If you are planning on selling your Toronto condo or loft, and there are other listings currently available in your building, you and your neighbours will be essentially competing for the same buyers. If you want to gain an edge over the competing listings in your building, there are several things that can be done to sell before them.
To help put your Toronto condo or loft in a superior position over the other units in your building, these are some valuable tips to follow if you want to stand out from the crowd.
1. Improve Your Decor
You’ve literally got seconds to make a good impression on a potential buyer, so you better make sure it’s a positive one when buyers open the front door to your condo or loft for a showing. You condo or loft’s decor doesn’t have to be limited to just fixtures to give it personality. Don’t be afraid to play around with decor to breathe some life into your condo or loft. Things such as table runners, wall art, pretty window treatments, and even area rugs can really make your unit stand out. A welcoming foyer can go a long way in making prospective buyers feel compelled to continue with their showing.
Statistics show that buyers will develop an emotional attachment to a home within minutes after viewing a property, and the foyer is the first contact they make with your unit. You can bet that your neighbours will be tending to their unit’s decor, so make sure you surpass their efforts by enhancing your home’s aesthetics with an amazing decor.
2. Make it Look Like Nobody Lives There
Most buyers have a tough time seeing themselves living in a unit that looks like it’s obviously being occupied by someone. It’s vital to completely depersonalize your space to make it look as if it’s a model unit.
Remove your family photos and political or religious accessories, and replace them with more neutral pieces. Pack up any collections or pieces that are only meaningful to you and not necessarily to the average buyer.
Creating a neutral space helps buyers visualize themselves as owners of the unit, which is exactly what will entice them to put in an offer.
3. Neutralize
You’ll be more likely to attract potential buyers if your decor is neutral in colour and style as opposed to eclectic and off-the-wall. The best and easiest way to neutralize your unit is to give the walls a fresh coat of paint in a neutral colour, like grey or off-white. These colours will definitely be more pleasing to a larger pool of buyers.
4. Make Minor Repairs
If you think buyers won’t notice those little scuff marks on the walls or chips in the tiles, think again. Sellers easily overlook these minor items, but fixing them can go a long way at improving the overall look and feel of your unit. Go through every room with a fine-tooth comb and make note of any little issues you come across. During my pre-listing staging consultation of your unit, I will help point out what needs to be fixed before your unit is on the market.
5. Staging
As part my listing services, I will professionally stage your Toronto condo or loft while it’s listed for sale. Professional staging will help your unit sell faster and for more money compared to competing listings in your building that are not staged. Buyers find it a lot easier to see the unit as their own if it’s staged. If you want your condo or loft to sell before your neighbours, one of the best things you can do is have your unit professionally staged.
My stagers know the type of buyer looking in your building and will identify what they’re looking for in their next home. Armed with this information, my stagers will then furnish and decorate your unit in such a way so as to accommodate these needs and tastes. When you give buyers exactly what they’re looking for, you’ll increase the chances of getting a decent offer sooner rather than later. My staging will sell your unit faster than you’re competing neighbours, and at a higher price.
6. Highlight the Best Features of Your Unit
Not every condo or loft is perfect, but if you can pinpoint something about your unit that would be considered a selling feature, make an effort to highlight it. Whether it’s a large open concept kitchen, extra-high ceilings, or engineered hardwood flooring, be sure to showcase these features in the best light possible.
Playing up positive features of a condo or loft can help downplay any negative aspects that might turn buyers off. Focusing on certain characteristics can help set your unit apart from the others listed in your building.
7. HD Photography and Videography
HD photography and videography are also included in my listing services of your Toronto condo or loft. When your unit is in direct competition with other listings in your building, first impressions online are incredibly important.
It’s at this point that a buyer will decide whether or not to book a showing, and the photos and video will make the difference between buyers choosing to see your unit or the others.
My elite professional HD photography and videography will make your unit seem as spacious as possible while showcasing all of its positive features.
8. Price it Competitively
Coming up with the right price for a unit is an art and requires careful consideration of the current market. When you price competitively right out of the gate, you stand a better chance of selling more quickly.
Failing to price your unit appropriately can have several negative effects, including a stale listing and a missed sale. You might even consider listing your unit just a hair under market value in order to attract more buyers to your unit and potentially encourage a bidding war that will drive the sale price up much higher.
Price will always be the first thing that buyers notice, and if you list your unit at a price that’s considered fair according to today’s market, you’ll stand a better chance at selling within a reasonable amount of time.
9. Use an Experienced Real Estate Agent
There’s no denying the fact that having a seasoned real estate agent by your side can exponentially increase the odds of selling your unit quickly.
I have the experience and the know-how to position your listing in such a way that it attracts the majority of buyers looking in your building. I always have my eye on the trends in the Toronto condo and loft market and use that information to my advantage – and yours – to help sell your unit before any of your neighbours do.
The Bottom Line
There’s no reason to let your neighbours win the home selling competition if you tackle a few tasks and make your listing more attractive than the others in your building. If you do so with an experienced real estate agent in tow, you’ll stand the best chance of selling your unit faster and for a higher price than your neighbours.
If you want to buy or sell a Toronto condo or loft, contact Casey Ragan at 416-486-5588 or by email at casey@remaxhallmark.com
Casey Ragan
“Toronto’s Condo Authority”