Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Events
From The Desk of Chris Mygatt
Chris Mygatt
President & Chief Operating Officer
CBRB Show Front Ranger Home Sellers How to Open Doors to Buyers During Open House Month
"To help consumers make the most of the spring selling season, Coldwell Banker has designated May as National Open House Month," says Chris Mygatt, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Colorado. "Open houses are such great tools for sellers because they create a lot of buzz and draw a great deal of potential buyers. Throughout May, we expect to showcase a wide array of homes in a variety of different styles and price ranges."
This year, with the real estate market having shifted in favor of the buyer in most locales, competition amongst sellers has increased, and early multiple offers have given way to buyers patiently weighing their options. However, the sophisticated seller can sway the odds to his or her favor by differentiating the home from the others on the market by making it look its absolute best.
"There are lots of different ways you can clean up a home to prepare it for an open house," Mygatt continued. "We have all heard about cleaning up the front lawn, painting the rooms in neutral colors and stowing away the clutter. But that's just part of preparing a home for an open house. It is important to think beyond those rudimentary tips to ready the property for a sale."
To prepare for an open house, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offers the following tips:
Refinish Hardwood Floors: Natural hardwood floors continue to be a requisite in the interior design industry. Making sure yours look their best can be done quickly and cost effectively with a quick polyurethane coating.
Do It Yourself Home Staging: A real estate sales associate may suggest hiding away furniture that has nicks or flaws that could distract a potential buyer. If your furniture is still in very good shape, the real estate professional may also recommend removing one or two items to make rooms appear larger and give buyers a better opportunity to imagine their belongings inside.
Room for Improvement: Many have a room in his or her home that is primarily used as a general storage depot. Remember, potential buyers may view that room as a perfect spot for sewing, exercise, a library, or even as a private hideaway. If the room is clutter-free, your sales associate will have a better chance to showcase that room's potential.
A Rose by Any Other Name: While everyone knows that flowers will brighten a home, it's not necessary to spend a fortune at the florist for your staging. Arrange some dogwood branches, cherry blossoms and some forsythia branches strategically around the house, like on an end table or on top of the water tank of the commode, to add warmth and an outdoor touch to your home.
Make it Nameless: As much as you want the house to look attractive, it should not be a record of your family's life. Tuck away as many of your personal belongings, like family photos, trophies and other knick knacks. You want potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home, not admiring your achievements.
Add a Touch of Class: The same way the perfect accessories can finish an outfit, the perfect accoutrements can make a room look complete. Stack three hardcover books neatly at an angle on an end table. Fan out high end glossy magazines across your coffee table. Put a colorful bowl of fruit on the windowsill. Any number of nice, yet anonymous additions can go a long way towards completing a room.
Under the Microscope: Ask one of your most "constructively critical" friends or relatives to visit the home as if he or she were a potential buyer, and have that person tell you what he or she notices first about each room. That will tell you whether you have the room in the right shape for selling or if it needs some minor adjustments. "It almost goes without saying that homes on the market should be spotless, and that all leaky faucets and other minor repairs should be fixed," says Mygatt. "The key to any successful open house is that it should be properly prepared by the seller so that the real estate professional can successfully market it."
To complement Open House Month, for the entire month of May Coldwell Banker will partner with Drexel Heritage to host an "Open House Month" sweepstakes. Consumers merely need to log on to coldwellbanker.com and register to win. Four weekly winners each will receive $5,000 in Drexel Heritage furniture, while the grand-prize winner will receive $20,000 in Drexel Heritage furniture and a free consultation with an interior designer. Residents of Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and where otherwise prohibited are ineligible due to state law. Please visit coldwellbanker.com for complete contest rules.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, a leading residential real estate brokerage company in Colorado, has more than 1,600 sales associates operating from 14 strategically located offices spanning the Front Range from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is part of NRT Incorporated, the nation's largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation (NYSE:H), operates Realogy's company-owned real estate brokerage offices.
For more information on Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, contact the company at 303.409.1500, and visit online at www.ColoradoHomes.com.
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My Best,
Chris Mygatt