Why Is It Important For A Brooklyn Homeowner To Price Their Home Correctly?

Determining the right price to offer a home for sale can be difficult for a Brooklyn homeowner. Yet, even in this unprecedented real estate market we have been experiencing, setting the right sales price is extremely important.

The seller determines the sales price, but the buyer determines the value by what they are willing to pay for a home.

A fallacy that I often hear from Brooklyn homeowners is that they can ask for a higher price and negotiate down if need be. on the contrary, this philosophy may very well backfire. 

As a result of overpricing, the number of buyers who look at the home may drastically reduce. A buyer sets out on their home search with a price range determined by the lender. If your home is priced correctly and in their price range, they will take a look. If your home is priced outside their price range, they are less likely to look. 

Buyers looking in the price range of your overpriced home won’t be interested because other homes listed at the same price offer them much more.

Buyers know that homes are selling quickly in our current market, and negotiating a lower price isn’t likely. Therefore, they will probably eliminate your home because it doesn’t fall into their price range.

An overpriced home will take longer to sell. Statistically, overpriced homes end up selling for less than the amount the house would sell for if it was appropriately priced.

How does a real estate agent evaluate a fair asking price for a home? They use what is known as a comparative market analysis (CMA). Looking at comparable homes that have sold in your neighborhood is the beginning step of creating a CMA.

What makes a home comparable?

  1. A similar number of bedrooms.
  2. A similar number of bathrooms.
  3. Square footage within 200 sq. ft of your home.
  4. Within a ¼ mile radius of your home.
  5. Same zip code.
  6. Same school district.
  7. Sold within the past six months.

It may not always be possible to find homes that are an exact match to yours. Using comparables that are most like yours and as close to the parameters as possible is key to determining the best price.

Real estate agents also want to look at other types of comparables in addition to the sold comps.

  1. Homes currently for sale – these homes are your current competition.
  2. Houses under contract – these homes show what interests buyers.
  3. Homes that did not sell – homes for sale that expired also give clues to buyers’ willingness to pay for a home.

Let’s take a look at how a real estate agent creates a comparative market analysis.

  1. A real estate agent will gather information about your Brooklyn home. 
    1. Location of your home
    2. Number of bedrooms
    3. Number of bathrooms
    4. Square footage
    5. Age of your home
    6. Lot size
    7. Updates
    8. Special features 
    9. Tax information
  2. The agent will look to see the sales history of your home, if available.
  3. Comparable property information is researched.
    1. Homes that sold
    2. Houses currently for sale
    3. Homes under contract
  4. Now it is time to analyze this information.
    1. Days on the market
    2. Listing price to sales price ratio
    3. High, low, and average sales price
    4. Condition of the subject property
    5. Location of the subject property
    6. Neighborhood amenities
    7. Current competition (home currently for sale)
  5. Your agent will create a report showing the Brooklyn homeowner the facts found in the agent’s research for the purpose of determining a suggested price range.

Your real estate professional will present and review this information with you. The next step is for the Brooklyn homeowner to set the price. 

A comparative market analysis is not the same as an appraisal. A comparative market analysis is a real estate professional’s process for establishing a price range to offer a home for sale. An experienced real estate agent tries to follow the guidelines that an appraiser must follow when determining a home’s value.

An appraisal occurs after the buyer and seller have agreed on a sales price. An appraiser is a state-licensed professional. The buyer’s bank will verify that the buyer’s price is equal to or less than the home’s value. Although the mortgage lender orders an appraisal to be done, the appraiser is a neutral party in the process. The appraisal will prevent the bank from lending more money than the home is worth to protect their investment. This article will provide you with some additional information about appraisals.

Three main factors will affect the saleability of your home. 

  1. Condition
  2. Location
  3. Price

The condition of your home is something you may or may not be able to improve. If your home is outdated or in need of repairs, a buyer will not want to pay top dollar for the home. Therefore, it is best to make whatever updates or repairs you can before placing your home on the market. 

The location of your home is not something that will change. Moving your home to sell it is not a practical tactic to take. Neighborhoods change over time. Whether your area is desirable or in a downturn is not within your control.

The price of your home is a factor that you can control. It is natural to want to get the most money for your home. Understanding the details of the homes sold in your neighborhood is an essential factor when determining a sales price. Did your neighbor sell at a higher price? You need to look at the facts. Did they have a larger home and more updates?

Read this blog post to understand the reasons a home may not be selling. 

What are the dangers of overpricing a home? 

  1. Your home will sit on the market too long. 

The most activity a home will see is in the first few weeks of hitting the market. After 3 or 4 weeks, the interest will wane. In the current real estate sales environment, buyers tend to think something is wrong with a home if it has been on the market for a while. 

  1. Your sales price may be lower than if you priced it correctly.

As I said before, an overpriced home will generally sell for less than what it would have sold for if you start with the correct price.

  1. If you do sell, your home may not appraise.

Maybe you were lucky enough to find a buyer willing to pay your high asking price. If the appraisal comes in lower than your contract price, the lender will not loan the money to your buyer. Depending on the type of loan the buyer was obtaining, that appraisal may be valid for some time and affect future buyers.

  1. You won’t reach the right buyers.

Buyers and their agents are looking at homes priced within their price range. They may not even realize that your home is available for sale because it is not showing up in their searches. 

  1. You give leverage to other homes for sale in your neighborhood.

If your house is overpriced and your neighbors price their home correctly, you make your neighbors home look like a better deal. Price will draw buyers to the home that seems to be a better value. 

Many factors will affect the sale of your home.

Working with a real estate professional can help you avoid some of the pitfalls. An experienced real estate agent studies the local real estate market and has its finger on current trends’ pulse. By all means, work with a local professional to determine the best price for your home.

It is tempting for Brooklyn homeowners to overprice their homes in a seller’s market to see what happens. But, hopefully, you understand now why this strategy isn’t going to be to your advantage.

Contact me, Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. As a Brooklyn real estate agent with over 30 years of experience, I know the local market and understand the best home pricing strategies. I can be reached by phone at (718) 253-9500 ext. 1901 or by email at [email protected].

Charles D'Allesandro

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