Selling your luxury home means selling one of your most important investments. The task may be more difficult and daunting than selling a mid-priced home, especially since luxury home buyers have a specific taste for high-end homes that will greatly suit their lifestyle. That’s why it is important to take the proper steps to ensure your luxury home is sold in a timely fashion and at its best market value.
1. Price your home right
In whatever market you’re in, pricing a home correctly is extremely important. However, pricing a luxury home is even more challenging. Custom features, upgrades, high-tech automation systems, amenities and even the outdoor view vary from one home to the next. Consider the dangers of overpricing, or even underpricing it. The luxury price range of homes also vary per region. Pricing your luxury home competitively from the very beginning will attract more buyers and won’t let it sit on the market for too long.
2. Hire a realtor who has extensive knowledge of the luxury home market
Hiring a real estate agent who is also a local luxury home expert could be for the best if you are selling one of your most prized investments. Your chosen realtor should have a comprehensive marketing plan/system that they can use in promoting your home. Ask whether they have a team of other agents who also work in the luxury market and can help him/her promote your property to potential and qualified luxury buyers.
Know whether the agent has other listings in your specific neighborhood, as proof of his/her expertise. It may also help if the realtor and his team have a custom website where they can also feature property listings.
3. Decide whether to put your home in a “pocket listing”
“Pocket listing” means listing your home exclusively with an agent, without putting it in the MLS. In other words, your home won’t be listed publicly. If pocket listings are allowed in your market, the listing agent can only promote your property through word of mouth to their buyers and to other luxury home agents. Only serious and qualified buyers who can show proof of financial capacity may view the home.
However, listing your luxury home in the MLS is still the most effective way if you want it to be sold at its best price in the shortest possible time. A pocket listing may provide some privacy for you as a seller, but it may hinder some of your marketing efforts.
4. Use professional photos/videos and utilize effective marketing
Using amateur photos in promoting your luxury home is a big no-no, especially if you decide to promote it publicly.
In the NAR Real Estate in A Digital Age Report (2016), 44% of homebuyers in this digital age looked for properties online first, so it’s a no-brainer to use quality photos and videos when presenting your home online. In taking photos of your luxury home, greatly consider the lighting, photograph your home’s best amenities and custom features, and highlight its exquisite location and the panoramic view surrounding it.
Most local MLSs also have a limit on the number of photos you can showcase online, so a professionally-created video or a virtual tour could be an advantage in selling your property. A virtual tour could give potential buyers a “walkthrough” of your luxury home.
5. Present your home’s location and lifestyle correctly
Luxury homes are all about lifestyle and location. Utilizing a video or virtual tour is also a great marketing tool as it can accurately portray the location and lifestyle your home provides to its future owner. Prospective buyers would want to know if the home not only suits their preferences, but also the lifestyle it portrays. It is important for them to also know who else is living in the vicinity.
6. Consider the right timing when selling your home
Timing plays a large role in selling your luxury home and showcasing its feature amenities. It’s important to select the correct time of the year to sell, and to consider the current luxury housing market. For example, selling a home with a luxury waterfront and resort-style infinity pool in the middle of a cold and stormy winter may not seem to be the best idea. The same goes for listing in areas with weather events that may not complement the house’s features.
7. Clean, declutter, and stage your home
Staging any home before selling could definitely help, especially in million-dollar luxury homes. Some luxury homeowners enlist help in keeping their home clean, so staging could be the only thing that’s needed. The luxurious amenities in a home should be showcased to help potential buyers envision themselves in it. For an instance, a magnificent formal dining room should be staged with elegant dinnerware to help buyers visualize having their fine dining and memorable parties.
