I’m seeing a lot of buzz lately saying right around now is the best time of year to sell your house. Many realtors post these articles. I can’t blame them. We are always saying “Now” is a good time to do anything, lol.

I am in now way doubting the statistics. Numbers don’t like. The problem though is knowing what they mean.

Fact: There are more buyers out in the market in the spring. It’s always been this way so I don’t see the newsworthiness of it.

Fact: The likelihood of your house selling for top dollar is less dependent on when you list than it is on the condition of your house and how it fits in the market…..meaning, how do buyers rank your house compared to what is currently available to them in terms of condition, price, floor plan, lot and location.

I have sold plenty of houses in multiple offers the very first day on the market back in 2008-2010. That was when it was an extreme Buyer’s Market.

It is a simple formula really.

You do some prep work. Fix anything that is going to keep a buyer from saying yes to your house. You want them to leave their showing with a positive emotional response. If there is work to be done on your house, they leave with a logical response. They are thinking about what they need to do to your house and how much it is going to cost. If they even make an offer, it will be less since they are deducting the cost of those repairs. So, leave them with nothing to do but fall in love.

Price it right. I don’t mean use what zillow, a recent appraisal or an AVM says the house is worth. Do some real research. See what has recently sold in your neighborhood. See what is pending in your neighborhood. Pending sales, while you don’t know the actually sale price until it closes, can tell you what buyers are doing in real time.

The last step is the most important one. You see what other choices a buyer has maybe 15% below and 15% higher than the value of your house. Then you price your house so it is clearly one of their top choices. Why? Because after 19 years in this business, the one biggest thing I have learned is that every buyer wants the best house they can get for their budget. As long as you have one of those houses, it will sell quickly for top dollar in any market and in any time of the year.