Selling Your Home? The Right Real Estate Agent Looks Out for Your Best Interests

Pierce County’s real estate market in 2021 has been incredibly competitive for buyers. Homes are selling fast, and in fact, it might look “easy” to sell a home right now. But even if your home receives a great offer (or even multiple offers) from eager buyers, you’re not quite at the finish line. There are many terms and details that go into a safe and solid offer, and having an experienced real estate agent who can help protect your best interests is essential. A smart and experienced real estate agent will be able to help you avoid leaving money on the table, and they will be able to protect you from unnecessary challenges and stress!

In the heat of 2021’s spring real estate market in Pierce County, REALTOR® Trish Stone was not only able to sell her client’s Tacoma home for $10,000 over list price, but she was able to help her sellers navigate some tricky situations in the offer process. Her clients received offers from some very risky buyers, but Trish made sure that her clients accepted a strong, safe offer in the end.

Keep reading for an in-depth look at how REALTOR® Trish Stone was able to help her seller clients prepare their home for the market and successfully sell their home for over the list price!

Preparing This Historic Farmhouse in Tacoma for Listing Day

The owners of this 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath farmhouse on 0.59 acres in the Parkland area of Tacoma first reached out to Trish in March 2021. They were getting ready to sell their home and wanted Trish’s help, so Trish rolled up her sleeves and dove right in!

“The seller asked for an estimated list price, so I pulled local activity and spoke about the market data supported by stats,” shares Trish. “Then we met so that I could have the seller take me on a tour of the home and property. Since he knew the home the best, he could point out unique features and upgrades, and together we could create a strategy to prepare the home to sell. We wanted to make sure that the home would look its best and be in top-notch condition on listing day! We created a list of activities we each needed to perform to get the home market-ready.”

The seller happened to have his own team of professionals who were ready to make necessary repairs to the home and check the to-do’s off of their list. Trish was there from start to finish to guide the process and offer advice along the way. In addition to providing her expertise regarding the return of investment on certain projects, she also shared what actions would be necessary to appeal to the most buyers possible (and create important buyer confidence!) as well as what items would be of concern for appraisal conditions.

Preparing the Home for a Successful Sale

Trish’s seller clients first reached out to her in March 2021, and by April it was time to list the home! After all of the updates and repairs to the home were made, Trish had the home staged, had professional photos taken of the home, and she also had a video tour of the home made.

This was only the beginning when it came to marketing the home—Trish also shared an in-depth blog post that highlighted the home’s top features, and she shared the listing on her Facebook (which included sponsored advertising) and Instagram. Trish also made sure to focus on showing off the home’s showstopper features—this residence is truly a gem of a home!

Built in 1916, this farmhouse on 0.59 acres had been lovingly maintained and thoughtfully upgraded over the years. It was totally ready for new owners, and although it is over a century old, this beauty was completely move-in ready and filled with modern amenities.

The spacious 2,266-square-foot layout included 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and versatile living spaces; the property also included a huge detached 2-car garage and a gorgeous manicured yard. Plus, the location is fantastic—it’s merely minutes to shopping, restaurants, parks, highways, JBLM and more. The home was listed for $595,000.

Choosing a Safe & Solid Offer to Accept

Trish’s sellers quickly received an offer on the home: “One offer came in, but one day after it was received when the seller was signing it into mutual, the lender called saying that they discovered credit issues after looking into the buyer’s pre-approval further,” shares Trish. “The buyer was no longer able to purchase at this price point.”

It wasn’t long before 2 more offers came in. One of the potential buyers got cold feet before they could sign into mutual, and the other offer had no 22AD (which is insurance to the seller if the property ended up appraising lower than their offer price) to support a purchase price. “We attempted to negotiate with the buyer,” adds Trish, “but they would not support their price, so my seller chose not to risk a low appraisal.”

After 21 days, Trish’s seller clients received an offer that was reasonable, and it could be supported with comparables. They also had a strong level of confidence in the offer after speaking with the buyer’s lender. In the end, this Tacoma farmhouse was listed for $595,000 and sold for $605,000.

Would you like to learn more about selling your home in Pierce County? REALTOR® Trish Stone has worked with clients throughout the area, and she especially loves working in Puyallup and Tacoma. You can get in touch with Trish at (253) 677-1574, [email protected], or via this handy contact form. She’d love to chat and see how she can help you!

You can also follow Trish Stone on Facebook and connect with her on Instagram. Trish is always sharing updates on the local real estate market and her insight about what’s going on, great community info, and of course her latest beautiful home listings for sale!