely in the spring. I don’t listen to anyone but you, you’re the best, funny and to the point. Keep up the good work . Thank you.
I am so glad you like my videos. Appreciate the support. By spring, you will be an expert.
Agree-as a seller I am not going to be there when my agent shows my home.
Good for you!! Wise decision.
LOVE when sellers are there! You can get ALL the info strait from them instead of my agent saying. "I don't know. I'll have to ask." Then they ask the seller's agent...then they take 4 yrs. to answer your question WITH an answer that does not answer your question! Hate that. Love a seller in the home.
Yes. That is what I said. The owners have the info. Also when any inspections are done the inspector needs to work with the owner or he will flag things that are not bad. The inspector will say the chimney needs cleaning, hire a chimney sweep. But as the owner, I've never used it enough to warrant that.
Audra, Thank you for sharing your expertise. We just recently sold our mothers home. I credit the Audra Lambert, Realtor channel with our amazing success. We educated ourselves by following advice presented on this channel and received a cash offer on the first day the house went public. The offer was above the listed asking price. Thank you so much for educating us on finding a top listing agent and guiding us through the process of preparing, and staging, the house for the market. You are a real gem. Thank you. Thank you.
Ahh...this just made my day. So happy everything went so smoothly. Well done.
Yes Absolutely Agree Share and subscribe she deserves 100k Subs! She advocates for educating everyone and I'm so grateful for her gifts and talented work.
@@MyLoganTreks Ahhh...thanks so much! That means the world to me!
Just sold our house in San Diego. We made NONE of these mistakes as we paid attention to your previous videos from a few months ago. We had several interested bidders and got over asking. Yes, we used Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee LOL!
We got 2 offers on our home the 2nd week. We rejected the first (ridiculous) offer and the 2nd offer came in on day 8 and we accepted. It was contingent on the sale of their home but it was already under contract with closing date scheduled. So we were under contract 9 days after listing for above our asking price. And yes, you did help us!
Oh good...congrats!! So glad I could help!! Well done.
Hello from New Zealand. Sold our house last week, 4 weeks after listing to an American couple. We were so pleased to get top dollar, and watching you over the last couple of months, thorough cleaning and following your advice was so worthwhile. Thank you Audra. You’re amazing and deserve a million subscribers.
Hey Audra!! Thank you so much for all the good info. I'm a seller and buyer Florida. My Realtor said that I'm her best-seller ever and that my house will look like an HGTV home. 😊 She doesn't know my secret: which is you! 🙂 You have taught me a toon! Keep up the good work, you are helping a lot of people. My house will be going to the market really soon. Blessings to you, Luci.🏡
I am thrilled to hear this. I know you will do great!! Blessings to you, as well.
SAME!! Several buyers are saying, "It's our dream house." All I did was follow Audra in a FSBO.
I don't know if you realize that most agents are not like you. YOU would be the best representation for any home! Your look, energy, presence would tell me, "I want the home SHE's selling!"
We had white and we were advised to go beige (which I don't like). Thanks to you we found a great real estate agent. Thanks.
So glad!! Best of luck to you!!
A friend of mine was present for her own open house. She wasn’t “annoying” since she simply looked like another person at the open house. She didn’t wear a sign to let potential buyers know she was the seller. That being said, I’m not planning on being here when we sell our home, I’ll be glad to miss all that.
That was my thoughts too. I would think if you just sit in the kitchen, it really wouldn't matter if you're there. Of course as long as you don't say anything if they say they hate your kitchen...lol
Yes to cameras!!! I caught a realtor going through my prescriptions( she didn’t have a buyer with her). Luckily she didn’t take anything because I did have my major prescriptions on my person., yet I felt so violated. Needless to say she is no longer a realtor. So glad I had a camera not only for watching buyers but agents as well. Geez!
Oh my goodness...that is just terrible. Thanks for sharing..people need to read this.
This is exactly why I do not trust realtors!! Either this or they just don't care. As a buyer I've seen them all. Meeting at the house with no lights on etc. and the agent doesn't care. I have to ask to open it up and turn on lights. I've had agents tell me their seller is too high priced etc. I don't trust them with my house.
I looked at a house where the seller was present, it was a divorce situation and she was crying and carrying on. Very weird 😮
Oh, that's just terrible...on so many levels. Ugh. I hate to hear this!!
Just sold my house 15 days ago. I am so happy with the agent I hired very professional he actually coach me in everything. Everything done correctly & prOfessionally and smoothly. Happy seller and buyer here, we aall became friends! Audra you are still the best.
congrats so glad to hear it went well and thank you for the kind words
Hi, I watch your show from Norway, and love it! One thing we do here, that you have not mentioned, is that when an offer comes in, all interested buyers are informed via SMS so that the bidding process can start. It is really exciting!
From Norway! Wow, thanks for watching! That is a great idea, thank you for sharing. We may have to start implementing it that as well.
I just recently sold my house. Actually, a few times, the buyer showed up earlier before I left the house. and almost every time, they asked me to stay. My house listed beginning of May, and closed end of May. My listing agent never showed up in any showing, not once. And there was no open house either. I think the most important thing is the house/price itself.
In my area, the listing agent is not supposed to be present during showings. Unless it's a really high-end home with expensive art or something. Then sometimes the listing agent will insist on being present for all showings.
Yes, pricing the home is really important.
Excellent. I would have done the same. Nobody knows the house like the seller. I have all the questions! Hate it when I'm at a house with an agent that has no clue about the house and the seller's agent is not there. That's when you need the seller and her "touch" on the home rather than a cold sterile darkened home.
Yes, on the smell. I walked in as a potential buyer to a house and the minute we walked in the front door I noticed a smell. I immediately knew that was not the house for us and we moved onward.
Smells! No home owner knows how their home smells!!!
I wish my sellers were there and told me what was important to know about the old house I bought. To this day I am still trying to figure out things, and it’s frustrating.
Thumbs up on that comment. You understand how it works.
I'm currently buying a house from a seller and he is fixing things up and I'm asking questions and learning and figuring things out.
yes that can be nice to meet with the seller if they are open to it but after not during an open house or showing :)
Thanks for the white paint recommendations!
Sure..best of luck!!
I’m not touring a home with the seller on the property!!
Thanks for chiming in...seller's need to hear this.
Why does this bother people so much? Just ignore them.
@@lisat.8138 Why?
Then how will you learn anything about the house? The hows and whys that they did things the way that they did.
@@historicaltvvideos8971Exactly. You should chat with neighbors, too.
Audra, your videos are always worth my time.
I am so glad. Appreciate the kind words.
When I am looking at European houses and apartments painted in other colors than white, I love it, even if the colors may not be to my liking. You can always repaint the walls and make it your own. America lives by standards, boring I would say.
White walls were one of my big culture shocks!
Now after having lived here for a long time, white walls are a miner annoyance. The biggest problem, and not only mine is the whole real estate industry, investors and banks buying and raising home prices making them unaffordable for many people. Flipping is another annoyance, why do that???
True, most countries are much more vibrant! We in the US can be very plain Jane at times! I agree color is amazing in many cases, but the light colors appeal to the masses. Some people cannot see past colors in a home.
Thank you for the great tips. As a seller, i will be getting rid of the light grey, hate it anyway. our agent wanted to put our house, on 6 acres, for $510k, but we told her $425k or lower because we know from shopping house in another state, the homes that are moving are mid $300s or lower. and I mean moving in a few days. We need enough to pay off our current mortgage and maybe take $80k with us and we are NOT shopping for higher priced homes, we are downsizing or looking for fixer uppers because everything in the US is too expensive right now.
Glad you are finding the tips helpful and it sounds like you know what you are talking about. I hope you find the perfect agent in your area for you.
I have relaxing and muted color's on my walls around the house and not planning on painting it white.
However the woodwork will be painted a clean crisp white. And the floor really cleaned.
Wish me luck!
"Good luck; we're all counting on you." -- Dr. Rumack, "Airplane!"
My worst nightmare is soft muted colors in a house!!! Everyone will have to paint. Just do it and it will open up the house, make it appear bigger, brighter and cleaner!!
@@jsmum196 I do agree it will make it bigger and brighter but right now I'm prepping for a garage sale and packing up my personal stuff.
The wall colors are clean and my house has been well maintained for years.
I have not put on the market yet but doing my due diligence to get it ready.
Audrey has given me some great ideas!
I remember walking into my (soon to be condo), ALL WHITE with a ton of sunlight blazing into the rooms. It looked bright, but not good. Reminded me of an institution or modern art museum with no art all the walls, lol. Absolutely NO character, boring. It WAS a blank canvas, only thing it had going for it.
Sold my home on first day listed with multiple offers, over asking and both cats in the home, the people loved them. How do I know, because we were all in the house vacuuming and getting ready to leave for the day and it just sold like that! I have regal Persians and they are like little pieces of decor. One even asked if the cats came with the home!
The pet thing is so accurate. We toured a home last week, and there was a cat who was very upset about us being there. He swatted at my leg and almost scratched me, and we were all stuck at the top of the stairs while he was on the staircase hissing at us. My husband had to try to find a way to chase him down so we could leave. It was unnerving having him run around our feet with his back arched and just freaking us out the whole time.
Exactly!! Not fun.
😂😂 wow that’s crazy
You are so point on everything you had said. I would never decorate my home for any season if I had listed my home during that time. You see a Christmas tree in pictures when now the time is early spring Easter. If you want to put a seasonal wreath on your door, do it after the pictures are take. Then remove it right after the holiday.
Great points...can't disagree.
100%!! Remove all seasonal decor before the photos. What if you end up having a deal fall out and you have to re-list it, or you decide to pull it off the market until after the holidays? And now your Halloween decor looks really out of place at Easter?
@@AudraLambert question: my realtor wants to take pictures of the outside now to show what it looks like in summer (we live in Minnesota). I'm thinking if you show pictures from a different season, doesn't that make it look like your house has been on the market a long time? Potential listing in February?
If the house smells, I'm out. That includes plug ins etc. That's why a new house doesn't smell or a house with people who never drink or smoke. Those homes don't smell either.
Nothing is more uncomfortable than having the seller there. Earlier this year I flew into a city across the US just to buy a house. It was perfect in every way for my family. Even after seeing it in person, we loved it. We walked away because of the seller. My realtor and I both came to the house and the seller was there giving us a tour. He was an older man, with the start of dementia and was telling us crazy stories of what he was and wasn't doing with the property. It was one of the most bizarre experiences and my realtor told me to walk because she thought it was a huge legal issue. House should have been a bidding war - eventually sold for $40,000 under listing.
Well, that's not a seller. That's a dementia patient! Nobody needs that craziness.
I'd feel uncomfortable with a buyer agent there.
That's very sad. Hope he wasn't ripped off on the net side of things. d😢
Side question how are realtors get paid with the new ruling going in showing homes if they're buyer doesn't buy anything? Love your advice on seller selling their homes we have a modest home in Oregon.
As a seller I agree about not being there even though it helped us once to know the buyer wasn’t qualified for no contingencies on sale of the other house
Appreciate your comment. Your agent should be helping with the qualification verification and other details. Sounds like you are a take charge kind of person. Good for you!
I've seen an old couple of sellers sitting in their garage during the open inspection of their super lovely home (A lot of time and energy and love have been put into this sweet home). I felt so bad for it and I think this was the same feeling for them.
@@aloha8410 I don't get what you are trying to say
@@schex9 You don't need to get what I am trying to say
@@aloha8410 Sellers or rather, owners should be with the inspector during the inspections to inform them of the whys and hows. Otherwise the inspectors will have a list and the list will be inaccurate to wrong.
Thank you! Points well taken and understood. This is extremely valuable information and will use them during the upcoming sale of my home. Most annoying thing Real Estate Agents Do: NOT tell these things to the Seller and expect us to not do these things. Been there….would have been great to have an Agent who did more than just collect the commission after my first meeting with her. Thanks for the great content!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kinds words, you made my day!
Not planning on being in the house for showings but what about a ladt minute call and you're in the middle of fixing dinner etc? You can't always stop what you're doing and be ready in 30 minutes or less to split.
yup..that's right. Truly a hassle selling a home...but its usually worth it:)
The ones who want to come by right away will not buy your house. Make them come back the next day.
I sold my home recently, with gray painted walls. Super clean and depersonalized. Let the cats stay. House sold with multiple offers over ask in less than 24 hours.
I recently sold my condo for $400k and i want to invest the money in the stock market. However, it appears the market is at an all-time high. Should I invest elsewhere or wait for a market correction?
The stock market is risky But staying on the sidelines is riskier. Missing the next bull run will be far more costly to your long-term wealth than getting in at the "right price". Consult a financial advisor if you're unsure how to proceed.
Having an investment advisor is the best way to go about the stock market right now. I was going solo, but it wasn't working. I’ve been in touch with an advisor for a while now, and just last year, I made over 80% capital growth minus dividends.
Mind if I look up your advisor please? I've worked in real estate for over 25 years and have neglected a major stock portfolio. This served me well when I was flipping and renting houses, however I need a different plan now
I've been stuck with the popularly ‘’Melissa Terri Swayne” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look her up.
Thank you for putting this out, it has rekindled the fire to my goal... was able to spot Melissa Terri Swayne after inputting her full name on the web, she seems highly professional with over a decades of experience
Audra, great comments. I dearly would like to sell our house. I hope next spring to have everything spruced up , started painting all rooms “Pure White”. Builder had everything painted Builders Beige, even the ceilings (9 foot high) ugh! Our daughter in law is our real estate agent, certified stager, very qualified can sell commercial, land large or small, all levels of housing low end to over $1,000,000 homes. She is amazing. Thank you again for your helpful comments, you are spot on.
Ahh..thank you. I wish you all the luck in the world. You're going to do great.
I was a realtor in the 1980’s. That was a slow market and I probably encountered most of the same situations.
I definitely like the camera idea but thinking cameras may make a buyer feel more uncomfortable. What's your experience with buyers that see cameras everywhere? What reactions to them have you seen?
There was an Alexa Echo Dot running while we looked at an empty house. The owners kept the internet running just to spy on buyers! We tried not to say anything while near the Echo Dot, but it's hard to not say anything while touring.
I find it so rude when there are cameras and the agent points them out. Stupid.
@@jsmum196 Sounds like the agent doesn't want sellers to hear any feedback for whatever reason. Unless there's no signs posted regarding cameras. Maybe they're letting them know for "recording law" reasons
@@schex9 Depending on where it was located and how big the home is, I don't think it's capable of listening to conversations that far from it. Me personally...I wouldn't be shy to voice my opinions good or bad. Seller obviously wants feedback. I probably wouldn't be shy expressing my opinion if cameras were present either. But that's just me. Wondering though how the majority of buyers react to cameras.
I'd rather eat a 🪲 than be present during the showing of our home. Agree re: teenagers/smell (hormones, definitely a thing). Good video, thank you.
Laughing...appreciate the comment.
Great job Audra! Tell it like it is!! On the contingent note we did that last year, except our market was still hot and the house we were buying wasn't. Our house, which we prepped for sale, sold in the same day it went on the market. But I agree it's not an easy situation.
You are so professional and sincere. It’s great listening to good advice
I appreciate that! Thank you so much!!
You have a great personality and I so enjoy listening to you. I’m wanting to sell but can’t seem to get stuff gone fast enough. I may miss my opportunity this year. Retired and widower…
Same issue here...health concerns make it very hard for me to get the house ready. Realtor and I agreed I need more time and we will revisit in February.
Understandable, you can only do so much! Take your time and maybe aim for Spring next year! Best of luck getting your home ready. Thanks for watching and reaching out, much appreciated!
@@AudraLambert thank you!
Is it ok to ask your Realtor to preview the listing description and photos before it goes on the MLS , thank you
Your agent is getting paid by YOU. Ask to see the photos and listing.
@@markh.6687yes indeed
Find another agent if they do not include you in every decision on description and photos!
When a seller is there it feels like stalking to some people. You want them to visualize themselves living there not hear your stories about the property.
yes agreed some people do not like that
Great video Audra! We just sold a home and bought another one and both our agents were superb. We (as you recommend here) trusted their expertise and didn’t get in the way of them doing their jobs, and therefore had very good results.
"Curb appeal" and first impression is a very strong factor in getting buyers interested. The buyer doesn't live at your house and will notice the dirt and blemishes that you have mentally filtered out, and, frankly they are looking for things wrong. Don't give them any. The buyer (or at least their agent) also knows what your house should sell for, if your ask too much, the buyer's agent will cross your house off the list as "overpriced" before even leaving the RE office on house tour. And, RE agents go on weekly group home tours of new listings; they have already seen your house. You don't want your house to show so ratty that it falls into the dreaded "fixer" class and is not top-drawer for showings.
Hello from South OC! Love your frankness!
Well thank you very much! Thanks from South OC too.
All these reasons…and more…are why I’m an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent!!!!!!!
good for you! Do what you like most
Hi Audra, Love your haircut. I always enjoy your videos and have learned so much. I won’t be selling for a couple of years but I’m keeping all your videos that will help me when the time is right. My situation is a bit different than people selling in the city as I live in a rural mountain area. We only have a couple of realtor agents so may need bring in someone from the nearest city if a local realtor doesn’t meet the standards you are setting. Plus I don’t think they do staging here because we don’t have the resources to have that done. I’ll check to see if that’s true, but if we don’t, what would you suggest as my furniture is older and I won’t be taking it with me when I move. We don’t even have a have an organization who will pick it up to sell for the less fortunate and I can’t just give it all away since I need to live here until I’m able to sell and move.
Ahh..thanks for the haircut compliment. Means a lot. I lost 70% of my hair..its finally coming back. Sounds like you live in a different area than where I live:). If you don't have staging services and your furniture is older, I would keep the older furniture and just make sure you declutter....A lot. You don't want a vacant house. It creates awareness that no one is living there. Better to be safe. You could potentially virtually stage as well.
😊 Thank you Audra! I really needed to hear all 10 of these! Especially the issues about pets. I finally made the connection. Having pets on property is too personal. I depersonalized like crazy... And left my pets roaming around during showings. *hand to forehead*
I will do better!
That was good tough love Audra. As I write this, I'm waiting for my paint to dry - White Dove, and it looks so darn good. Great video & selling advice today - thanks for taking the time to share this valuable info with all of us.
Oh good! I love White Dove!! Great choice!! And thanks!
Only at #2 in the list but unfortunately some listing agents do the dumbest things such as not even putting the best features of a house in the description. If all the appliances convey and are new, it has a new roof and chimney, great landscaping, etc. that should be listed in the description. Some people do read the descriptions after they view the photos. Then there's the issue of wanting to always get a quick sale (even if the seller) would lose a lot of money. It's so easy for a realtor to say "it's a buyers market and you need to list the property close to the comps", because they are biased and want a quick sale. Certainly it is true that if you price it too high for the locality and condition of the house you will get no traffic. But listing agents should never try to bully you into under-pricing your house. The other issue is that everybody (realtors, owners, investors) talk about comps in a casual way but when it comes to choosing which properties are truly comparable to the subject property they omit important details like how close the comp is to the subject property, the condition of the comps and your property and the age of the comps. Really an objective analysis must be done by an appraiser. And even appraisers fail to identify the true costs of some objective criteria due to inflation, for example a high end kitchen remodel.
I think you have made it clear about what color your walls should be. How about the exterior of the house? I plan on selling my house in the next 2-3 years and will have to paint the exterior before putting it on the market.
Something neutral and pretty.
Sellers don't make mistakes. They control what happens.
Sellers need to be present during the showings because they need to give info and answer questions. Same with when an inspector goes through. Annoying does not matter. Buyers can suck eggs. If buyers are not asking questions during the showings, they will be asking questions post purchase and not being able to get answers.
Realtors don't know what they are doing. They may be professionals, but that does not mean they know how to sell any particular house. The buyer bought it and owns it so the owner knows what is important.
Houses don't need to be depersonalized. If they are, they will sell faster. If the owners still live there, they don't need to sell it fast. Sellers that live there do not want to or need to sell. Selling fast is only needed to be done when the owners moved away and it is vacant.
We did all of this several years ago before the pandemic...perfectly...except the paint colors....and I'm 100% convinced it kept the house from selling. We repainted, changed the living room orientation on the advice of a designer, then the pandemic hit and we gave up. I'll tell you what though...nothing makes you want to STAY in your house more than getting it properly staged. You know you've staged correctly when you start getting that conflicted feeling "wow, this is not too bad, maybe we should stay..."
Nice listening to you Karen.
Thanks for listening Karen, I greatly appreciate it! Have a wonderful day!
I respect how honest you are, thank you so much for sharing your experiences ❤❤❤.
You are so welcome!!
Thank you for shooting-straight with us Ms. Audra and appreciate receiving this very useful information.
We had a seller insist on giving us the house tour, she went on and on about her personal stuff with the house. We couldn’t wait to leave!
Exactly!! Thanks for commenting.
Excellent advise. Thank you.
You are very welcome..glad I could help!
I had a great agent and we did all you said. I got over asking price. First thing I did when I moved in was paint it all a bright white. It looked awesome. It sold to the first looker before it went on the market the next day. My realtor held off accepting it so I could have more lookers and maybe get a better offer but after a week we took the first offer. $20,000 over asking. 🤪
Fabulous advice in this video.
One question though.
Would that also be white for the inside of the house?
Any recommendations for that please?
Thank you
Great Question! The exterior doesn't have to be white. Of course you don't want to stand out in the neighborhood. It really depends on the style of your home...and where you live. White in the interior...no matter where you live:)
@@AudraLambert Amen!
Again.....amazing, coherent information.
Ahh..thank you! Appreciate your support.
Awesome advice! Thank you ❤
Thank you for the information! I knew a lot of it, but some I didn’t. 💕
Oh good! So glad to help.
I'm a rookie agent still learning the ropes and I'm loving your tips so I can be a better advisor to my clients. Your content is gold.
Another reason to do timeless designs when renovating.
Nothing is timeless. I really wish trends in home design would slow down. These HGTV-type shows feel that they have to constantly change home style so that they can have something "newer" than the trends that were on point 5 years ago. I had an agent try to tell me that Shaker-style cabinets are out of style. They've been used for 250 years! We are chasing our tails with all of these new trends!
@@schex9 besides shaker cabinets I think white marble baths, Edwardian fixtures, hardwood floors and white traditional kitchens have stood the test of time.
Besides blinds being opened should they also be raised when your home is being shown?
Yes, you want as much light as possible:)
What would you suggest on exterior paint colors?
I need to paint the exterior of my home that I will be selling next year. Its an older home built in the 50's with hardy board siding. It looks and feels like a farm house beach cottage but I am 15 miles from the beach.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!
I was uneasy leaving my realtor alone in the house because she had to let everyone and anyone in and show them everything! I was worried about her safety during the only open house we had. I was fine when she did appointment showings without me. But I did leave the house during that open house because she said she was not worried about it.
Hire a man to sell your house. Unless it's Audra...
Great video! Always roll with the truth!
Always!
All of the doors, architraves, windows, baseboards, and crown molding in our home are painted Swiss Coffee, however, the walls throughout our home are painted in a very soft linen color, which I consider a neutral color. The hardwood floors have been refinished in a light neutral, and they look beautiful. Why would I possibly consider painting the walls white?
I am grateful that I stumbled upon your channel. Your information is beneficial to us as we plan to sell our home. We did a home inspection and are currently making repairs. Our walls need to be repainted, and we were going to repaint the same beige color, but you have convinced us to go with Dove White or Swiss Coffee. Thank you for your videos!
Totally agree with everything you said.
Ahhh..thanks!!
Back in the days my husband was being transferred by his employer, my “go to” wall color was “relocation beige.”
Also, I would walk out if anyone other than my Real Estate Agent was in a house I was looking at to purchase. I warned several agents this would happen and it did. As usual you are 💯% on point!
Thank you for saying that...much appreciated!!
I’m told that here in the state of PA NOONE can have cameras on while buyers are touring a home, if that camera is recording. Idk told it’s illegal.
how to value a property? how accurate is redfin and Zillow? how close are Comps?
Redfin and Zillow estimates are high. I would list closer the lower end of their estimates. Comps in your surrounding area are the best measure. However, agents in your area may be telling you the same thing I am telling my sellers...the market is slow. You may want to list your house slightly lower than the last comp. Just keeping it real.
The “a” in Zillow stands for Accuracy
How exactly are you supposed to get cats off the property? Ours don't take well to carriers at all...Any suggestions are welcome.
If they hide under the bed when strangers come in that helps. Selling is a pain! You would have to put them in carriers for the few minutes buyers are there.
Hi Wendy, fair enough. Even if you can put them in a room that isn't that important would be helpful...even the garage. I know its tough.
Audra, you're a Natural at what you do! Just Love your Plain Speaking, Tell-it-like -it-is persona! You present the Educational truth in such an entertaining way 😄 Smarts, Humor, and Beauty, tell your husband he hit the Trifecta! 😊 🎉
thanks for the kind words
I always want my agent to go to the house first to tell me what it smells like. (I wish they would!) If I decide to see the house, I ask that automatic scent machines be removed due to "allergies".
Ahh..thanks!!
Wish I could rely on that but most agents won't smell what you do. Very important to id the smells.
100%! Hate when they are masking smells. No go for me.
Audra, you are the FIRST RUclips content producer I have EVER subscribed to. Thank you!
Your professional opinion, Audra: if a seller does not get any offers more than what they paid for the house more than 15 years ago (along with doing upgrades - not fancy, but better than what it was - plus all the maintenance needed over that 15 year period: roof, etc.) - does that indicate to you that the realtor still priced it too high?
Yikes!! You should have some appreciation over the last 15 yrs. It really depends on where you live. Market times are different for every area. Your realtor should be a good guide. In my area, 60 days is a long time:). It may not be in your area.
@AudraLambert Great advice.
We had a large 4 br, about 2200 sq ft, had to move out of state due to military orders, lived in the house for 7 years, sold the house at year 14. Had the house on the market on and off for about 3 years in the additional 7 years, with 2 sets of tenants in between. We sold our house after repairing the serious tenants damage and remodeling. At year 14 in 2020, it sold for less than we purchased it for in 2006. I think my Realtor and wife had enough and decided to sell it at lower than market value.
@@AudraLambert I thought so too. My realtor had it originally listed at $50k higher than what I paid for it - even though he recommended it should be higher because he said people are going to think something is wrong with it. I wanted to be conservative because I wasn't selling it to make a huge profit and was hoping for a quick sale. After 60 days, I pulled the listing. Later a few realtors called me to see if I wanted to list it again so I invited them to come over and do a market analysis and give me suggestions should the day come that I want to try again. Both of them said that my listing price was fine. So, I guess it just was 'not the right time' - but, even so, I would have thought all but the worst of the worst homes should appreciate at least some amount in 15 years (it was just last year and the market still seemed to be doing well - neighbor up the street sold theirs quickly - and no other homes for sale in my community at the time)! Thanks for your thoughts!
Can you please do a video on how many days for a buyer to produce financing after making a empty offer no pre-approval letter and stupid owner accepts it not just California laws
thanks for the feedback will add this to my list
binge watched your videos! so happy to finally find someone who is Straight forward, honest, clear, data driven, not emotional, and loves checklists!!! my engineering brain loved it! It made SOOOO much sense to me when you mention you used to be a "computer nerd" in one of your videos HAHAHA. Keep sharing your wisdom and knowledge!
I recently went to an open house and there were a couple of people (likely teenaged kids) studying. The agent didn’t introduce them, but.i was so uncomfortable and I felt I was disrupting their family life. I left quickly.
Audra -- if you see this -- how, as the listing agent, do you sell the home to buyers? Do you walk through the house selling it while the buyer's agent is quiet? I would MUCH prefer my listing agent to present the house to buyers rather than a buyer's agent who knows none of the non-obvious advantages of the home. The buyer and the buyer's agent would be free to talk about the house after the presentation, but my listing agent says she'll open the house -- no lockbox -- but will sit in her car and wait for the buyer & agent to finish and never approach them. It simply sounds weird to me!
Is it common for seller's agent to be present at showings? All the youtube realtors i see talk about the sellers agent showing the house. I have never had a sellers agent present !!!
Yes, I hear that complaint a lot. I am either present or a member of my team is present for all my showing appointments. A lot of agents do not offer this service. Its a shame.
If the seller's agent or the seller is not there, how will you get entry?
Love your advice!!!
I Love your advice! I also love your look today.
Ahh..thanks so much for the compliment. means a lot
Love your advice especially the sellers being present during a showing. Who does this?! 😂
Please encourage staging as most people have old tried furnishings and your home will sell much faster if it is staged and it will sell for more money. Online first looks are where staging g gets them in your door! Be the first showing in your neighborhood not the last!
I couldn't agree with you more! There is a reason staging companies exist!!! It works!
i love the advice and love the commenters who either are not in the US (most people on YT are not americans so you have to be very aware of that in terms of education, bias, etc) or have never sold a house. The pets thing is key, it's like a smoker house. When you have a 'doggy' or a 'kitty' house, the showing agents will tell prospects "Ok this is a stinky house but you can get it for a deal. . . "