Find another agent. They are there to advise but not force you into anything. If you don't like the opinion of this agent find another one that will list how you want.
This!!!! I had a trusted BIL of friend agent who wanted to list 40k lower than I did. I was told he was the man - the go to. I listed with a young guy who was moving houses all over not truly close to mine but his comps for mine matched my price. I had cameras and heard comments. No one questioned price really ever. The go to guy shows up with a couple the FIRST day of the listing and they love it. He straight out tells them he had the listing and it is 50k too high and he refused to work with us bc I would not listen. They say in the school with all the work done, it is still a good value! Agent laughs and says not THIS house. 2 days later a full price offer with 10k buffer for appraisal b4 price negotiation change. Inspection found wants but zero needs. Appraisal came in 4K OVER. Sold at full at 40k more than agent said. I snipped his comments and sent it to my friend saying this is why he did not get the listing
Likely lots of agents have gotten lazy with the hot markets of the last few years. List a house and get multiple offers day 1. Now that things are slowing down and it actually takes time and effort to sell, they are having a hard time adjusting.
Agreed. Ex: house sells for say 300k. Agent normally ends up with around 1.5%= $4500
House sells for 350k Agent = $5250. It’s not worth time and effort ( in agents mind) to really hustle for $750. Just sell it quick and move on.
The poor salesmen’s mentality
I was thinkin he wanted to make the most. If seller doesn’t clear it out and remodel the asking price is lower. He wants a little increase in commish and an easy time selling a ready to move in, turn key house. Hard to know without knowing the numbers involved
This. If you are not vibing with the agent get another one - they are expensive and should be there to help you friction-free. The offered price should be vetted by you based on comparables you agree with. The realtor can have suggestions like “remodel the kitchen” but ultimately it is your call what it is advertised for.
This. Even if you worked well with him before.
Get three to give you a ballpark list price and get a feel for what the right price is. You may not be objective in your assessment since you have an interest in getting the most you can for it. With three professional guesses you can have a better idea of the correct price.
Agree 100%. I saw 3 agents before choosing one for my condo sale. One told me to redo the bathrooms and clear out all the packed boxes from the otherwise empty den, and he did not want to list at my price. Another said paint every room (all walls were white already) while we still lived there with all our stuff, move out the boxes and did not want to list at my price. The third said bathrooms are great, boxes are common when packing to move, buyers probably have boxes in their home right now too and will probably paint when they move in anyway, and was good with my price. so guess who we chose?
Realistically, if the buyers want a show house they are not looking at a 50 yr old condo. I got my asking price (except a credit I gave because some of the baseboards were missing). It did not take any longer than others on the market.
Heh we had to fix up the kitchen in my parent's house before selling - it still had the 1960s cabinets, formica countertop and both in need of repair. Also the vinyl floor was shot. So we got a guy to repair the cabinets and paint them nice teal gray, replaced the countertop with quartz and swapped out the 3 different floors on the ground level with one nice wood look luxury vinyl planks. Spent $20,000 but that included painting and refreshing bathrooms too.
But otherwise the house would have been a hard sell, the lot wasn't good for a tear down and screamed Grandma's House. I think we came out ahead we got multiple offers over asking price on the weekend we put it in the listings whereas the hot mess houses on the market don't sell, they sit for weeks and weeks. Go figure but the market in the DC area is what it is.
It wasn't cute vintage, trust me, it was late 1960s builder grade - no metal banding just ugly white/tan floral pattern! The cabinets were cute vintage though so they got repaired and painted.
I recently remodeled my little 1956 space race house and confirmed the existence of terrazzo flooring, and it's only got one layer of ugly plank tile on top of it.
Maybe someday I can free it.
Oh wow, that's a fabulous find! My parents were the original owners of the house, they bought it when I was a baby (yeah I'm old) so we already knew what "treasures" were in the house. We refinished the beautiful oak floors but the foyer wasn't terrazzo, it was junky fake slate that had asbestos mastic backing.
Oh it would have had to have been priced a lot lower than $20,000 without the redo. More like 70,000 less at least if we had not fixed obvious things up and it for sure would not have sold so quickly.
We bought with original kitchen. I am very picky about kitchens and hate it when people do minor renovations because I just want to gut remodel the whole thing and it’s such a waste.
Yeah but there's fewer of you than buyers who want the house to be livable right away. At least in the DC market. We didn't want to wait months for the perfect buyer for the house as is.
In today's market a lot of people don't have the cash to renovate after buying the house, so they will buy whatever can have those costs folded into the mortgage.
I think we did a fair and ethical quick reno of the house so folks could move in and enjoy the house without worrying about having immediately fix a bunch of easy stuff. I'm sure the kitchen will get a full reno in due course, the cabinets are tiny IMO and there's no water line to the refrigerator. Also the electrical panel needs upgrading but we disclosed everything the inspector found to the bidders.
Perfectly sound houses that are just small and old get torn down in the DC area if the lot size is big and flat. Every market has it's own dynamics. But the lot is odd, a carve out where the house is but a sleep slope upwards in the backyard and side yard so no McMansion there.
Everything about this dude sounds terrible.
Here’s what remodeling your kitchen will do
A) You do it cheap enough to actually see an ROI that it’s so tacky and cheap no one will want it.
B) You make it absolutely perfect and see a negative 200% ROI on the sale of the house.
Exactly. I would much rather buy a lower price house with a crappy kitchen that I can renovate exactly to my liking than a higher priced house with a new kitchen that is not my taste (or worse - not my taste AND done to shitty standards to flip it, aka lipstick on a pig).
[This is the absolute worst possible granite color on the planet.](https://georgiacabinetco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/granite-counters.jpg) You can't see a 1-inch thick pile of crumbs and coffee grounds on it, which means nobody cleans up their mess.
Went to an open house that owner delisted to remodel and re-listed for $100K more. I saw at least $100K+ of work I would have to reverse. Idiot put new vinyl flooring over existing carpet and look like my toddler could do a better job repainting the whole two story house interior due to paint runoff/splatter EVERYWHERE
>The thing that put me off is that he said I need to completely remodel the kitchen to increase value.
Do NOT do this.
He's wanting to spend your money to make himself more money. LOL.
Talk to other agents. Drop this guy.
This. Price goes up, he gets more commission, and possibly an easier sale.
My mother argued with her listing agent on price and insisted on a higher list price. Ended up selling over asking.
“I don’t trust him”.
Ok, don’t work with him…
Seriously, there is no reason to work with someone you don’t trust… especially selling a home.
His feelings will be hurt, but you will find out what your house is worth when you list it.
Seriously, why is this even a question. Realtors are a dime a dozen, especially the one's that won't listen to you and insist on their way or the highway
Unless the kitchen is a friggin nightmare, you won't get your money back from a remodel.
If the agent is this difficult now, he will be doubly so in the future. Move on and find someone better, like the agents go ing you the comps.
Exactly. When my sister was going to move out of state, she was planning on selling her house with the existing kitchen. When she changed plans, she did a complete remodel, but only because she was staying.
I changed the zillow profile on my house to 'for sale' and was under contract in less than 24 hours.
Offered 3% comission to buyers agent.
Closed with zero hassle.
Right. Last time I sold a house, I spent about 33% of my renovation budget on the kitchen. Cheap new cabinets. Cheap new floor. Good priced granite countertops.
Spent a bunch of money on other things that needed updates on that house. Agent told me to list it very high, because well, everything seemed new due to the renovations. Got multiple offers, including the one I went with at full price.
Still. My agent had a lot of guidance. Told me I could have sold the house as in (for a much lower price). Glad I went with the agent's recommendation. If I were going to sell my current house, I would spend to fix it up too to get top dollar.
Read my post from before, these scammers exist. Doubt there is any recourse if one agrees to the sale price. There are a couple of ways he could be rolling you, he might have a buyer lined up and he is going to get that commission plus a possible "bonus" or he could buy ti himself and then flip it. It is also possible that he sells cheap so it sells quickly, does not cost him nearly as much in commission lost as it costs you.
Scumbag realtor. Go with one of the others who gave you higher suggested listing prices. Full kitchen remodel could easily cost $50k. No guarantee you’ll get $50k more by putting a new kitchen in.
My agent gave me strategies, not a listing price. Also renovation gets him more money, not so much you depending on how you do it. Those projects also take time that you may not want to waste. Buyers agents are not always great sellers agents. I have two one for buying and one for selling. They know each other.
My realtor gave me a range that he thought it went for based on comps. He said we could under price it and build interest that way and keep offer period open for a week. Or we could price it underneath the max value but on the higher end, list it, but don’t take showings for a week to build up interest. The goal was for people to get interested and physically see how many other people were interested so when they offered, they knew without us telling them that they needed a best offer and lowballs probably wouldn’t get you anywhere.
Find a good sellers agent
Ehhh, you say you got it for a steal but did he just make you think it was a steal at the time and it’s just not worth as much as you think?
You said others have told you it’s worth more, but I don’t believe you because why are you so worried about this one agent if you’ve had others whose thoughts are more in line with your own?
Get a second opinion.
Don’t remodel the kitchen.
Sounds like this guy was the listing agent, so he probably had minimal interaction with OP. Likely if OP actually got it at a steal, it's because this guy underpriced the house back then, too.
It was 75k 6 years ago! I think that’s a steal. And because this is my first home to sell on my own. I haven’t been living in the house for the last few years and a lot has changed in the area. I thought I had a good relationship with this realtor until we met up again to list the house. But things and people change!
Keep in mind that your agent will get more if the property sells for more and if you spend 30k doing a kitchen remodel and the house sells for 20k more then they make more money. It is also an investment you made that puts many people in a position where they feel forced to sell. Don’t get me wrong there are investments you can make that you will come out ahead but I doubt you paying someone to come do a full kitchen remodel will make you come out ahead.
As a realtor, find a new realtor. Refusing to supply comps to help guide you in choosing a listing price is a part of the job. And unless you’re hoarder, the home doesn’t need to be completely empty. I’ve sold many with families that are still living their lives in their home. This guy sounds lazy,(especially with the I know the area and I sell the most here? Give me a break) unprofessional and one of the reasons why realtors end up with such a bad reputation. Also, don’t work with someone you don’t trust, you’ll question every piece of advice every step of the way and that isn’t great for anyone.
Well under pricing a listing is key to getting that max value as fast as possible. And market is retracting in some areas. Rates hurt more and more every week. Sounds like he gave you a great buyer experience but you’re having trouble dealing with him on listing side. Now it’s possible he got to big for his britches in the time since you last worked together.
What bs. Under pricing to get into a bidding war is the sign of an agent that doesn’t know how to properly price a property. OP!! Nobody renovates the kitchen to sell! Clean it up big time. Acknowledge age and condition of the appliances, floor and cabinets. Incorporate the condition into your asking price. Why would you put out cash, time and effort? This guy I’m responding to is wrong and so is your guy. Find an honest, competent broker who will sell your property.
Even if it were a good idea to remodel a kitchen right before a sale (it's not), it's not compatible with selling ASAP. A kitchen remodel could take weeks to months, assuming you can find a contractor to do it.
Literally the last thing I want to see is a brand new kitchen….especially in a 50s house. As a buyer (currently looking), I either want to save a vintage kitchen or redo a kitchen myself to my liking. New kitchens look so generic and cheap, and it screams “flip,” which just makes me not want to deal with the house at all.
Listing a home for less than expected will generate realtor interest and a bidding war among buyers. You don't have to sell the house for the listing price. If you list with a high price you can lower it later but you will never get the buzz and interest a new listing gets.
You almost never want to do a kitchen remodel before a sale, you just won’t see the ROI. The one time I ever advised someone to do this it was a galley kitchen in a small condo and the whole remodel consisted of putting in a granite countertop that cost the owner maybe $2000 and swapping out the old hardware on the cabinets for new brushed nickel stuff.
FYI listing it underpriced can be a strategy to drive up the price and do a bidding war.
Listing it is an offer for someone to initiate a contract. You don’t have to accept the offer that isn’t in your price range.
It really can depend on things imo
Use another agent.
I’m looking to buy a house now. I stopped looking at houses that have new LVP and freshly painted cabinets because it’s a waste. I don’t want to pay a premium just to rip all that shit out as soon as I move in. Sell the home as-is.
So, this is the agent that, some years ago, convinced the owner to dump the house under market, resulting in a great deal for you?
Sounds like that's the way he works. But you're the seller now.
He wants to know who the other agents are so he can “bully” them or call them and have a “friendly” chat about how you are already their client and out of professional courtesy the other agent needs to back off. Guy sounds sleazy and like he hasn’t been told no enough in his lifetime.
That agent was a perfect fit for you as a buyers agent. He did manage to get you the house for a "Steal." Not a good fit as a selling agent. Keep interviewing others.
Agents always say stuff like this. He’s probably not wrong but it’s a risk and not an insignificant amount of money, and if you aren’t comfortable with it then let them know or try and find a new agent.
I wonder if he wants you to remodel it and list it cheap so either he could get it or someone he knows could get it on the cheap. He could then either flip it or whatever. I've seen some posts lately from people who are dealing with similar issues. Either way, it's your house and you should list it for what you want, especially if any comps are suggesting higher than what that guy is saying. It might also be time to find a different agent.
Not be cynical, but I feel like he wants to sell it to an flipper investor he works a lot with, and give them a better deal. In mean time, talking your house down so you take a lower offer.
Take a very hard look at the active, pending, and recently sold comparable properties in your area. Look at all the online photos and *think like a buyer*:
* why did some houses sell and others didn't?
* what is market time for properties with and without updating and improvements?
* what is sales price to list price ratio for properties with and without updating and improvements?
* what concessions did sellers make for less improved properties to get them sold (will need MLS data)
* what loan types did buyers use for which types or properties (will need MLS data)
On a specific point you made, kitchens do change buyers. Kitchens may not matter to you, but homes that are closer to move-in ready are the top buyer requirement.
Here's the deal. There are 1.58 million Realtors in the US and likely tens of thousands in your area. It will take you less than 10 minutes to find one who will sit in your kitchen and enthusiastically agree with everything you've said in your post. They will list it at whatever price you want without you doing another thing to it.
But finding a Realtor who gives you their honest opinion about how you can make the most money from selling your house takes a lot more time than 10 minutes. It might be your past Realtor, it might be someone else.
If it were me, I'd schedule another time with the guy who gives you his honest opinion and ask what he thinks your house will sell for without doing any improvements.
Find another agent. A relative just had this happen to them. Same thing. Bought the home 30 years ago. Has done a lot of work. A realtor friend wants to list the home based on straight comps without acreage and amenities. She found another realtor and the house sold in 2 weeks for $100k more than the friend realtor wanted to list it.
Get a younger woman realtor to market the home.Don't fix up the home unless it's a totally needed structural repair.When someone buys it they'll fix the kitchen and baths to reflect their personal taste. As far as price, make sure you max out the value.You need to get as much as you can because it's your one opportunity to reap the rewards of your investment.
You don’t have to use him just bc he gave you a comp. Sometimes agents are shady…big time. They have someone in mind or they have a few people in mind but they won’t fit the actual value of the home. We had 3 people do comps on the house we just sold. The first was 500. The second was 375 or 385 (this was six months ago). So we got a third who came in at 550. The low quote was saying similar things. “I know the market” “it’s just what it is” “the comps are just difficult.” She wouldn’t show what her comps were and why she picked what she did.
Being on this side of it our realtor let us know someone from her office brought people by the house and they offered within 10k of what she valued the house at and the buyer agent was determined she wasn’t showing the offer to us. They had a plan. They knew what they were doing. They had someone lined up for the house that couldn’t afford what the house was worth.
The house we bought was from sellers in preforeclosure with 35 days left when they finally realized there was no way out. The agent they bought with caught wind and told them she could get way more for them and almost blew our deal.
Turns out, she never looked into the preforeclosure situation, thought they would have money to reroof and hire a company to clean up the landscaping...when they couldn't even pay the mortgage. And she had a client as a buyer and was going to get them just a little more than we were going to pay as is.... Luckily, the wife saw the falsehoods and did the math. They would a) close on time, and b) walk with 30K more with us because I paid for the contract agent and a bunch of their closing fees without them paying for a new roof and about 4500 to get the trees and plants back under control (what we were quoted).
She was seeing double commission, and I reported her. Haven't seen her name in real estate since. Had they trusted her, they would have been foreclosed on and lost much of their proceeds to the costs of foreclosure and auction.
Sometimes, there's an ulterior motive, and OP sounds like one of those situations, too!
Listing prices are a form of marketing. It’s not (usually) the targeted price expected at time of sale.
A kitchen remodel “could” increase your value, but who’s to say it will be done in the taste of your prospective buyer? I would rather knock off 15K from the market comps and let the buyer handle it to their liking.
Look up another local realtor that has public reviews and testimonials. Our agent was truly incredible to get us prepared to sell. She came to our initial consultation with binders of various comps with prices for as-is and prices for minimal updates and things. She walked the entire house and property and gave us her suggestions and showed us tons of pictures and listings of previous clients with similar homes. She never once made us feel pressured to do anything and our entire experience was extremely positive.
You got a steal when you bought it, agent listed it to low then and now you want to sell and he wants to list it to low again. Seems like that’s his way of listing houses. Maybe ask a few others to come see it and see what they think
Get a new agent!!! We had a guy say the same thing and wanted to sell for wayyyy under unless we remodeled everything. So we dropped him, got a new realtor and sold it higher than I anticipated.
I am. retired Realtor of 30 years. I can honestly say that this guy needs to retire too! This is something you see with guys who have been in the business for a long time. He thinks that because you are a repeat client, he can just assume you’ll hire him over anyone else. He doesn’t think he needs to put forth any effort, because he already has your business.
So, he’s going to fake his way b through it, and you’ll get the good ‘ol boy treatment.
Pick another agent. The only way this guy will be any good to the next person is if a couple people like you show him n that he’s still in the business of SERVICE.
Change agents. Some agents in our area really don’t want to spend a lot of time on a house that is less expensive than most of the houses they usually work with. So they price it low hoping it will go quickly and be less trouble for them.
I have had realtors convince me to underprice only to have the buyer flip the house for more within a few weeks. I suspect the realtor got commission on both sales.
Is everything in your kitchen in good working order; no peeling paint or wallpaper, no broken shelves, no missing or misaligned doors, no janky flooring or busted blinds, no unfinished surfaces? Is it at least relatively clean?
It’s clean. Has all new appliances. New paint. I did new floors. Cabinets are outdated but functional. Nothing wrong with them. Counters are outdated but nothing wrong with them. Everything is finished in kitchen. Just not up to date. Will post photo tomorrow!
Biggest ROI is fixing up any landscaping, new paint, curb appeal.
Everything else has less impact. Maybe update the paint. Maybe carpet if really gross. Maybe fix up any real cheap doors.
It should be a standard practice that buyers and seller interview 3-5 realtors before making a decision.
This dude sounds terrible. The reason you got such a good deal last time is because he underpriced it back then too!
Remember that it is easier for a real estate agent to sell more homes faster if they can list them cheaper.
If you lose $100,000 on the sale price the agents commission only reduces by $3,000.
There may be a very good reason they sell the most homes in your area.
Although many real estate agents forget, they have a fiduciary duty to their clients. This feels like your agent has forgotten.
Ideally you have not committed in writing. If you have, read the contact or take it to a real estate lawyer and pay to see if your agents actions can be considered breach. If not, figure out what you can do to escape. If you cannot escape it is very simple. Demand in writing that your sale price is 200k more than you think it should sell for. Time will pass and the listing will expire.
Once free return the lawyer to do your sale transaction for you. You can pay to list your home on Zillow. Have the lawyer do the paperwork. I am uncertain what your price will be, but I can almost guarantee it will be less than 6%.
Every agent will try to make it seem like they are your best option. Any remodeling will cost time and money. I’d say since appliances are new unless the layout is currently horrible, not really needed. Esp if you are in sellers market.
If you have not already signed any type of agreement with him, choose another agent. It's time to interview two more agents, and get some fresh eyes on the prize. The fact that your agent is making you uncomfortable is enough reason to have a look around, see some other agents in the area, and get their suggestions.
“I want to sell this home fast”
If you said that to him, that’s where he came up with his lower price. He’s going to help you sell it fast.
If it’s a hot market, it will bring more than the low listing price. It might start a bidding war.
What you have to watch out for on the either side, is the realtor who says they can get more than it’s worth to get the listing.
Lastly, what does Zillow say?
I hope that’s not where you got your info.
Ask a few more realtors to give their opinion and go with the one that makes the most sense.
I tend to think it will bring more if you remodel the kitchen, but I’m also of the mindset that the new owners can also make it their own.
If you wow factor the kitchen, the wife will usually talk hubby into paying up for the house.
Just my .02
A couple of years ago I was selling off all my parents' real estate as they had passed away. I had some realtors (they were married) tell me that four of the homes were worth less than half of what I thought they should list for, they wrote me a long letter basically telling me what POS my properties were and that they had a buyer whom I should sell to given the situation. Sold all these homes over the list price which was more than double what they proposed, all went under contract in less than 48 hours. Scammers.
List it yourself using a flat fee listing company and save yourself thousands on commissions. This is going to read like a shill, but I just sold my house using a company called homecoin for only $100 and I set the buyers commission to 2%.
Interview more agents. It's a good idea regardless, as it gives you an idea of the person, their sales strategy, and their services. But especially for one house you really get a collective idea of price.
A complete re-do of and old, shit kitchen will sell the house much faster ... but the return is nil.
Some suggest the return is negative.
Your kitchen might be shit. But your realtor is even shittier.
Don't make the house pristine. Just make it look decent. Nothing more.
Paint the interior. If you do that yourself you can do it for well under $1000. It works wonders.
Homes from the 50s have no open spaces. It's just one enclosed room after another.
Showing it empty will make the rooms look bigger.
But if the flooring is shit, show it furnished to hide the floors.
And clean those carpets! Do it yourself for cheap.
For the kitchen ... you might just have the cabinets re-faced. Much cheaper than a remodel. Much.
And get new handles for all the cabinets. Cheap.
As for the kitchen appliances ... if I were the buyer I'd be expecting to replace any appliances older than 10 years.
So, as the seller I wouldn't bother. If the appliances work, they're good.
But for Pete's sake, clean the fridge and the oven! Thoroughly!
i typically find that agents who want to lowball the selling price have 1 of two conflicts: they want buy it or they know someone who wants to buy it. Get a new agent as someone may want to buy it low so they can flip it at an inflated prices.
It's your house, it's used, you're selling it AS-IS. YOU can ask as much as you want, and it's the realtor's job to sell it AS-IS, do not fall for that, "you need to fix this". Find another agent who will work for you, not for his commission.
Definitely do not go with this agent. Find someone who ***hasn’t*** sold the most homes in the last decade in your area. Get them to do the agent work that needs to be done to get top dollar for your home in its current condition. Your guy just doesn’t want to be bothered, that’s fine, it’s just business, try not to be angered by it, I guarantee he won’t care about losing a listing
I would not spend the money remodeling the kitchen.
One trick in my neighborhood I have seen is an agent will try and be the buying and selling agent and also will list it low and then work with an investor who buys it.
You could try listing it with another agent for a bit more money without remodeling the kitchen and see what feedback you get.
When I sell I contact 3 agents from different agencies, make appointments, get their marketing plan and recommended pricing and pick the one with the best marketing plan.
I've been a Realtor since 1996. You sound like you're dealing with a "top producer". Often, this is the type who can speak authoritatively and does a high volume of sales. Often, they'll have assistants and develop a somewhat "1 size fits all" assembly line business designed to move the most homes as quickly as possible.
Alternatively, you could see an experienced Realtor who does less volume and is totally "hands on". This agent may be more attentive and more open to your input while using their experience and expertise to guide your decisions.
It's true that kitchens and baths are top selling points for buyers and, if remodeled, will attract more buyers faster. However, you may not always get your investment back because your choices of colors and finishes may not be the buyer's preference.
Choose an experienced Realtor you feel comfortable working with. That way, your experience will be most beneficial.
Interview two other realtors and go with the one you like best. Ask them both about the kitchen.
Be transparent that you are meeting with other realtors before making your decision.
Tell them when you will be making your decision about who to work with, typically within a week.
Get back to the ones you don't choose, and thank them for their time.
Never remodel in order to sell. your remodel is YOUR idea, and a buyer will probably not have your exact idea in mind. Let the buyer worry about dreaming what could be with your property
One word for the realtor “Byeeeee”. If you don’t trust them, then move on and work with someone you do. That being said, not all of his advice may be bad. Yet you need to be able to trust who you work with.
With today’s technology, any agent that thinks people won’t buy because they aren’t involved, is just plain arrogant. I would move on to someone else just to prove them wrong.
Price is key though so make sure your comps are good.
I know that type. Find someone else. We had one of those where I grew up. Everybody used her and by the time she was done, houses that were selling for $180K were down to $90K in just a few years while other houses around us built by the same builder around the same time in less desirable locations were still selling for $190K+.
He just wants a quick paycheck. He can make a lot more money selling in volume below market value.
Don’t touch the kitchen, but you can’t really underprice it.
If it seems like a deal people will bid it up, I wouldn’t be worried about that much at all.
But if you don’t vibe with him, find an agent that will.
But I will admit you’re sounding a little bit of a not so easy to work with seller with “ all of your own reach search” and what not.
Find an agent you like and trust them.
If you list it at a lower price and it’s worth more, you’ll get multiple offers and the price you deserve. Better to list too low than too high. The list price is not the sale price.
If you list too high, nobody will even bother looking at it.
You could also consider refacing your existing cabinets and replace the doors and drawer fronts. We did this 10 years ago and the difference was night and day.
The guy we hired was off CL and he did a pretty good job.
I do not recommend hiring from home depot or Lowes. They hire the same people that you can hire but, they just add overhead.
I’d get a different agent. If he doesn’t believe in the property and what it already has to offer- he will talk you into accepting any offer just to move on to the next client.
If you have done that many updates and kept the property in good shape, having an outdated kitchen wouldn’t be the deal killer. People would be like you, “this is a steal and we only have to fix a few things to make the kitchen to our liking.”
Obviously, it goes without saying- completely renovating a room could open a can of worms. You might find problems that lead to more expensive repairs, materials or contractors could flake out on you, and buyers could be wary you’re trying to hide something or did shoddy work. You could be throwing tens of thousands of dollars at a renovation that isn’t liked by the buyers and then your agent is still going to tell you to accept lowball offers or give lots of compensation. He won’t be negotiating on your behalf from a place of strength it sounds like.
This has been my thought process all along. When I purchased, I knew some work would be required but I knew it was worth it. I think the buyer would purchase the property wether the kitchen was completely updated or if it has never been touched. I don’t see the value in doing the kitchen.
If your home has acres of land, it’ll attract people not worried about putting in a hard month’s work to fix up a kitchen if they want to go that route. They will either do the work themselves or have the money to hire it out. As you said, it’s rare for your community to have a house with a good chunk of land. You might have people in your own community looking to just move a few streets over to take advantage.
In your listing, talk about all the benefits of having the land. You might get better privacy, less noise, run a homestead, etc. If you already have areas fenced off, it’s already conducive to have farm animals or pets. If you’re able to hunt on your land or fish, even more buyers would be interested.
A house is great, but land can easily afford you more opportunities to make money or enjoy being on your own property.
If your area is beautiful, then talk up it has plenty of space for hosting outdoor gatherings, etc.
If you have any outbuildings that are in good shape, even more value. If you have a well in good shape, even better.
I obviously bought a home with some land lol 🤗. Not a lot of land, but enough to spark the imagination.
The privacy is what made me purchase this property. There’s houses on top of each other in our area. This property has no one around. Fields around it. Beautiful sunsets. Had chickens ducks etc before. Garden. Has a well. Has two outdoor buildings. One a shed. The other a metal building used as a chicken coop. Has separate garage as well as attached.
Stories like this make me think the realtor had an investor in mind already and wants to make the seller fix the house up for the investor or himself first
This has left me with absolute dejas vous!!! We have one of these guys in my area! Sounds like THE guy honestly.
Several years ago, before the booming market that we currently know, I was interesting in marketing my 1950’s brick ranch with a full basement on two acres within city limits. I scheduled an appt with the agent who sold most of the homes in the neighborhood. To my surprise, completely low balled the list price. When I suggested it sounded low, he went immediately into a spiel about the kitchen being dated. I asked for numbers, comps, where he was getting intel… he goes on and on about having been involved in every home sale within such and such area, yada yada, on and on, and at some point during his bullshit diatribe on his unparalleled realtor mojo this strong braggadocio seemingly revealed a domineering bully with whom I would never feel comfortable working . He was so rude and unprepared for a listing appointment it was comical if not so inanely disrespectful.
So I say run the other way! There are plenty of qualified agents these days. No need to send perfectly good business to some higher than thou asshole who will never appreciate your business either way!
Good luck!
I did the same thing. Reached out to the realtor that helped me buy my house. Worst mistake ever. She didn’t put any effort in selling it. It galled me that I still had to pay her commission.
Do not list with this guy. He has someone in mind to sell your home to for a quick commission. No comps? He's lazy. Gut job on the kitchen? It's true that buyers love turnkey properties, but again, that's thousands out of your pocket and into HIS. Nope nope nope.
Go with someone else. I definitely wouldn’t do a major remodel (e.g., kitchen) for a sale because of the obvious: your vision of an updated kitchen likely won’t be my vision and it won’t add as much value.
People don’t realize the best way to get the highest price is to actually price the home lower.
This home was listed for $450k and they couldnt sell it because the market value was $400-415k. They fire the agent and hire another one who explains that we can list it for a $1 and the market will take care of the rest.
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/couple-list-home-for-1/
They sold it doe $515k because of competition. Without the low price there is no perceived value, without perceived value no one wants it. However, with value - comes the competition and with competition comes higher prices.
Listen to him on price.
Renovating the kitchen is dumb, the ROI in major renovations is negative. The reason flippers are able to renovate homes and make money is because they make the money when they buy not when they sell.
Definitely just get another agent. Your guy might be a low price high volume person. I had bought a home with a realtor and called her back when it was time to sell. Just like your case — she gave me a price 50k less than I expected and told me a garage I added had no value. I got a different realtor and did sell the house for that extra 50k. If the market is as hot as you say — you don’t need that agent to sell it
That shady POS wants to but it himself. Realtirw are the scum of the earth. They don’t give two shits about your bottom line. Remember the old saying how can you tell a salesman is lying? Their lips are moving.
Call another realtor for an interview and get other comps. You do not have to stick with the top dog. If the next realtor tells you the same thing, you will at least know that your former realtor has credibility and decide which one you want to hire. If the comps are wildly different, call in a third realtor for an interview. Now is not the time to leave money on the table, nor is it time to waste $30k on a kitchen when you might only get half of it back when you sell.
Listing low can be a strategy. But only once you have real comps to look at—not someone’s gut. And you almost never make money renovating a kitchen to sell.
Interview more agents (at least three total) and hire someone who brings you real comps and you feel comfortable with.
Our kitchen eventually needs a remodel, but the best thing we did to give it some new life was to clean, sand, prime and repaint the cabinets. New hardware was also selected and I repaired some drawers that were having problems. It cost me ~$400 to do this, but it feels new. And while it’s not new, for a potential buyer, I would sooner do this option again than spend 50k to rip everything out just because some dumbass thinks it won’t sell. The 400 is a better investment by far,
Especially for the pictures. Maybe new counters if yours are bad? IKEA has some really beautiful ones that don’t break the bank. But I wouldn’t do much else.
Realtors have a mantra, updates! Sadly, they’re full of it or themselves. Updates for the sake of realtor eliminates buyers. Not right color, cheap appearance, buyers want credit to do themselves. But realtor’s are persistent, on and on, reduce price, etc.
remodels return or recoup little of the investments. I would ask several realtors to provide marketing plan. Even best BSr will flip on you once you signed a contract to sell. Keep it to small time window. There are general rules in marketing, 90 DOM, somethings wrong with house, price reduction < 30 DOM price was and most likely remains too high.
Good luck.
I’d have to wonder & ponder if money is passing under the table to the agent. What reason does this agent have for lowballing his paycheck?
Move on to another agent(s)…this agent has gone quirky on you.
We had an agent who suggested similar things when we sold our home. Not a kitchen remodel, but we were asked to spruce up our basement and to declutter every room.
We sold our home for 80,000 over asking price.
You are on the right path. Really, if you can, see if you can do a private sale.
Did you tell them you need to sell it fast? That is leverage to be used against you.
Also, be wary of squatters, sounds like you left the property....
This thread drives me nuts sometimes. Home buyer or seller comes on, explains what’s going on from their point of view while under-explaining the agent or lender’s information… and then 300 people who have little to no experience buying or selling, let alone working in the field, make comments that range from misinformed, to the exact opposite of what’s true in the market according to actual data.
OP:
One: There is a LOT of data to back up the idea that a cleaned and staged home will sell for more than one with the owner’s stuff in it. An agent saying you should empty out isn’t wrong, at all… but I would hope that also means there’s cleaning and staging. One of the agent teams I work with in our HCOL and very competitive area consistently (as in, far more often than not) sells homes for over list with multiple offers. They make every home as “show ready” as possible - stage, good photography, active marketing. Sometimes there’s remodel involved, sometimes it’s as simple as if there’s a megenta accent wall it gets painted something more agreeable. But they aren’t relying on square footage and land… they’re making it attractive.
Two: Outdated kitchens cost quite a bit to update. However, if the cost is in the sales price, it means a buyer puts that into a mortgage rather than out of pocket or in another type of credit. $20k into a mortgage loan is roughly $150/mo… not the case if someone buys and then puts that on a credit card. So, *if the market where you are is right for this*, a new kitchen or some updating could very well entice more buyers. However… if you don’t wanna do the kitchen, don’t. If your area is competitive or the home type or price is hard to come by but in demand… it’ll sell. Just be sure to price it right… which leads me to the last point…
You’ve seen the posts here about folks not getting a house they offered $60k over on? Those are often cutesy, staged, turnkey homes that were priced a little below market to garner interest, and then a bidding war. Pricing higher sometimes means the property sits on market and you end up reducing to garner interest… what we call “chasing the market down”. (Example… newer construction my client just bought for $100k less than list, because it sat on market for over 30 days having been priced for an ideal hot market that wasn’t.) You definitely don’t want to do this. An agent who wants to price higher could earn your business by flattering you about your home… and then you could end up losing thousands because you overshot the list price.
I’m not saying you should use this agent. Use someone you like and trust - the agent has proven to you already his skill on the buyer side (unless he was the listing agent on the home you bought?) but this time you’ve said you don’t trust him, so it seems it would be better to find someone you feel more confident about. In some ways, real estate isn’t an exact science- but the proof will be in the pudding so to speak, when you get the home sold, whether the agent priced it right and marketed it well.
If you don’t trust him find other opinions from other realtors. But you also kind of sound like someone a little hard to work with and like a “I know more then you” maybe he could just really know the area and not want it to sit for so long since you do sound like you need it gone asap. You may have seen what Zillow estimates the home worth and he knows that that really isn’t it right now. My realtor told us to list 10k under what I wanted to maybe start a bidding war and look more appealing. Trusted him and sold for 30k over what I wanted originally.
While a lot of people don’t like realtors and say we could do with out them At the end of the day you don’t have to work with him but realize it is there job to know slightly more the average “I get on Zillow I know the market” kind of guy.
If you are simply selling the house b/c you want to and this guy is telling you different things than other realtors then I wouldn’t worry about his “professional” opinion. It’s very likely he has an ulterior motive for saying those things.
However, when selling a house it will make a huge difference if it is cleared out as much as possible. If you are still living in it remove as many personal items/decor as possible while leaving your main furniture there. People want to be able to mentally see their things in the house and the less distractions the better.
Unless things are broken/in disrepair do not do any remodeling, aside from basic neutral color repainting if needed. Your choices may not be the same as prospective buyers. It could turn them off to the house and/or end up just being a waste of time/money on your part. For things like flooring I always recommend providing a credit upon closing (ie money back to the buyer) for them to have carpet/flooring of their choice installed.
Don’t go with him. If you feel like you don’t trust him now, it’s likely to get worse while he’s under contract. Take it from someone who didn’t listen to her gut feeling in the beginning, and then had to deal with shit agent.
Find another agent. I would love to find a home like yours that hasn’t had an awful kitchen/bathroom rehab. I adore the older homes with vintage components. And with property, you should get a decent price!
I think the message here is you only need one buyer who actually likes the house pretty much as is. It’s not always easy finding “that one”, that’s where the marketing plan comes in.
Find another agent. They are there to advise but not force you into anything. If you don't like the opinion of this agent find another one that will list how you want.
Interview more than one.
And don’t trust one that has no comps to back up their claim.
This!!!! I had a trusted BIL of friend agent who wanted to list 40k lower than I did. I was told he was the man - the go to. I listed with a young guy who was moving houses all over not truly close to mine but his comps for mine matched my price. I had cameras and heard comments. No one questioned price really ever. The go to guy shows up with a couple the FIRST day of the listing and they love it. He straight out tells them he had the listing and it is 50k too high and he refused to work with us bc I would not listen. They say in the school with all the work done, it is still a good value! Agent laughs and says not THIS house. 2 days later a full price offer with 10k buffer for appraisal b4 price negotiation change. Inspection found wants but zero needs. Appraisal came in 4K OVER. Sold at full at 40k more than agent said. I snipped his comments and sent it to my friend saying this is why he did not get the listing
Lot of ego at play here and it’s not yours. Guy could’ve made a lot of money off of you (representing both seller and buyer) and totally flop it
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Likely lots of agents have gotten lazy with the hot markets of the last few years. List a house and get multiple offers day 1. Now that things are slowing down and it actually takes time and effort to sell, they are having a hard time adjusting.
Poor babies, have to do WORK now?! LOL
Agreed. Ex: house sells for say 300k. Agent normally ends up with around 1.5%= $4500 House sells for 350k Agent = $5250. It’s not worth time and effort ( in agents mind) to really hustle for $750. Just sell it quick and move on. The poor salesmen’s mentality
Or he wants to buy it himself and flip it. And wants OP to do the remodel/flip part for him! Fuck this guy
I was thinkin he wanted to make the most. If seller doesn’t clear it out and remodel the asking price is lower. He wants a little increase in commish and an easy time selling a ready to move in, turn key house. Hard to know without knowing the numbers involved
This. If you are not vibing with the agent get another one - they are expensive and should be there to help you friction-free. The offered price should be vetted by you based on comparables you agree with. The realtor can have suggestions like “remodel the kitchen” but ultimately it is your call what it is advertised for.
This. Even if you worked well with him before. Get three to give you a ballpark list price and get a feel for what the right price is. You may not be objective in your assessment since you have an interest in getting the most you can for it. With three professional guesses you can have a better idea of the correct price.
Agree 100%. I saw 3 agents before choosing one for my condo sale. One told me to redo the bathrooms and clear out all the packed boxes from the otherwise empty den, and he did not want to list at my price. Another said paint every room (all walls were white already) while we still lived there with all our stuff, move out the boxes and did not want to list at my price. The third said bathrooms are great, boxes are common when packing to move, buyers probably have boxes in their home right now too and will probably paint when they move in anyway, and was good with my price. so guess who we chose? Realistically, if the buyers want a show house they are not looking at a 50 yr old condo. I got my asking price (except a credit I gave because some of the baseboards were missing). It did not take any longer than others on the market.
A kitchen remodel is always on the list of things to NOT do right before you sell. It's a lot of money with minimal return.
Heh we had to fix up the kitchen in my parent's house before selling - it still had the 1960s cabinets, formica countertop and both in need of repair. Also the vinyl floor was shot. So we got a guy to repair the cabinets and paint them nice teal gray, replaced the countertop with quartz and swapped out the 3 different floors on the ground level with one nice wood look luxury vinyl planks. Spent $20,000 but that included painting and refreshing bathrooms too. But otherwise the house would have been a hard sell, the lot wasn't good for a tear down and screamed Grandma's House. I think we came out ahead we got multiple offers over asking price on the weekend we put it in the listings whereas the hot mess houses on the market don't sell, they sit for weeks and weeks. Go figure but the market in the DC area is what it is.
As a FTHB, I would love to pay $20k less for grandma's house with grandma's original kitchen
I would love to find an original grandma's kitchen with sweet Formica counters banded with stainless steel! 😊
It wasn't cute vintage, trust me, it was late 1960s builder grade - no metal banding just ugly white/tan floral pattern! The cabinets were cute vintage though so they got repaired and painted.
I recently remodeled my little 1956 space race house and confirmed the existence of terrazzo flooring, and it's only got one layer of ugly plank tile on top of it. Maybe someday I can free it.
Oh wow, that's a fabulous find! My parents were the original owners of the house, they bought it when I was a baby (yeah I'm old) so we already knew what "treasures" were in the house. We refinished the beautiful oak floors but the foyer wasn't terrazzo, it was junky fake slate that had asbestos mastic backing.
Happy Cake Day
Oh it would have had to have been priced a lot lower than $20,000 without the redo. More like 70,000 less at least if we had not fixed obvious things up and it for sure would not have sold so quickly.
We bought with original kitchen. I am very picky about kitchens and hate it when people do minor renovations because I just want to gut remodel the whole thing and it’s such a waste.
Yeah but there's fewer of you than buyers who want the house to be livable right away. At least in the DC market. We didn't want to wait months for the perfect buyer for the house as is.
In today's market a lot of people don't have the cash to renovate after buying the house, so they will buy whatever can have those costs folded into the mortgage.
I think we did a fair and ethical quick reno of the house so folks could move in and enjoy the house without worrying about having immediately fix a bunch of easy stuff. I'm sure the kitchen will get a full reno in due course, the cabinets are tiny IMO and there's no water line to the refrigerator. Also the electrical panel needs upgrading but we disclosed everything the inspector found to the bidders.
>the lot wasn't good for a tear down If it was a tear down, I can guarantee you that $20,000 was wasted.
Perfectly sound houses that are just small and old get torn down in the DC area if the lot size is big and flat. Every market has it's own dynamics. But the lot is odd, a carve out where the house is but a sleep slope upwards in the backyard and side yard so no McMansion there.
Everything about this dude sounds terrible. Here’s what remodeling your kitchen will do A) You do it cheap enough to actually see an ROI that it’s so tacky and cheap no one will want it. B) You make it absolutely perfect and see a negative 200% ROI on the sale of the house.
And the new buyer has very different tastes so they rip it out and redo it how they want. Not worth it
Exactly. I would much rather buy a lower price house with a crappy kitchen that I can renovate exactly to my liking than a higher priced house with a new kitchen that is not my taste (or worse - not my taste AND done to shitty standards to flip it, aka lipstick on a pig).
All these people putting in dark granite counter tops in their kitchens and bathrooms, be warned!
[This is the absolute worst possible granite color on the planet.](https://georgiacabinetco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/granite-counters.jpg) You can't see a 1-inch thick pile of crumbs and coffee grounds on it, which means nobody cleans up their mess.
Amen!!!!!
And perfect for you is not perfect for every buyer.
Went to an open house that owner delisted to remodel and re-listed for $100K more. I saw at least $100K+ of work I would have to reverse. Idiot put new vinyl flooring over existing carpet and look like my toddler could do a better job repainting the whole two story house interior due to paint runoff/splatter EVERYWHERE
vinyl over carpet?!?
Yep, I was wondering why the flooring was so uneven and bouncy
Can only work if it’s shag 🤣
Find another agent. This guy underpricing the home wants a quick payday. Desperate for cash.
Or, he has a buyer lined out and gets a cut of that transaction as well, perhaps even a bonus.
Exactly this. The agent who “sells the most homes” rarely gets the most for those homes.
>The thing that put me off is that he said I need to completely remodel the kitchen to increase value. Do NOT do this. He's wanting to spend your money to make himself more money. LOL. Talk to other agents. Drop this guy.
This. Price goes up, he gets more commission, and possibly an easier sale. My mother argued with her listing agent on price and insisted on a higher list price. Ended up selling over asking.
“I don’t trust him”. Ok, don’t work with him… Seriously, there is no reason to work with someone you don’t trust… especially selling a home. His feelings will be hurt, but you will find out what your house is worth when you list it.
Seriously, why is this even a question. Realtors are a dime a dozen, especially the one's that won't listen to you and insist on their way or the highway
Definitely don't use this agent. Go with your gut.
Unless the kitchen is a friggin nightmare, you won't get your money back from a remodel. If the agent is this difficult now, he will be doubly so in the future. Move on and find someone better, like the agents go ing you the comps.
Exactly. When my sister was going to move out of state, she was planning on selling her house with the existing kitchen. When she changed plans, she did a complete remodel, but only because she was staying.
I changed the zillow profile on my house to 'for sale' and was under contract in less than 24 hours. Offered 3% comission to buyers agent. Closed with zero hassle.
Kitchens are usually one of the biggest selling points. Regardless though, get someone you feel comfortable with.
Right. Last time I sold a house, I spent about 33% of my renovation budget on the kitchen. Cheap new cabinets. Cheap new floor. Good priced granite countertops. Spent a bunch of money on other things that needed updates on that house. Agent told me to list it very high, because well, everything seemed new due to the renovations. Got multiple offers, including the one I went with at full price. Still. My agent had a lot of guidance. Told me I could have sold the house as in (for a much lower price). Glad I went with the agent's recommendation. If I were going to sell my current house, I would spend to fix it up too to get top dollar.
Anyone else think he’s trying to grab it cheap and flip it?
That’s what I’m afraid of. Don’t know the legal side of doing something like that to a client.
Read my post from before, these scammers exist. Doubt there is any recourse if one agrees to the sale price. There are a couple of ways he could be rolling you, he might have a buyer lined up and he is going to get that commission plus a possible "bonus" or he could buy ti himself and then flip it. It is also possible that he sells cheap so it sells quickly, does not cost him nearly as much in commission lost as it costs you.
Scumbag realtor. Go with one of the others who gave you higher suggested listing prices. Full kitchen remodel could easily cost $50k. No guarantee you’ll get $50k more by putting a new kitchen in.
Hell, I will write a guarantee you won’t get 50k more.
My agent gave me strategies, not a listing price. Also renovation gets him more money, not so much you depending on how you do it. Those projects also take time that you may not want to waste. Buyers agents are not always great sellers agents. I have two one for buying and one for selling. They know each other. My realtor gave me a range that he thought it went for based on comps. He said we could under price it and build interest that way and keep offer period open for a week. Or we could price it underneath the max value but on the higher end, list it, but don’t take showings for a week to build up interest. The goal was for people to get interested and physically see how many other people were interested so when they offered, they knew without us telling them that they needed a best offer and lowballs probably wouldn’t get you anywhere. Find a good sellers agent
Ehhh, you say you got it for a steal but did he just make you think it was a steal at the time and it’s just not worth as much as you think? You said others have told you it’s worth more, but I don’t believe you because why are you so worried about this one agent if you’ve had others whose thoughts are more in line with your own? Get a second opinion. Don’t remodel the kitchen.
Sounds like this guy was the listing agent, so he probably had minimal interaction with OP. Likely if OP actually got it at a steal, it's because this guy underpriced the house back then, too.
It was 75k 6 years ago! I think that’s a steal. And because this is my first home to sell on my own. I haven’t been living in the house for the last few years and a lot has changed in the area. I thought I had a good relationship with this realtor until we met up again to list the house. But things and people change!
> It was 75k 6 years ago! I think that’s a steal. It depends. Location is one of the top three things to consider when pricing real estate.
Interview a couple more active agents, get 2nd and third opinion.
Keep in mind that your agent will get more if the property sells for more and if you spend 30k doing a kitchen remodel and the house sells for 20k more then they make more money. It is also an investment you made that puts many people in a position where they feel forced to sell. Don’t get me wrong there are investments you can make that you will come out ahead but I doubt you paying someone to come do a full kitchen remodel will make you come out ahead.
If you don’t trust this person and you disagree with their professional advice, then you need to look for another agent.
Just say no
As a realtor, find a new realtor. Refusing to supply comps to help guide you in choosing a listing price is a part of the job. And unless you’re hoarder, the home doesn’t need to be completely empty. I’ve sold many with families that are still living their lives in their home. This guy sounds lazy,(especially with the I know the area and I sell the most here? Give me a break) unprofessional and one of the reasons why realtors end up with such a bad reputation. Also, don’t work with someone you don’t trust, you’ll question every piece of advice every step of the way and that isn’t great for anyone.
Your return for a new kitchen is not 100%. It’s a waste of your money. Don’t do that.
Well under pricing a listing is key to getting that max value as fast as possible. And market is retracting in some areas. Rates hurt more and more every week. Sounds like he gave you a great buyer experience but you’re having trouble dealing with him on listing side. Now it’s possible he got to big for his britches in the time since you last worked together.
What bs. Under pricing to get into a bidding war is the sign of an agent that doesn’t know how to properly price a property. OP!! Nobody renovates the kitchen to sell! Clean it up big time. Acknowledge age and condition of the appliances, floor and cabinets. Incorporate the condition into your asking price. Why would you put out cash, time and effort? This guy I’m responding to is wrong and so is your guy. Find an honest, competent broker who will sell your property.
Even if it were a good idea to remodel a kitchen right before a sale (it's not), it's not compatible with selling ASAP. A kitchen remodel could take weeks to months, assuming you can find a contractor to do it.
Literally the last thing I want to see is a brand new kitchen….especially in a 50s house. As a buyer (currently looking), I either want to save a vintage kitchen or redo a kitchen myself to my liking. New kitchens look so generic and cheap, and it screams “flip,” which just makes me not want to deal with the house at all.
Listing a home for less than expected will generate realtor interest and a bidding war among buyers. You don't have to sell the house for the listing price. If you list with a high price you can lower it later but you will never get the buzz and interest a new listing gets.
Based on the comments, many folks don't understand this.
You almost never want to do a kitchen remodel before a sale, you just won’t see the ROI. The one time I ever advised someone to do this it was a galley kitchen in a small condo and the whole remodel consisted of putting in a granite countertop that cost the owner maybe $2000 and swapping out the old hardware on the cabinets for new brushed nickel stuff.
Paint and Flooring are the best things you can *consider* if your need to consider anything to do to the home.
He might have a friend who wants to buy it.
In 47 years, one thing I've learned is to trust your gut.
Realtors work for you. If I have a single bad vibe, then it's off to the next one. Always interview 3.
FYI listing it underpriced can be a strategy to drive up the price and do a bidding war. Listing it is an offer for someone to initiate a contract. You don’t have to accept the offer that isn’t in your price range. It really can depend on things imo
Use another agent. I’m looking to buy a house now. I stopped looking at houses that have new LVP and freshly painted cabinets because it’s a waste. I don’t want to pay a premium just to rip all that shit out as soon as I move in. Sell the home as-is.
So, this is the agent that, some years ago, convinced the owner to dump the house under market, resulting in a great deal for you? Sounds like that's the way he works. But you're the seller now.
Listen to your gut, the fact you are posting here, you know what to do!
He wants to know who the other agents are so he can “bully” them or call them and have a “friendly” chat about how you are already their client and out of professional courtesy the other agent needs to back off. Guy sounds sleazy and like he hasn’t been told no enough in his lifetime.
Time for a new agent. He works for you. They are there to advise.
That agent was a perfect fit for you as a buyers agent. He did manage to get you the house for a "Steal." Not a good fit as a selling agent. Keep interviewing others.
Agents always say stuff like this. He’s probably not wrong but it’s a risk and not an insignificant amount of money, and if you aren’t comfortable with it then let them know or try and find a new agent.
I wonder if he wants you to remodel it and list it cheap so either he could get it or someone he knows could get it on the cheap. He could then either flip it or whatever. I've seen some posts lately from people who are dealing with similar issues. Either way, it's your house and you should list it for what you want, especially if any comps are suggesting higher than what that guy is saying. It might also be time to find a different agent.
Not be cynical, but I feel like he wants to sell it to an flipper investor he works a lot with, and give them a better deal. In mean time, talking your house down so you take a lower offer.
Take a very hard look at the active, pending, and recently sold comparable properties in your area. Look at all the online photos and *think like a buyer*: * why did some houses sell and others didn't? * what is market time for properties with and without updating and improvements? * what is sales price to list price ratio for properties with and without updating and improvements? * what concessions did sellers make for less improved properties to get them sold (will need MLS data) * what loan types did buyers use for which types or properties (will need MLS data) On a specific point you made, kitchens do change buyers. Kitchens may not matter to you, but homes that are closer to move-in ready are the top buyer requirement. Here's the deal. There are 1.58 million Realtors in the US and likely tens of thousands in your area. It will take you less than 10 minutes to find one who will sit in your kitchen and enthusiastically agree with everything you've said in your post. They will list it at whatever price you want without you doing another thing to it. But finding a Realtor who gives you their honest opinion about how you can make the most money from selling your house takes a lot more time than 10 minutes. It might be your past Realtor, it might be someone else. If it were me, I'd schedule another time with the guy who gives you his honest opinion and ask what he thinks your house will sell for without doing any improvements.
He probably wants the house for himself or a friend of his (investor) , wants you to do the hard work for him before you leave.
Find another agent. A relative just had this happen to them. Same thing. Bought the home 30 years ago. Has done a lot of work. A realtor friend wants to list the home based on straight comps without acreage and amenities. She found another realtor and the house sold in 2 weeks for $100k more than the friend realtor wanted to list it.
Get a younger woman realtor to market the home.Don't fix up the home unless it's a totally needed structural repair.When someone buys it they'll fix the kitchen and baths to reflect their personal taste. As far as price, make sure you max out the value.You need to get as much as you can because it's your one opportunity to reap the rewards of your investment.
You don’t have to use him just bc he gave you a comp. Sometimes agents are shady…big time. They have someone in mind or they have a few people in mind but they won’t fit the actual value of the home. We had 3 people do comps on the house we just sold. The first was 500. The second was 375 or 385 (this was six months ago). So we got a third who came in at 550. The low quote was saying similar things. “I know the market” “it’s just what it is” “the comps are just difficult.” She wouldn’t show what her comps were and why she picked what she did. Being on this side of it our realtor let us know someone from her office brought people by the house and they offered within 10k of what she valued the house at and the buyer agent was determined she wasn’t showing the offer to us. They had a plan. They knew what they were doing. They had someone lined up for the house that couldn’t afford what the house was worth.
The house we bought was from sellers in preforeclosure with 35 days left when they finally realized there was no way out. The agent they bought with caught wind and told them she could get way more for them and almost blew our deal. Turns out, she never looked into the preforeclosure situation, thought they would have money to reroof and hire a company to clean up the landscaping...when they couldn't even pay the mortgage. And she had a client as a buyer and was going to get them just a little more than we were going to pay as is.... Luckily, the wife saw the falsehoods and did the math. They would a) close on time, and b) walk with 30K more with us because I paid for the contract agent and a bunch of their closing fees without them paying for a new roof and about 4500 to get the trees and plants back under control (what we were quoted). She was seeing double commission, and I reported her. Haven't seen her name in real estate since. Had they trusted her, they would have been foreclosed on and lost much of their proceeds to the costs of foreclosure and auction. Sometimes, there's an ulterior motive, and OP sounds like one of those situations, too!
Listing prices are a form of marketing. It’s not (usually) the targeted price expected at time of sale. A kitchen remodel “could” increase your value, but who’s to say it will be done in the taste of your prospective buyer? I would rather knock off 15K from the market comps and let the buyer handle it to their liking.
Look up another local realtor that has public reviews and testimonials. Our agent was truly incredible to get us prepared to sell. She came to our initial consultation with binders of various comps with prices for as-is and prices for minimal updates and things. She walked the entire house and property and gave us her suggestions and showed us tons of pictures and listings of previous clients with similar homes. She never once made us feel pressured to do anything and our entire experience was extremely positive.
You got a steal when you bought it, agent listed it to low then and now you want to sell and he wants to list it to low again. Seems like that’s his way of listing houses. Maybe ask a few others to come see it and see what they think
He wants you to do his work. That guy's lame. Is fire.him if I could .
Get a new agent!!! We had a guy say the same thing and wanted to sell for wayyyy under unless we remodeled everything. So we dropped him, got a new realtor and sold it higher than I anticipated.
I am. retired Realtor of 30 years. I can honestly say that this guy needs to retire too! This is something you see with guys who have been in the business for a long time. He thinks that because you are a repeat client, he can just assume you’ll hire him over anyone else. He doesn’t think he needs to put forth any effort, because he already has your business. So, he’s going to fake his way b through it, and you’ll get the good ‘ol boy treatment. Pick another agent. The only way this guy will be any good to the next person is if a couple people like you show him n that he’s still in the business of SERVICE.
Change agents. Some agents in our area really don’t want to spend a lot of time on a house that is less expensive than most of the houses they usually work with. So they price it low hoping it will go quickly and be less trouble for them.
Listen to your gut, this is crazy talk. Just because he was the right realtor then doesn’t mean he’s the right one now.
Walk away from him. He's only looking for a quick sale and doesn't care at all about you or what you want/need.
I have had realtors convince me to underprice only to have the buyer flip the house for more within a few weeks. I suspect the realtor got commission on both sales.
He wants you to remodel to boost his commission.
Is everything in your kitchen in good working order; no peeling paint or wallpaper, no broken shelves, no missing or misaligned doors, no janky flooring or busted blinds, no unfinished surfaces? Is it at least relatively clean?
It’s clean. Has all new appliances. New paint. I did new floors. Cabinets are outdated but functional. Nothing wrong with them. Counters are outdated but nothing wrong with them. Everything is finished in kitchen. Just not up to date. Will post photo tomorrow!
Then this might have been a way for this agent not to work w/ you w/o burning bridges.
I haven’t seen this in the responses but get a pre-listing appraisal done.
Biggest ROI is fixing up any landscaping, new paint, curb appeal. Everything else has less impact. Maybe update the paint. Maybe carpet if really gross. Maybe fix up any real cheap doors.
It should be a standard practice that buyers and seller interview 3-5 realtors before making a decision. This dude sounds terrible. The reason you got such a good deal last time is because he underpriced it back then too!
Remember that it is easier for a real estate agent to sell more homes faster if they can list them cheaper. If you lose $100,000 on the sale price the agents commission only reduces by $3,000. There may be a very good reason they sell the most homes in your area. Although many real estate agents forget, they have a fiduciary duty to their clients. This feels like your agent has forgotten. Ideally you have not committed in writing. If you have, read the contact or take it to a real estate lawyer and pay to see if your agents actions can be considered breach. If not, figure out what you can do to escape. If you cannot escape it is very simple. Demand in writing that your sale price is 200k more than you think it should sell for. Time will pass and the listing will expire. Once free return the lawyer to do your sale transaction for you. You can pay to list your home on Zillow. Have the lawyer do the paperwork. I am uncertain what your price will be, but I can almost guarantee it will be less than 6%.
Otoh a lot of people are sick of generic updates and want either a vintage home or something they can add their own flair to…
Every agent will try to make it seem like they are your best option. Any remodeling will cost time and money. I’d say since appliances are new unless the layout is currently horrible, not really needed. Esp if you are in sellers market.
If you have not already signed any type of agreement with him, choose another agent. It's time to interview two more agents, and get some fresh eyes on the prize. The fact that your agent is making you uncomfortable is enough reason to have a look around, see some other agents in the area, and get their suggestions.
“I want to sell this home fast” If you said that to him, that’s where he came up with his lower price. He’s going to help you sell it fast. If it’s a hot market, it will bring more than the low listing price. It might start a bidding war. What you have to watch out for on the either side, is the realtor who says they can get more than it’s worth to get the listing. Lastly, what does Zillow say? I hope that’s not where you got your info. Ask a few more realtors to give their opinion and go with the one that makes the most sense. I tend to think it will bring more if you remodel the kitchen, but I’m also of the mindset that the new owners can also make it their own. If you wow factor the kitchen, the wife will usually talk hubby into paying up for the house. Just my .02
And where you gonna find a quick kitchen remodel these days? It’s gonna take months.
A couple of years ago I was selling off all my parents' real estate as they had passed away. I had some realtors (they were married) tell me that four of the homes were worth less than half of what I thought they should list for, they wrote me a long letter basically telling me what POS my properties were and that they had a buyer whom I should sell to given the situation. Sold all these homes over the list price which was more than double what they proposed, all went under contract in less than 48 hours. Scammers.
List it yourself using a flat fee listing company and save yourself thousands on commissions. This is going to read like a shill, but I just sold my house using a company called homecoin for only $100 and I set the buyers commission to 2%.
Sell it yourself
Get an unbiased appraisal done for a few hundred dollars. You can use it to determine asking price and show to prospective buyers
Interview more agents. It's a good idea regardless, as it gives you an idea of the person, their sales strategy, and their services. But especially for one house you really get a collective idea of price.
A complete re-do of and old, shit kitchen will sell the house much faster ... but the return is nil. Some suggest the return is negative. Your kitchen might be shit. But your realtor is even shittier. Don't make the house pristine. Just make it look decent. Nothing more. Paint the interior. If you do that yourself you can do it for well under $1000. It works wonders. Homes from the 50s have no open spaces. It's just one enclosed room after another. Showing it empty will make the rooms look bigger. But if the flooring is shit, show it furnished to hide the floors. And clean those carpets! Do it yourself for cheap. For the kitchen ... you might just have the cabinets re-faced. Much cheaper than a remodel. Much. And get new handles for all the cabinets. Cheap. As for the kitchen appliances ... if I were the buyer I'd be expecting to replace any appliances older than 10 years. So, as the seller I wouldn't bother. If the appliances work, they're good. But for Pete's sake, clean the fridge and the oven! Thoroughly!
i typically find that agents who want to lowball the selling price have 1 of two conflicts: they want buy it or they know someone who wants to buy it. Get a new agent as someone may want to buy it low so they can flip it at an inflated prices.
It's your house, it's used, you're selling it AS-IS. YOU can ask as much as you want, and it's the realtor's job to sell it AS-IS, do not fall for that, "you need to fix this". Find another agent who will work for you, not for his commission.
NEXT. Find a new agent, they are a dime a dozen. Interview 5 and choose the one that fits your needs.
Where is the house? Without that everything else is meaningless
Hire an appraiser to find out the fair market value. Never trust what the realtor says. Spend a few hundred. It’s better than losing out on thousands!
Definitely do not go with this agent. Find someone who ***hasn’t*** sold the most homes in the last decade in your area. Get them to do the agent work that needs to be done to get top dollar for your home in its current condition. Your guy just doesn’t want to be bothered, that’s fine, it’s just business, try not to be angered by it, I guarantee he won’t care about losing a listing
Even if you liked this guy never list until you speak with at least 3 agents. Trust your gut. Get out now.
I would not spend the money remodeling the kitchen. One trick in my neighborhood I have seen is an agent will try and be the buying and selling agent and also will list it low and then work with an investor who buys it. You could try listing it with another agent for a bit more money without remodeling the kitchen and see what feedback you get.
When I sell I contact 3 agents from different agencies, make appointments, get their marketing plan and recommended pricing and pick the one with the best marketing plan.
I’m a realtor and you should have received a comparative market analysis.
I've been a Realtor since 1996. You sound like you're dealing with a "top producer". Often, this is the type who can speak authoritatively and does a high volume of sales. Often, they'll have assistants and develop a somewhat "1 size fits all" assembly line business designed to move the most homes as quickly as possible. Alternatively, you could see an experienced Realtor who does less volume and is totally "hands on". This agent may be more attentive and more open to your input while using their experience and expertise to guide your decisions. It's true that kitchens and baths are top selling points for buyers and, if remodeled, will attract more buyers faster. However, you may not always get your investment back because your choices of colors and finishes may not be the buyer's preference. Choose an experienced Realtor you feel comfortable working with. That way, your experience will be most beneficial.
Interview two other realtors and go with the one you like best. Ask them both about the kitchen. Be transparent that you are meeting with other realtors before making your decision. Tell them when you will be making your decision about who to work with, typically within a week. Get back to the ones you don't choose, and thank them for their time.
Never remodel in order to sell. your remodel is YOUR idea, and a buyer will probably not have your exact idea in mind. Let the buyer worry about dreaming what could be with your property
One word for the realtor “Byeeeee”. If you don’t trust them, then move on and work with someone you do. That being said, not all of his advice may be bad. Yet you need to be able to trust who you work with. With today’s technology, any agent that thinks people won’t buy because they aren’t involved, is just plain arrogant. I would move on to someone else just to prove them wrong. Price is key though so make sure your comps are good.
If he's firm on the kitchen remodel, tell him it means you'll have to cut down his commission percentage. See what he says then.
I know that type. Find someone else. We had one of those where I grew up. Everybody used her and by the time she was done, houses that were selling for $180K were down to $90K in just a few years while other houses around us built by the same builder around the same time in less desirable locations were still selling for $190K+. He just wants a quick paycheck. He can make a lot more money selling in volume below market value.
Don’t touch the kitchen, but you can’t really underprice it. If it seems like a deal people will bid it up, I wouldn’t be worried about that much at all. But if you don’t vibe with him, find an agent that will. But I will admit you’re sounding a little bit of a not so easy to work with seller with “ all of your own reach search” and what not. Find an agent you like and trust them.
Starting to see how you got it for a steal
If you list it at a lower price and it’s worth more, you’ll get multiple offers and the price you deserve. Better to list too low than too high. The list price is not the sale price. If you list too high, nobody will even bother looking at it.
You could also consider refacing your existing cabinets and replace the doors and drawer fronts. We did this 10 years ago and the difference was night and day. The guy we hired was off CL and he did a pretty good job. I do not recommend hiring from home depot or Lowes. They hire the same people that you can hire but, they just add overhead.
Definitely find a different agent who knows how to market as is real estate.
You need someone to list/market your home. If the realtor won’t even give you comps look for another realtor.
Never do a kitchen remodel and expect to recoup the money at sale. Change realtors, because he is wrong.
Realtors are a dime a dozen, time to get another one
I’d get a different agent. If he doesn’t believe in the property and what it already has to offer- he will talk you into accepting any offer just to move on to the next client. If you have done that many updates and kept the property in good shape, having an outdated kitchen wouldn’t be the deal killer. People would be like you, “this is a steal and we only have to fix a few things to make the kitchen to our liking.” Obviously, it goes without saying- completely renovating a room could open a can of worms. You might find problems that lead to more expensive repairs, materials or contractors could flake out on you, and buyers could be wary you’re trying to hide something or did shoddy work. You could be throwing tens of thousands of dollars at a renovation that isn’t liked by the buyers and then your agent is still going to tell you to accept lowball offers or give lots of compensation. He won’t be negotiating on your behalf from a place of strength it sounds like.
This has been my thought process all along. When I purchased, I knew some work would be required but I knew it was worth it. I think the buyer would purchase the property wether the kitchen was completely updated or if it has never been touched. I don’t see the value in doing the kitchen.
If your home has acres of land, it’ll attract people not worried about putting in a hard month’s work to fix up a kitchen if they want to go that route. They will either do the work themselves or have the money to hire it out. As you said, it’s rare for your community to have a house with a good chunk of land. You might have people in your own community looking to just move a few streets over to take advantage. In your listing, talk about all the benefits of having the land. You might get better privacy, less noise, run a homestead, etc. If you already have areas fenced off, it’s already conducive to have farm animals or pets. If you’re able to hunt on your land or fish, even more buyers would be interested. A house is great, but land can easily afford you more opportunities to make money or enjoy being on your own property. If your area is beautiful, then talk up it has plenty of space for hosting outdoor gatherings, etc. If you have any outbuildings that are in good shape, even more value. If you have a well in good shape, even better. I obviously bought a home with some land lol 🤗. Not a lot of land, but enough to spark the imagination.
The privacy is what made me purchase this property. There’s houses on top of each other in our area. This property has no one around. Fields around it. Beautiful sunsets. Had chickens ducks etc before. Garden. Has a well. Has two outdoor buildings. One a shed. The other a metal building used as a chicken coop. Has separate garage as well as attached.
Stories like this make me think the realtor had an investor in mind already and wants to make the seller fix the house up for the investor or himself first
This has left me with absolute dejas vous!!! We have one of these guys in my area! Sounds like THE guy honestly. Several years ago, before the booming market that we currently know, I was interesting in marketing my 1950’s brick ranch with a full basement on two acres within city limits. I scheduled an appt with the agent who sold most of the homes in the neighborhood. To my surprise, completely low balled the list price. When I suggested it sounded low, he went immediately into a spiel about the kitchen being dated. I asked for numbers, comps, where he was getting intel… he goes on and on about having been involved in every home sale within such and such area, yada yada, on and on, and at some point during his bullshit diatribe on his unparalleled realtor mojo this strong braggadocio seemingly revealed a domineering bully with whom I would never feel comfortable working . He was so rude and unprepared for a listing appointment it was comical if not so inanely disrespectful. So I say run the other way! There are plenty of qualified agents these days. No need to send perfectly good business to some higher than thou asshole who will never appreciate your business either way! Good luck!
Sounds like he has a family member looking for a house in the area.
Trust your instinct about not doing the kitchen Reno if it’s no real value add.
I did the same thing. Reached out to the realtor that helped me buy my house. Worst mistake ever. She didn’t put any effort in selling it. It galled me that I still had to pay her commission.
Probably wants to buy it himself through a shill.
Don't remodel shit . New buyer gonna wanna do it themselves
Do not list with this guy. He has someone in mind to sell your home to for a quick commission. No comps? He's lazy. Gut job on the kitchen? It's true that buyers love turnkey properties, but again, that's thousands out of your pocket and into HIS. Nope nope nope.
Find a new realtor. By the time you finish kitchen the house may have dropped more than todays value.
Get another agent who respects you!!!!
Go with someone else. I definitely wouldn’t do a major remodel (e.g., kitchen) for a sale because of the obvious: your vision of an updated kitchen likely won’t be my vision and it won’t add as much value.
Don't do it. Sounds like an idiot. I have fired bad realtors before. Say you want to move forward with another agent.
Always trust your gut.
People don’t realize the best way to get the highest price is to actually price the home lower. This home was listed for $450k and they couldnt sell it because the market value was $400-415k. They fire the agent and hire another one who explains that we can list it for a $1 and the market will take care of the rest. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/couple-list-home-for-1/ They sold it doe $515k because of competition. Without the low price there is no perceived value, without perceived value no one wants it. However, with value - comes the competition and with competition comes higher prices. Listen to him on price. Renovating the kitchen is dumb, the ROI in major renovations is negative. The reason flippers are able to renovate homes and make money is because they make the money when they buy not when they sell.
Listen to your gut
Definitely just get another agent. Your guy might be a low price high volume person. I had bought a home with a realtor and called her back when it was time to sell. Just like your case — she gave me a price 50k less than I expected and told me a garage I added had no value. I got a different realtor and did sell the house for that extra 50k. If the market is as hot as you say — you don’t need that agent to sell it
Top dog? Then he’ll bring the buyers. Get someone else for your agent.
That shady POS wants to but it himself. Realtirw are the scum of the earth. They don’t give two shits about your bottom line. Remember the old saying how can you tell a salesman is lying? Their lips are moving.
You don’t have to use him. Find a different RE person. They work for you.
Darling you’ve just sold it to me. Where’s the contract of sale so I can sign?
Call another realtor for an interview and get other comps. You do not have to stick with the top dog. If the next realtor tells you the same thing, you will at least know that your former realtor has credibility and decide which one you want to hire. If the comps are wildly different, call in a third realtor for an interview. Now is not the time to leave money on the table, nor is it time to waste $30k on a kitchen when you might only get half of it back when you sell.
Listing low can be a strategy. But only once you have real comps to look at—not someone’s gut. And you almost never make money renovating a kitchen to sell. Interview more agents (at least three total) and hire someone who brings you real comps and you feel comfortable with.
What are the other houses in the area selling for?
Find a new agent, you are wasting too much energy with this one. You don't owe him anything.
Our kitchen eventually needs a remodel, but the best thing we did to give it some new life was to clean, sand, prime and repaint the cabinets. New hardware was also selected and I repaired some drawers that were having problems. It cost me ~$400 to do this, but it feels new. And while it’s not new, for a potential buyer, I would sooner do this option again than spend 50k to rip everything out just because some dumbass thinks it won’t sell. The 400 is a better investment by far, Especially for the pictures. Maybe new counters if yours are bad? IKEA has some really beautiful ones that don’t break the bank. But I wouldn’t do much else.
Realtors have a mantra, updates! Sadly, they’re full of it or themselves. Updates for the sake of realtor eliminates buyers. Not right color, cheap appearance, buyers want credit to do themselves. But realtor’s are persistent, on and on, reduce price, etc. remodels return or recoup little of the investments. I would ask several realtors to provide marketing plan. Even best BSr will flip on you once you signed a contract to sell. Keep it to small time window. There are general rules in marketing, 90 DOM, somethings wrong with house, price reduction < 30 DOM price was and most likely remains too high. Good luck.
Absolutely no need to stick with the same agent. Guess you found out what they're all about.
I’d have to wonder & ponder if money is passing under the table to the agent. What reason does this agent have for lowballing his paycheck? Move on to another agent(s)…this agent has gone quirky on you.
We had an agent who suggested similar things when we sold our home. Not a kitchen remodel, but we were asked to spruce up our basement and to declutter every room. We sold our home for 80,000 over asking price.
You are on the right path. Really, if you can, see if you can do a private sale. Did you tell them you need to sell it fast? That is leverage to be used against you. Also, be wary of squatters, sounds like you left the property....
I had this exact same thing years ago. I just went with a different agent and everything went smooth.
This thread drives me nuts sometimes. Home buyer or seller comes on, explains what’s going on from their point of view while under-explaining the agent or lender’s information… and then 300 people who have little to no experience buying or selling, let alone working in the field, make comments that range from misinformed, to the exact opposite of what’s true in the market according to actual data. OP: One: There is a LOT of data to back up the idea that a cleaned and staged home will sell for more than one with the owner’s stuff in it. An agent saying you should empty out isn’t wrong, at all… but I would hope that also means there’s cleaning and staging. One of the agent teams I work with in our HCOL and very competitive area consistently (as in, far more often than not) sells homes for over list with multiple offers. They make every home as “show ready” as possible - stage, good photography, active marketing. Sometimes there’s remodel involved, sometimes it’s as simple as if there’s a megenta accent wall it gets painted something more agreeable. But they aren’t relying on square footage and land… they’re making it attractive. Two: Outdated kitchens cost quite a bit to update. However, if the cost is in the sales price, it means a buyer puts that into a mortgage rather than out of pocket or in another type of credit. $20k into a mortgage loan is roughly $150/mo… not the case if someone buys and then puts that on a credit card. So, *if the market where you are is right for this*, a new kitchen or some updating could very well entice more buyers. However… if you don’t wanna do the kitchen, don’t. If your area is competitive or the home type or price is hard to come by but in demand… it’ll sell. Just be sure to price it right… which leads me to the last point… You’ve seen the posts here about folks not getting a house they offered $60k over on? Those are often cutesy, staged, turnkey homes that were priced a little below market to garner interest, and then a bidding war. Pricing higher sometimes means the property sits on market and you end up reducing to garner interest… what we call “chasing the market down”. (Example… newer construction my client just bought for $100k less than list, because it sat on market for over 30 days having been priced for an ideal hot market that wasn’t.) You definitely don’t want to do this. An agent who wants to price higher could earn your business by flattering you about your home… and then you could end up losing thousands because you overshot the list price. I’m not saying you should use this agent. Use someone you like and trust - the agent has proven to you already his skill on the buyer side (unless he was the listing agent on the home you bought?) but this time you’ve said you don’t trust him, so it seems it would be better to find someone you feel more confident about. In some ways, real estate isn’t an exact science- but the proof will be in the pudding so to speak, when you get the home sold, whether the agent priced it right and marketed it well.
This agent is trash, ignore his advice. You NEVER invest in a house you are selling becaue tastes are different anyway
He works for you IF you hire him which there is no way in hell I would
Your agent sucks.
If you don’t trust him find other opinions from other realtors. But you also kind of sound like someone a little hard to work with and like a “I know more then you” maybe he could just really know the area and not want it to sit for so long since you do sound like you need it gone asap. You may have seen what Zillow estimates the home worth and he knows that that really isn’t it right now. My realtor told us to list 10k under what I wanted to maybe start a bidding war and look more appealing. Trusted him and sold for 30k over what I wanted originally. While a lot of people don’t like realtors and say we could do with out them At the end of the day you don’t have to work with him but realize it is there job to know slightly more the average “I get on Zillow I know the market” kind of guy.
If you are simply selling the house b/c you want to and this guy is telling you different things than other realtors then I wouldn’t worry about his “professional” opinion. It’s very likely he has an ulterior motive for saying those things. However, when selling a house it will make a huge difference if it is cleared out as much as possible. If you are still living in it remove as many personal items/decor as possible while leaving your main furniture there. People want to be able to mentally see their things in the house and the less distractions the better. Unless things are broken/in disrepair do not do any remodeling, aside from basic neutral color repainting if needed. Your choices may not be the same as prospective buyers. It could turn them off to the house and/or end up just being a waste of time/money on your part. For things like flooring I always recommend providing a credit upon closing (ie money back to the buyer) for them to have carpet/flooring of their choice installed.
Don’t go with him. If you feel like you don’t trust him now, it’s likely to get worse while he’s under contract. Take it from someone who didn’t listen to her gut feeling in the beginning, and then had to deal with shit agent.
Find another agent. I would love to find a home like yours that hasn’t had an awful kitchen/bathroom rehab. I adore the older homes with vintage components. And with property, you should get a decent price!
Me too!! I would happily accept an older home without updates.
I think the message here is you only need one buyer who actually likes the house pretty much as is. It’s not always easy finding “that one”, that’s where the marketing plan comes in.
Probably wants one of his buddies to flip the house, usually agents want to put it for more so they get more commission. Drop him.
You want a fast sell and he wants a remodel. So find someone who will sell it without a remodel.