SELLING IN A SPECIAL SEASON

Growing up, the month of November, and particularly Show Day, was very special. It represented a celebratory break in our relatively authoritarian family rhythm and, as I got older, it was Cup Day that gradually became an all-important part of the calendar year. In many ways, nothing has changed except I now see the entire city shift up a gear in November, shedding some of its natural conservatism, and there’s always a springtime sense of optimism in the Canterbury air. The property market is no different.

November is statistically one of the most active marketing periods, with November 2018 recording 620 properties selling in the Christchurch demographic area, in an average of 32 days. Whilst the median price at that time was $460,000, it’s the volume and the short number of days to sell that I can see being duplicated again in November this year. I’ll also keep my fingers crossed for an increase in the median value, along with every other local homeowner.

So, how can you get the best price and conditions as a seller? To my mind, two elements prevail:

1. Who?

Who do you choose, and that also means who do you trust? Is it an area specialist that may already have buyers active in your location? Is it a niche specialist – this can include agents with ‘as is’ knowledge or those familiar with the specific skill sets needed to work with apartments or complex body corps? You will also need to consider the benefits of engaging a top performer with their proven sales record, however their record needs to support their rhetoric (from experience, it doesn’t always). There are top performers and then there are pretenders. Selling is a serious matter, as are the costs, so it’s worthy of diligent research or an outstanding recommendation from a trusted friend or confidant. Bear in mind, an enthusiastic ‘newbie’ with a never-say-die attitude can, on occasion, beat seasoned realtors who lack the drive or current skill set to conclude a successful result!

2. How?

How do you get the very best price? Everyone has their own thoughts and prejudices where the method is concerned. I’ll start at the easy end. You do your absolute best to present your home beautifully, listen to what your agent tells you, stage – if it’s recommended – and don’t think people can’t smell dogs or smoking, because they can. The easiest way to look at it is that a home should sparkle. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Now, how to sell. In the interests of my word count, I’ll skip to the chase and I’m comfortable with any criticism that my choice provokes. I’d advocate auction first, as a means of not being limited by a price, of utilising a deadline to motivate buyers to act and of creating the prospect of achieving an unconditional contract – a benefit which speaks volumes.

There are other options, of course: pricing – effective and fast if you price low, a killer if you price too high – deadlines, NPM, the list goes on, but in 25 years and having auctioned eight times with every result including no bids or buyers, I still firmly believe it’s the right forum in skilled hands.

So, enjoy this magical month, every part of our city is coming back together, and should you want uncensored and seasoned real estate advice, I’m just a call away.