Considering selling on your own? Here are some facts regarding hiring a Realtor (professional negotiator) in a fast-moving market:

If you are considering selling a property in Ottawa, the news regarding the resale market is certainly exciting. Ottawa has not seen price increases like this for years! Properties are selling faster and for more money than in previous years due to the lack of inventory and the built-up number of buyers.

This past year has continued to be a “Sellers Market”, where the demand exceeds the supply of properties available to purchase. The average time that a property sits on the market prior to selling as dropped to a mere 14 days, down from an average of 30 days in February of 2020.

With these numbers, some Sellers might be tempted to list on their own or with one of those bare-bones, “sell-your-own-home” real estate companies. Sellers then hope that they can simply sit back and watch the offers pour in. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Given that this sale is likely to be the biggest transaction of your life, you are more likely to get top dollar when you call on an experienced Realtor, whose expertise and negotiating savvy will for sure obtain a higher price in this competitive market. This means that you will net more money than if you were to complete the transaction on your own.

Even in a market that favors sellers, there are many reasons to have a Realtor at your side to support you through the process. They can help to maximize a property’s potential selling price and attract a larger number of qualified buyers through expert marketing techniques and networking.

When Ottawa’s impressive February sales numbers were announced, President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board Debra Wright says that “in this complex and fast-paced market, it is essential to utilize the skills and experience of a Realtor with negotiation and the market knowledge to act quickly on your behalf.”

With more than 30 years of assisting Buyers and Sellers in a variety of market conditions, we know which strategies will work to obtain the best results in the current market conditions. This also involves extensive marketing which many Sellers don’t realize as they often just look at the prices that are being obtained.

Here are just a few ways that Nancy Benson & Associates can assist our sellers to maximize their advantage in this fast-paced market:

Expertise in Presentation:

Even with competition among buyers, you should not take an easy sale for granted.

Getting your property looking its best will help attract more buyers than a property that looks tired or dated, and it can make a substantial difference as to who will offer on your home.

With the expertise of my full-time team, we can focus on what attracts the largest number of Buyers. We will help you to identify where your property shines and where it might need work for it to be presented at its best. This might mean just a few simple modifications like de-cluttering, a fresh coat of paint, or some contemporary cabinet hardware. Some simple and inexpensive changes can make the biggest difference.

Our services also include the assistance of a:

  • Professional Stager
  • Professional Marketing Staff
  • Professional Writer
  • Professional Photographer
  • Virtual Tour Coordinator
  • Full Time Sales Staff

… and all these hardworking and knowledgeable staff will add the right touches to give your property that polished look.

Staging & Presentation

Our professional home stager will add touches to give your property the polished look of something you would see in a home décor magazine. We love it when our clients tell us they have never seen their property looking better! Likewise, our professional photographers know how to take superb pictures and videos of your property inside and out. With so many people making decisions from online presence, we know from experience that quality photos can make the difference in whether buyers decide to visit or pass on seeing a property.

You can see the quality of the tours that we produce on my website, www.nancybenson.com.

Here is a link to a unique virtual tour:  

Expertise in Pricing:

One of the keys to attracting the most visitors and best offers is to price your property strategically for the current market. That can be difficult to assess on your own, without knowing local inventory or what similar properties have been selling for lately in your neighbourhood. On your own, you can see from the MLS listings what people have been asking for, but what did they finally receive? Was there a strategy with respect to listing price, or finding that “sweet spot” in the market to achieve multiple offers?

Expertise in Marketing:

Even in a sellers’ market, simply putting up a sign in front of your home on your own will not guarantee the greatest number of people who might consider an offer.

We promote our listings across dozens of websites. In addition, we spread the word among a large network of fellow Realtors in Ottawa, across Canada, and abroad, a network I have developed in more than three decades of working in the real estate.

Custom marketing is tremendously important as we target market all of our properties to those who are most likely to be true buyers and by choosing specific media platforms and utilizing the skills of our highly trained online marketing staff.

Expertise in Negotiation and Offers:

In a hot sellers’ market where multiple offers are common, it can be difficult for a homeowner to know how to approach or organize the showing and offer process.

We Realtors have expertise in how to time a showing period and the date we will accept offers, in order to generate as many offers as possible.

If you are lucky enough to receive several offers, it is not always a case of accepting the highest bid. Sometimes a highest bid will include conditions and requirements not to your benefit, or the buyer may not have a solid financing avenue.

With our training and education in negotiating and legal requirements of a sale, we know how to quickly recognize the strongest and best offers for you.

With my years of experience, I also know how to spot when we can negotiate to make what looks to be a good offer even better, with a higher price or better conditions.

If you are considering buying or selling property in the Ottawa area in 2021, I would love to chat with you about your goals and more specifically how to obtain the highest price possible in your neighbourhood.

You can read more about me and my team on my website, www.nancybenson.com. The site includes testimonials from my seller and buyer clients about what they have appreciated about my services and guidance. We take pride in providing a smooth process and the best possible outcome for my clients. Our business in built around satisfied clients and their referrals.

Feel free to reach out at 613-747-4747 or to send me a note at nancy@nancybenson.com.

Cheers! Nancy