To use a trendy term, perfect listings are like unicorns. They simply don’t exist. But if you’re thinking about selling your home, keep reading below for our Top 10 tips to start growing your “perfect listing gilded horn”. Your Realtor (and bottom line) will thank you:

1. ALL the Updates. You recently (and we mean in the last six months, not five years ago) renovated your kitchen and bathrooms for the masses. You chose colors and finishes that appeal to the majority of buyers and don’t expect to make back every single penny spent.
2. Spotless. Every inch of your home has been cleaned top to bottom, then cleaned again. A prospective buyer won’t find one stray dog hair, a speck of dust or smudge on your stainless appliances. If you really want to earn your unicorn status, the key is keeping it this way until your last moving box is out.
3. Painted Lady. You’ve hired a professional painter (yes, this is a necessity – you will not cut those ceilings like a professional even if you think you’re Picasso) to add a coat of neutral (no, NOT beige) paint to all the walls. You kept it the same color throughout (light grey, trust us) to maintain continuity and give it a fresh, modern look. Bonus points if you took down the framed family photos heading up the staircase and extra “art” that didn’t show that well before the painter got there so they could patch those superfluous holes.
4. You no longer exist. All evidence of you, your baby and your pets has been removed. The buyer opens your front door and immediately can picture making their own life in your home because they don’t see any pictures of you, smelly dog beds or a daycare full of kid toys.
5. Priced to SELL. Your Realtor has shown you the active comps and the recently sold properties in your neighborhood. You’re an informed seller, and you’ve decided to price it 10% below the competition. See, the glitter is starting to form on your horn…
6. Flexible Schedule. Requests for showings can happen at any time. You have the house in pristine condition just waiting for the text from your listing agent to come through. You’re able to vacate the house within 30 minutes (without leaving a pile of laundry in the master or dishes in the sink).
7. Lipstick Applied Perfectly. You know exactly what shade of lipstick compliments your home the best and you’ve dotted it throughout each room. You purchase fresh flowers each week and bake cookies for the second showings just in case they’re the one.
8. Feedback. You did your research on hiring the right Realtor for the job and trust their judgement. You listen to all of the feedback they share with you after showings and make immediate adjustments as you’re able to. You take nothing personal, after all, you have taken the emotion out of it. This is business and the biggest investment of your life. Every comment matters because it brings you closer to selling for top dollar. For things you have no control over, you’re open to a price adjustment as needed.
9. Curb Appeal. The front door is painted a bright, appealing color and you’ve groomed all of the landscaping around your home. There are pots of colorful annuals on the porch and a clean welcome mat outside the door. No cobwebs in sight, no weeds in the cracks and the walkway is freshly swept. The first impression leaves the buyer excited to walk through the front door because you’ve given them a taste of what’s inside.
10. Punch List Complete. Before listing for sale, you hired a home inspector. You know a buyer will include that contingency when you receive a purchase offer on your home and have preemptively done your own inspection to find out what you can tackle ahead of time. Your hot water heater is about to blow? A new one has been purchased and installed. The chimney needs refacing? The mason came the next day. The p-trap was installed improperly? Taken care of. Items that come up in the home inspection not only give a buyer cause to ask for closing credits or a price reduction, it could even mean the death of your sale. Knowing what you’re up against early on will give you the time you need to tackle this punch list and put you in the driver’s seat, not trying to save the deal when it’s already dead.

Are you a unicorn seller? Share with us what helped you earn your horn below!

PS – this photo was taken when I was a week overdue with Grey and we just took a new listing. My contractions started during the Open House. It will always be one of our favorites!