That house needs savvy marketing, even in a seller's market

If you're planning to sell your house in the fall, you could be in luck: The Philadelphia market, and just about every other market in the country, is short of homes to sell.

Many submarkets here - in the city, especially - find sellers holding the key. That must mean any listing is bound to be scooped up for top dollar, right?

Don't be too sure.

Today's buyers want everything done for them, "down to the pulls on the kitchen drawers," said Barbara M. Mastronardo, associate broker at Weichert Realtors in Media. "All they want to do is move in with only their toothbrushes."

Before the housing bubble burst in 2007, buyers typically were ready and willing to repaint on their own to suit their tastes, to "personalize" the home once they moved in.

Today, "they are even unwilling to spend $35 on a gallon of paint," Mastronardo said.

Many sellers aren't on their best behavior these days, either, said Chris Somers, broker/owner of Re/Max Access in Northern Liberties.

In 2016's second quarter, Somers said recently, "many sellers continued to push the market with higher list prices, as a bit of greed is kicking in."

With Labor Day approaching and summer vacations all but over, those who have the financial assets to buy a house but also the "money to be sitting on their butt on the beach," as Mark Wade of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach Realtors in Center City put it, will be heading home - perhaps to a new one soon.

"Fall generally mirrors the spring market, albeit a bit less hectic, so I expect an exciting fall buying-and-selling season here in town," Wade said.

Real estate agents seem to be in complete agreement about the pickiness of today's buyers.

"Strive for perfection, since that is what buyers are looking for," Mastronardo said - "especially if you want top dollar for your house."

"Return to the old ways of getting a house ready for the market," she said. "Neutralize, update, and be sure it is clean."

Update and clean are self-explanatory, but neutralize might need some clarification.

Mastronardo was referring to interior paint colors. Not everyone likes purple walls, even in children's bedrooms, so it would be best to repaint those in neutral colors. Off-white seems to be the hue of choice.

Agents need to be diplomatic to get the message across to sellers.

"When suggesting things in preparation for putting a property on the market, it is important to keep in mind that with most sellers their home is a prized possession," said Diane Williams of Weichert Realtors in Blue Bell. "Therefore, it is important how the agent phrases remarks."

For example: "Not that you have too much stuff that you need to get rid of, but [homes] that are staged properly sell faster and most times for a higher price," she said.

If a home is dirty or smelly, Williams said, you suggest that "I have a great contact that can go through and do all the pesky deep cleaning for you."

If there is an abundance of mementos, point out that "it will be easier for people to envision their own decor if they have more of a blank slate," she said - but not that "buyers don't want to see your family portraits or your design style."

To sell a house for a price that equals or exceeds what you want for it, Williams said, the trick is to look at it first through a buyer's eyes.

Why? Well, in general, because buyers do not see a house the same way a seller does.

Once the house is listed, it becomes a product that is competing with the products other sellers are offering.

"The way you live in your home and the way we market and sell your house are two very different things," Williams said.

"Sellers need to stand in the doorway of every room and look through eyes of a buyer," she said. "Buyers only know what they see, not the way it is going to be."

"Remember," Williams added, that "it is usually true that you need to spend $5,000 make $10,000."

aheavens@phillynews.com

215-854-2472 @alheavens