Seller’s Quick Guide: 3 Ways To List Your Home Safely

Living through a pandemic that makes social distancing a factor in saving lives has changed how people do almost everything. Work changed to being done remotely from home, education is hybrid or virtually, and grocery shopping with orders placed online is the norm for many. Nearly everything about how we conduct business has changed, and that includes safely listing a home for sale.

The days of having tons of people roam through an open house peeking into every nook and corner of your home are over. According to CAARE (Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate), open houses displace families and their pets. They are also dangerous and give criminals an invitation to case homes for future crimes.

Home sales today are done with safety for the buyer and seller in mind. There are a lot of safety measures that homeowners can take when listing a home for sale safely. Listing a home is the agreement between the seller and the real estate agent to handle the sale of the property. The listing is the notification that the property is for sale.

There are multiple ways to list a home safely, and below is a seller’s quick guide to three ways to list your a safely.

1. Find a great agent

The internet makes self-selling a home sound extremely simple. However, if you want to safely list a home for sale and not worry about complicated paperwork, hire a great agent to list and sell your home. An agent is trained in-home selling, dealing with banks, and the financial aspects of selling a home. They will detect potential scammers and anything else that a non-trained home seller may miss. Other reasons to find a great agent to list and sell your home are:

a. Agents have years of experience as professional agents and will walk you through the process.

b. Agents have negotiation skills and will best represent your property safely.

c. Agents have access to a critical database regarding your area and potential buyers who are serious and have already been in the system.

d. Agents have a network of other professionals they can call on for help or potential buyers.

e. Agents know conditions and will help you make informed decisions on timing and other important factors.

2. Depersonalize your home

Depersonalizing a home is eliminating anything that shows your taste and making the areas neutral. It is the safest thing you can do before listing your ugly home. Potential buyers should have no clue as to the identity of who currently lives in a home. That means as a seller; you should remove and store all family photo’s on the walls, shelves, and refrigerator. Not only pictures, depersonalizing your home include:

a. Anything that shows ethnicity or heritage

b. Personal collections, nick-nacks, music, movies

c. Paint over loud accent walls

d. Remove furniture of specific taste

e. Remove front door decorations

3. Virtual listing

Much of what we do these days uses technology, and there is no reason why listing a home cannot be done virtually. For starters, including a virtual tour of your home in the listing will reach a broad audience of potential buyers.

Virtual listings include staging the interior so that buyers see what space looks like furnished and can picture themselves there. Make it cozy, warm, and welcoming. Use the minimalist approach and keep it as neutral as possible.

Some videographers specialize in virtual tours, and some things to keep in mind are:

a. Make sure your lighting is natural and abundant.

b. Get pictures of rooms from good angles.

c. Take more photos or videos than necessary.

d. Keep the camera level and capture wide shots.

e. Use a very steady hand or tripod.

f. Touch up pictures as necessary.

Virtual listings are also a safe way to go if you want to rent your flat. Take advantage of technology to show off your rental safely.

There are multiple ways to list a home safely. A seller’s quick guide to three ways to safely list your a safe is to find a great agent, depersonalize your home, and create a virtual listing of your home.