Since 2004, in both strong sellers markets and markets where buyers were as rare as desert snow, nearly 2 out of every 3 of my listings have sold in 60 days or fewer.
So why would I ask any seller to list their property initially for more the 90 days or more that many real estate agents require?
Here’s the deal … while I can’t guarantee any home will sell in 60 days (or at all), I can guarantee that I’m going to do all I can during those initial 60 days to get it done. And, if it happens to take longer than that 60 days, I’m confident I’ll have proven myself and my selling methodology well enough to justify an additional 60 days.
Now, there is a little bit of fine print …
- Investment properties need to be vacant. If there’s a tenant, the reduced buyer pool is going to necessitate a 3-month listing.
- Active adult properties being sold out of season (May through August) are going to necessitate a 3-month listing.
- Short sales, given the sheer volume of work involved and the time needed to get an answer from a bank, necessitate a minimum 4-month listing.
- We’ve got to have an electronic lockbox that gives access to real estate licensees who are Arizona Regional MLS members. Even if you’re home “all the time”, this is an absolute so we can log everyone who enters your home while giving access when buyers want to see the home, within reasonable limits.
Lastly, all 60-day listings need to be priced no more than 2.5 percent above current market value. There’s no sense wasting your time or mine trying to chase down a 2005 sales price here in 2012, plain and simple. An aggressive time frame requires aggressive marketing, which includes a realistic list price.
