This is a question that we are asked frequently, as sellers begin to think about their home sale.

First, and most importantly, use a Realtor AND choose that Realtor early in the process!

Why? Many sellers think they should get their home looking fantastic before they invite a Realtor to walk in the door to discuss their plans for selling. First, we have seen every stage of selling a home, so nothing will surprise us, and we don’t judge — we kick into gear and help. Realtors are problem solvers, and we can often save you lots of time and worry.

Along the way, there are lots of steps, starting with a complete evaluation. Your Realtor should be the one to conduct this early evaluation of your home, give input on which improvements will increase your return and which repairs are most important for the sale. They will conduct a market analysis, show you what your financial return should be if you do the recommended tasks and then assist with coordinating contractors. Your Realtor should also bring in a professional staging consultant to weigh in, getting your home in the best shape possible for presentation to the market.

These steps are all just the beginning of the sale process, the part leading up to your home going on the market. If you wait and hire your Realtor after you’ve worked hard getting ready, you may have missed some important things, and you are doing yourself a disservice, as it does not cost you any extra to take advantage of the full array of services your Realtor offers. More importantly, you may possibly do the wrong things to prepare.

The average “For Sale by Owner” home sold for 26% less than homes sold by Realtors, according to the 2020 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. That’s because Realtors know what works. Most sellers have only bought or sold one or two homes in their lives. A professional Realtor sells two to four homes a month. Their tips and suggestions for selling your home at the highest price possible are based on experience and reliable data. They know what upgrades and repairs sell homes and what will matter most to buyers in today’s market. Their suggestions are made from solid evidence for the things that will help you sell your home for the highest sale price.

So, bring a Realtor in early to guide you through this journey. You are paying them to sell your home — why not get them started working for you early in the process? They will have you on the right path from the beginning, making sure you do the “right” updates and repairs and are getting them done by reliable, trusted contractors.

Our second tip is to clear the clutter — ALL of the clutter!

We live one way and sell another. What seems stark to you, looks open and spacious to a buyer. It’s important to clear every surface, except for a few accent pieces. Bookshelves should be culled, systemized and only partially full. Each room should be evaluated for style, to show the space, but should appear uncrowded. All evidence of pets should be minimized. Floors should be free of extra items, and carpets should be neutral and used sparingly. Bold, unusual colors and interesting decorations are what makes a home “our home.” However, open, neutral space is what’s needed for a buyer to realize the beauty of a home and to picture themselves and their own personality in the home.

Your Realtor’s staging consultant can help you identify which of your belongings can best be used to stage your home and what should be packed up and put in storage or the garage. Remember: You are selling your home, so make it the buyers home.

Our third tip: Make all of the repairs and updates needed. Don’t leave it so “the buyer can choose what they like.”

Trust your Realtor to give you guidance on what needs to be done to look great and to get the buyers into the home. Your Realtor will help you balance the cost of the list against the likely return. Sometimes, the cost of updating a bath is as simple as a new light fixture, new hardware on the cabinets and some paint. A kitchen may just need a new countertop, which can make a huge difference and costs less than most expect. We even have contractors that will take payment at settlement, if needed.

Contrary to what some believe, most buyers do not have the money or the time to do the updates after settlement. They look online and if the photos don’t look great, they won’t come see the home unless it’s priced significantly lower than market value. The overwhelming majority of buyers want the home to have basic updates, and they want them to be neutral so they can just add the accents to make it their home. If they have to do the work, then they will want to pay considerably less than the cost of those updates, and the home will sit on the market longer.

A good Realtor will help you to get quotes and will coordinate with the contractors to get the work done on the timeline needed. Your photos will look fantastic, the buyers will come and your potential for multiple offers increases.

Don’t forget about curb appeal. As soon as buyers park in front of your home, they should be welcomed by a tidy lawn, trimmed bushes, a wreath on the door and maybe even a power-washed walkway. When they walk in, they should be happy with the condition and the degree to which you have updated your kitchen, baths, flooring and fixtures. So don’t shrink your pool of buyers by leaving the work to the buyer. Remember, more buyers equal more contracts, which translates into a higher sale price.

So once you’ve done the first most important step and hired your Realtor, how long will all of the prep take? It really depends on your preference and your ability to swing into gear quickly. If you start out four to five months early, you will have a slow, leisurely approach to getting your home on market. This may be what works best for you. However, with a dynamo Realtor and your willingness to trust their judgment and recommended contractors, you can accomplish great things in just a week or two. If needed, a home can be painted from top to bottom in seven to eight days. Decluttering, purging or moving things to storage can happen within days as well. Granite counters can be measured for and installed within a week, at the same time other tasks are happening. Presto! You could be ready to go on market within two weeks or less!

To figure out and implement the best approach for your home sale, pick your Realtor early, talk through the process and your goals. Your plan should be written out, with some flexibility for the unexpected, but should be a very clear path to your projected launch date.

Kim and Hope Peele sold 40 homes in 2020, and their listings sold on average for 102% of list price. For a no-obligation consultation, call or text 703-244-5852 today!

Kim Peele, a licensed real estate agent with McEnearney Associates, Inc., lives in Old Town and works in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland. She and her daughter Hope Peele are The Peele Group. Kim is a second-generation realtor and fourth-generation Washingtonian and is dedicated to helping owners through the challenges of selling their home.

Take a look at our website for all of our listings available throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

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Clearly, my millennial mind was fueled by Spice Girls while writing this article…

Homeownership has been a cornerstone of the American dream for centuries. Despite the ever-changing landscape of urban and suburban lifestyles, it still rings true today. According to a 2019 Bankrate survey, 79% of Americans “still believe that owning a home is a vital component of achieving the American dream.”

Those Americans wanting to own a home are now from a different generation. It is the millennial generation that has surpassed baby boomers, reports the Pew Research Center. Not only have millennials taken the top spot in adult population size, but they make up the largest share of homebuyers. And, man, are they showing up in droves to the settlement table.

Over the past two years, millennials have held the top spot as homebuyers in the nation. According to the 2020 National Association of Realtors Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, about 38% of buyers are born in the millennial generation (1981-1996) and roughly 69% are doing so for the first time. The majority of sellers are not in this generation. With a majority generation flooding the market as homebuyers, you start to see trend commonalities. Understanding what a typical homebuyer wants in their home can better position you as a seller to make your home desirable, thus making a larger profit.

Our area is in an inventory drought. Properties rarely stay on the market long enough to even make your scheduled showing the next day. With that being said, I still highly encourage sellers to envision their home through the buyer’s eyes. And, most often, that’s a millennial. I’ve listed a few of the hottest millennial buyer must-haves for sellers to consider in making their home stand out even more. Major renovations certainly are desired, but even minor tweaks can go a long way to get top value for your home.

Outdoor Space

As Mark Twain said, “Buy land — they’re not making it anymore.”

Although lot size can vary, it’s what you do with the space you have that matters. Many millennials are moving from a rental apartment that comes with none or very little outdoor space. They are seeking space and its versatility — a place for the dog to run, a space for small social gatherings, a patio to take work calls, etc. Some ideas to spruce up an outdoor space regardless of size are:

• Refresh your landscaping to the correct season and make your curb appeal pop.
• Power-wash your siding, windows, walkways, etc. to brighten your space and make it appear larger.
• Replace window screens if your outdoor space is limited so you can bring the outdoors in.
• Stage the outdoors! People want to see how a space could function.

Open Concept

The first option, of course, is to tear down the walls. However, that can be a huge expense for your budget and time. If that’s not in the cards for you, seller, the right staging can go a long way. Believe it or not, many millennials actually want space for a dining room table. To play up the space you have:

• Draw the eyes up to make the space feel big by adding open-air shelving all the way to the ceiling or installing curtains rods higher on the wall above the windows.
• Know that mirrors are your friend.
• Brighten up the room with a fresh, light color of paint or simply replace all your light bulbs to a brighter, cohesive voltage.

Upgrade the Heart of the Home

The kitchen is a room you go in every day. I’d argue it’s the most used room in the house and, also, usually the room with the most wear and tear. Without breaking the bank, try the following:

• Hire a professional to paint your cabinets — buyers can tell the difference!
• Replace your faucets and/or hardware for a more contemporary style. (Matte black is very popular!)
• Freshen up the backsplash.
• Revitalize island lighting fixtures.
• Meet a buyer halfway by installing modern appliances.

Bathroom Retreat

‘Like a trip to the spa’ is a very common mentality when a millennial is thinking about their bathroom. From a double vanity to heated bathroom floors, a luxurious bathroom is on their wish list. To achieve that mindset on a budget, try:

• Installing a new vanity with plenty of storage.
• Reglaze your old tile shower/tub.
• Re-caulk your bathtub for clean lines and low buyer maintenance.
• Swap out your old showerhead — match the style to your kitchen fixtures for cohesiveness.

Flex Space

Do you have a room or a nook in your house that’s not being used to its full potential? Millennials are looking for any space that could be used as multi-purpose. Here are a few suggestions to make that area come alive to a millennial buyer:

• Working from home is now synonymous with living at home — set up a desk.
• Put your exercise bike, yoga mat and/or dumbbells there.
• Drinks are poured! A funky cut-out in your basement could be the perfect space for a bar top.
• However, at the end of the day, most millennials entering the market have one thing in common… “They wanna really, really, really just buy their first house.”

As a fifth-generation Realtor and the granddaughter of an architect and builder, Sallie has deep roots in real estate. She is passionate for the charm, history and architecture of Alexandria and its surrounding communities. If you would like more information on selling or buying in today’s complex market, contact Sallie today at 703-798-4666 or visit her website SallieSeiy.com.

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There is a delicate balance in the real estate industry when it comes to pricing a home. If a home is underpriced, you might feel you were cheated of your home’s true value. But in actuality, overpricing would be much worse.

We are currently in a seller’s market, and when a home is overpriced, it tends to sit on the market. This makes potential buyers wonder what is wrong with it. As soon as they walk through the door (if they even walk through the door at all), they start to pick apart every little thing that they see. When the time comes to make an offer, they will ask for a lower price and more concessions and contingencies than you bargained for.

That is why choosing an experienced Realtor who knows the market as your listing agent is key to getting top dollar for your home. A good agent can use the tools in her arsenal to study the market and give you a good estimate of your home’s value. Through CMAs or Comparable Market Analysis, she will give you a potential range of your house’s worth, and together, you can find the best list price.

The other way to ensure that you receive top dollar for your property is to make a great first impression. The three keys for a great first impression are clean, uncluttered, and depersonalized.

You might not always be able to afford to remodel your house prior to selling. So, if it can’t be brand new, it should be brand new clean, especially in those areas that tend to be forgotten in routine housework. The difference in light in a room with freshly washed windows would amaze you!

As for decluttering, unless you live an austere lifestyle, half of the things in your home need to be removed prior to selling. This means half the clothes in your closet, half of the appliances in your kitchen, and half of the furniture in your rooms. In this case, less really is more. Hiring a storage unit for a couple of months will yield a much greater return on your investment.

Finally, your house needs to be depersonalized. Unfortunately, this means that all family photographs and religious artwork should be removed. Those items have a very personal meaning to you, but they don’t mean as much to the people who enter your house. You want potential buyers to be able to see themselves living in that space, and taste-specific items make that difficult.

It is important to remember though that your house can be as pristine and magazine-like as it has ever been, but if it is overpriced, it will not sell. This is where you need to take a leap of faith, and trust in your agent’s advice about the list price. You hired them for their expertise, so you should listen to it.

In the current market if your home is listed in the sweet spot, a multiple-offer bidding war is sure to follow. This puts you in a much better position to get the price you want for your home without any concessions or contingencies.

Jean Beatty is a licensed real estate agent in VA, MD, and DC with McEnearney Associates, Inc in McLean, VA. If you would like more information on selling or buying in today’s complex market, contact Jean at 301-641-4149 or visit her website JeanBeatty.com.

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It is a good thing I had my two-week winter vacation in St. Martin right before the lockdown, because surprisingly enough it was extremely busy from the minute I got back in town.

Everyone, both in and outside of the industry, speculated about whether the market would take a nosedive, be similar to 2019 or increase over the year prior. With record-breaking low-interest rates as one of the motivating factors, it turned out to be an incredible year.

The year-end numbers in the City of Alexandria showed us that, for the most part, detached homes and townhouses were very much a seller’s market, with a continued lack of inventory and more buyers in the mix. Multiple offers were not uncommon on properties under $1 million. Condo sales were more of a balanced market, with some price points dipping into a buyer’s market. Some say condo dwellers were motivated to move away from residences where they would need to share common spaces, especially elevators.

The concerns for the health and safety of buyers, sellers, and agents required significant modifications in the sales process. Virtual and 3D tours and videos replaced the traditional Sunday afternoon live open houses. Social media, agent networking, and alternative advertising became key components of a property’s marketing strategy. If a live open house was held, they were either by appointment or scheduled in a way to provide social distancing with everyone wearing masks, taking off their shoes, and using wipes to open doors and cabinets.

For McEnearney, and for me personally, 2020 was an excellent year! The company as a whole exceeded the $2 billion mark in sales, while the Alexandria office was up 22.7% over 2019. Alexandria City increased by 15%, with ZIP code 22314 up 24%. Listings in the Alexandria office ranged from $137,000 to $4,825,000.

When I evaluated my numbers for 2020, I was thrilled to have achieved my best year yet by tripling my volume over 2019. Buyers made up 39%, sellers 61%, and townhouses made up 72.7% of my business. While in most years, referrals from past clients, friends, and neighbors make up over 75% of my annual sales — my friends and neighbors themselves were the buyers and sellers of over 50% of the transactions in 2020.

Special thanks to McEnearney for providing the support, guidance, and training needed for agents to modify their marketing plans as the months accumulated. Even with the offices closed for a good part of the year, we had access to the management team, marketing and support staff, and tools required to continue to exceed our clients’ expectations.

Lisa Groover is a licensed real estate agent with McEnearney Associates, Inc. in Old Town Alexandria. As an active member of the community since 1989, Lisa specializes in Alexandria and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with her friends and neighbors in Old Town Village.

In addition to enjoying the Old Town lifestyle and the art-related events and activities, she is a member of a number of volunteer organizations. Having had eight golden retrievers, she is dedicated to helping other dog owners through the challenges of renting, buying, and selling their home.

Lisa Groover is a licensed real estate agent with McEnearney Associates, Inc. in Old Town Alexandria, VA. Having had seven golden retrievers since moving to Alexandria in 1989, she is dedicated to helping other dog owners through the challenges of renting, buying and selling their home..

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