Shhhh! What NOT To Say When Your Home Is On The Market!

Real estate markets around the country differ in terms of the protocol of how showings are handled. In some areas, homes are shown by appointment only with the listing agent present for every showing. In Northern Virginia, it’s customary for buyer agents to let Sellers know when they would like to show the home to their clients. The Seller then lets the agent in or the agent accesses the home through the lockbox that is placed on the door. (Appointment only listings exist, but unless the home is in the multi-million dollar luxury category, this can be a huge detriment to selling.)

This means Sellers are often home when agents come to show. We recommend that our Sellers leave during showings so Buyers can really picture the house as “theirs”. The other reason we recommend they leave is because it’s in their best interests NOT to discuss the following things with the Buyer Agent or the Buyers. Why? Because potential purchasers want to obtain the LOWEST price and BEST terms for themselves. And Buyer Agents represent them, not you.

The conversation might be a casual one. Just a meet & greet as you head out the door. But don’t get caught off guard and end up in the DANGER ZONE!

7 Things Sellers Should NOT Discuss With Buyers (or Buyer Agents):

1. Reason for selling

2. Motivation/urgency to sell

3. Willingness to consider an offer less than the listing price

4. Terms under which you would sell

5. Relocation, timing, benefits & policies

6. Items of personal property which you “might” be willing to include in a sale.

7. Any confidential information that would serve to disclose your negotiating strategy.

For more tips about how to sell your home for the highest price, contact Belt Team Listing Specialists Terry Belt or Kevin Kleifges. They are known nationally for their top-notch negotiating skills and their listings sell FASTER and for MORE MONEY than average. It’s why they are recognized among the best Realtors in Northern VA, ranking in the Top 10 Teams in the entire state.

FREE – What Is My Home Worth?

42 Questions To Ask When Selling Your Home

Our mission is “Changing Lives For The Better“. If it’s time to change yours, call Terry or Kevin at (703) 242-3975

NOTE: Enjoy the videos below. Our marketing may be tongue-in-cheek, but our results are SERIOUS!

Snow Does Not Stall Spring Market In Northern Virginia

The first day of Spring is still a few weeks away, and we have a ton of snow on the ground; but if you take a look at home sales in Northern Virginia, you’ll see that the Spring market is already in full swing. (We know this anecdotally from our own listings & sales, but let’s take a look at the statistics.)

What SOLD In January & February?

The “Sold Price” of a home is not usually released until the home goes to settlement & the sale is recorded at the courthouse, So when you see articles about home “sales”, the data lags a bit. Homes that sold in January & February probably went under contract somewhere between November & January. How many homes settled and what was the average sales price? Check the list below for your area:

CITY	# of Home Sales	Avg Sold Price
Alexandria	472	$463,813
Arlington	286	$559,848
Ashburn	131	$482,696
Burke	63	$449,776
Centreville	98	$385,240
Chantilly	88	$450,969
Dunn Loring	2	$840,000
Fairfax	206	$480,367
Falls Church	161	$481,629
Great Falls	14	$1,120,100
Herndon	74	$453,627
McLean	76	$926,662
Oakton	31	$597,409
Reston	105	$408,003
Springfield	134	$416,077
Sterling	111	$384,360
Vienna	79	$719,238

Search homes for sale in Northern VA

FREE Report – How Much Is My Home Worth?

What Went UNDER CONTRACT in January & February?

In every jurisdiction, a LOT more homes went under contract in January & February than sold during the previous few months. Buyers are NOT waiting until “true Spring” to buy homes.

CITY	# of Homes Sold	# of Homes Under Contract
Alexandria	472	714
Arlington	286	373
Ashburn	131	208
Burke	63	91
Centreville	98	142
Chantilly	88	114
Dunn Loring	2	3
Fairfax	206	284
Falls Church	161	173
Great Falls	14	24
Herndon	74	99
McLean	76	98
Oakton	31	38
Reston	105	149
Springfield	134	191
Sterling	111	147
Vienna	79	114

Search homes for sale in Northern VA

FREE Report – How Much Is My Home Worth?

How Fast Are Homes Selling?

Not only are more homes selling, but with the exception of Great Falls & McLean, they are selling faster now than they were over the past few months. (Dunn Loring is also an exception, but the statistical pool is too small to call it a trend.) Keep in mind, these are averages. Many homes are selling the same weekend they go on the market. We listed one Thursday, a contract came in over the weekend and was ratified today. (Note that there are a variety of conditions in the marketplace – with some homes languishing and some getting multiple contracts. We had one listing in our office last month that received 17 contracts!) (Note: DOM = “days on market”)

CITY	DOM Solds	DOM Under Contracts
Alexandria	61	59
Arlington	48	40
Ashburn	56	39
Burke	43	36
Centreville	55	50
Chantilly	45	41
Dunn Loring	18	54
Fairfax	52	42
Falls Church	51	46
Great Falls	133	133
Herndon	48	40
McLean	86	96
Oakton	87	75
Reston	52	41
Springfield	54	47
Sterling	54	44
Vienna	53	50

Moral of the Story?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Sellers: If you have been waiting for the market to improve so you can sell, NOW is the time. Call Terry Belt or Kevin Kleifges at (703) 242-3975 to schedule a Seller Consultation. Not only will we discuss the market conditions of YOUR neighborhood, we will consult with you on staging, preparation, marketing, pricing strategies & more. (If you call this month, we will also pay for a consultation with our Professional Stager – a $195 value). You can also set up a FREE daily update (or weekly or monthly) so you find out what homes are selling for in your neighborhood.

Buyers: The market is tight. Be prepared to move quickly. You may need to compete. And in order to do so, you may need to lower the price range you are looking in. (If you can only afford to go to $700,000 for example, you may want to only look at homes up to $650,000.) You also need to make sure you work with Realtors who are proactive, seek properties on your behalf that are NOT yet on the market and utilize the most state-of-the-art home search web site (not sites like Zillow or Trulia that are NOT updated as frequently.) Contact us at (703) 242-3975 to schedule a FREE Buyer Consultation. No obligation. We will discuss market conditions, strategies for competing, the entire homebuying process including how much cash you will need, financing options and more. Interest rates are low, so you might be surprised at what you can afford. And since prices are rising, you don’t want to wait!

The Belt Team’s mission is “Changing Lives For The Better“. If it’s time to change YOURS, call us TODAY at (703) 242-3975. It would be a pleasure for OUR family to help YOUR family make the RIGHT move!