Are you thinking of selling this year?
STRATEGY & PRICING
1 Know Your "Why" (But Keep It Quiet)
Your motivation dictates your strategy. If you need cash fast, you price aggressively. If you want top dollar, you might wait for the perfect offer. Decide your goal first. However, keep that motivation to yourself. If a buyer knows you have to move by next month, you just lost your leverage.
2 Ignore the Algorithms—Look at the Data
Online estimates are fun, but they don't write checks. To price your home for 2026, ignore what your neighbor is asking for and look at what comparable homes actually sold for in the last 90 days. Sold data is facts; asking price is fiction.
3 Don't Price "With Room to Negotiate"
This is old-school thinking that kills listings. Today, buyers have access to all the data. If you price high to "leave room," you’ll sit on the market. Stale listings get lowball offers. Price it at market value (or slightly under) to drive competition.
4 Scout the Competition
Go to open houses in your neighborhood. Be objective. How does your kitchen stack up? How does the curb appeal compare? If you want to sell fast, you need to offer better value or a better product than the house down the street.
5 Hire a Pro, Not a Passenger
Selling For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sounds like a money-saver until you botch the pricing or fumble the legal disclosures. Hire an agent who has a track record, a marketing plan that goes beyond putting a sign in the yard, and the guts to tell you the truth about your house.
PREPARATION & SHOWING
6 The First Showing happens Online
In 2026, nobody gets in the car without seeing the photos first. If your online listing photos are dark, blurry, or show a messy room, you’ve already lost the buyer. Professional photography and videography aren't optional; they are the baseline.
7 Fix the "Deal Killers"
Fix the dripping faucet. Tighten the loose handrail. Replace the burnt-out bulbs. Buyers equate minor maintenance issues with major neglect. If they see a cracked switch plate, they wonder if the furnace has ever been serviced.
8 De-Clutter and De-Personalize
Buyers are buying their future, not your past. Take down the wall of family photos and get rid of the knick-knacks. You want the buyer to visualize their furniture in the room, not be distracted by your collectibles.
9 The "Smell Test" is Real
You are nose-blind to your house. Ask a brutally honest friend to walk in and tell you what it smells like. Pets, smoke, and cooking odors kill deals instantly. Don't mask it with heavy air fresheners (that makes buyers suspicious). Clean it, air it out.
10 Light It Up
Dark houses feel small and depressing. Open the blinds, wash the windows, and turn on every single light fixture for showings. Bright and airy sells. Dark and dungeon-like sits.
11 Curb Appeal Counts
You have about 8 seconds to make a first impression. Mow the lawn, paint the front door, and buy a new welcome mat. If they don't like the outside, they will pick apart the inside.
12 Don't Hover
Get out of the house during showings. Buyers won't open closets or speak freely if you are lurking in the kitchen. Make it easy for them to fall in love with the place without feeling like intruders.
13 Staging vs. Vacant
Empty houses feel smaller and colder. If you move out before selling, consider virtual staging or leaving key furniture pieces behind. You need to show scale and definition to the rooms.
NEGOTIATION & CLOSING
14 Disclose Everything
If you know the basement leaks in heavy rain, put it in writing. Trying to hide defects is a great way to get sued three years from now. Be a smart seller: disclose it, price accordingly, and sleep well at night.
15 Have a Negotiation Strategy
Every deal is different. Are you going to play hardball or have a collaborative approach? You need to be able to read your buyer’s moves for clues as to their motivation.
16 Detach Emotionally
When negotiations start, you are no longer the homeowner; you are the seller. If they insult your wallpaper or offer less than you want, don't get offended. It’s just business. Counter the offer and keep the conversation moving.
17 Find the Buyer’s Motivation
Have your agent find out why the buyer is moving. Do they need to be in by the start of the school year? Are they relocating for a job? Knowing their timeline gives you leverage in negotiation.
18 Don't Buy Before You Sell
Carrying two mortgages is a recipe for panic selling. Unless you have bridge financing or cash reserves, get your home sold (or at least under contract) before you commit to the new one. You don't want to be desperate.
19 A Low Offer is a Starting Point
Don't slam the door on a low offer. It means they want the house, they just want a deal. Counter back to bring them into reality. Many low offers turn into sold homes if you handle the negotiation correctly.
20 The Contract is King
Handshakes don't mean anything in real estate. Ensure every detail—closing date, inclusions (washer/dryer), and contingencies—is clearly written in the contract.
21 Absolutely No Early Possession
If a buyer asks to move in before closing "just to put a few boxes in," the answer is NO. If the deal falls through or they damage the property, you are in a legal nightmare. They get the keys when you get the money.
Ready to get serious about selling?
Let's run a quick market analysis on your specific neighborhood to see what the actual sold numbers are looking like right now.
Get My Market Analysis