Introduction to 5 Installments: Selling your home is no small matter, and since I’ve been in the real estate business going back four decades and transitioned from traditional marketing to powerful Internet marketing technologies, I’ve seen a lot of changes. While consumers are quite aware of the changes in how they search for homes and do online research, and how they do not respond to old print advertising and other worn out sales gimmicks, the real estate industry itself has lagged far behind. I’ve watched too many good people get caught up in the nonsense of agents’ gimmicks and listing presentations. Having written many books for buyers, I finally could not contain myself any longer, and I decided to share what I’ve learned that home owners definitely would want to know if only someone would tell them. This is the first installment of five from my book, The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home.
In this article and in the next four articles I will share the preface and introduction of my book for sellers. There’s no fluff in what I write, and I have won awards for a “content-rich” real estate blog, so I think you’ll find this material useful if you are thinking about selling your home. It doesn’t matter where your home is located, because what I share applies in every real estate market in every state. Let’s begin.
I wrote The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home with the idea that many home sellers need good, relevant, and honest information before listing and selling their homes. With that in mind, I share things I’ve learned in the real estate business going back almost four decades. Many of the tidbits I share I call “secrets” because so few home sellers know them. But there’s another big reason I wrote this book. There are a thousand traps for the unwary, and I don’t want you to get caught in any of them. I hope that the honest and transparent approach I have taken in this book is helpful. By that I mean I hope it saves you time and stress, and I hope it helps you sell your home in the least amount of time and get the highest price possible.
It would be nice if a book like this could just be full of warm fuzzies and make everyone think happy thoughts about all things real estate. But you can’t reveal secrets that harm home sellers without sharing the truth by pulling back the curtains. I’ve always thought that a big part of success in this life is avoiding major mistakes. That was true during my tour in the military, and it was true during my 20 years as a lawyer. But it’s also true in real estate.
Success in selling your home certainly means avoiding major mistakes. Some of those mistakes that so many home sellers regularly make are explained by the seven myths I address. Just avoiding these mistakes could change your entire selling process. If you avoid big mistakes and succeed in selling your home in the least amount of time for the most money possible, you will find yourself less stressed and much happier. So this book does seek to help you think happy thoughts, but first we must walk through the Valley of Myths. On the far side of the Valley you will find what you seek.
This is Part 1 of 5 installments. I know this is a short segment, and the following segments are longer, but there’s a lot to think about in this article. Far too many sellers discount the idea that they could make a big mistake they will regret for the rest of their life when it comes to selling a home. At this phase in your life you cannot afford any missteps. You’ve worked too hard for too long to get it wrong now, and there’s a lot at stake when you’re selling a home–money, time and stress! As an ol’ sage once said, “Surround yourself with wise counsellors so you can avoid traps for the unwary home seller.” Well, I might have said that, but you get the point. Do not overestimate your own knowledge on marketing your home and handling all the details that need to be handled correctly, and at the same time do not underestimate the value of wise advice.
For more information about my book, which you can get in either the Kindle version or the paperback version, you can preview it on Amazon at The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home.
Read the next installment, Part 2 of How to Sell Your Home.
Last Updated on January 6, 2021 by Chuck Marunde
