October 2012 Market Update - Pricing Your Home in the Current Market

Welcome to Fall!

All corners of the province have experienced unbelievably good weather through August and September, and it

looks like the trend may be continuing into October.

Fingers crossed!

For the real estate market, a relatively sluggish summer has given way to another fall market. Some areas are

continuing to see softening prices and slower sales while others have seen a strong market. Remember, real

estate is local. It's hard to take national stats and make inferences about a neighbourhood.

For those of you thinking about selling, it is important to realize how vital the Art of Pricing is to the sale of your

home.

All sellers want the highest price possible for their homes, but the strategies to get there are not always intuitive. In

certain circumstances, pricing low can be more effective than pricing high, while in others, pricing above market

value can be a winning strategy. In most cases, however, the optimum pricing strategy is to price within 10% of

market value and let the market decide. After all, the 'list price' comes with a caveat: Or Best Offer.

Top Reasons for NOT Pricing High:

• 1. You lose out on potential buyers who put a price cap on their property searches
• 2. Serious buyers question the motivation of a seller with an overpriced listing.
• 3. You provide a strong comparable for your neighbours who are properly priced. You are effectively selling other people's well-priced homes.
• 4. Buyers assume that properties which remain on the market for long periods of time have something inherently wrong with them.
• 5. Other agents will be more hesitant to show your home.

In a quickly rising market, pricing strategies tend to matter less, as underpriced listings are bid up to market value

and overpriced listings simply wait until the market catches up to them. However, in flat or falling markets, pricing

plays a pivotal role in how much you may ultimately sell your house for.

In a flat market, buyers have more time to analyze the market and therefore become more educated about value.

Houses that are overpriced will simply sit on the market, as well-priced new listings come on to replace well-

priced recently sold listings.

In a falling market, the optimal pricing strategy is actually to price BELOW market value. A simple exercise that

pricing experts like to use in this situation is to visualize catching a fly ball. The ball represents the market and your

glove represents your pricing strategy. If you price too high, the glove will simply swing across where the ball was.

If you price at market, there's a good chance you will miss it. But if you price just below market value, there's a

greater likelihood of catching the ball. After all, it's better to take a little bit less than to risk having the ball drop in for

a double.

Many factors come into play when it comes to pricing your home and a professional can help you through that process. To find out more, please feel free to contact me.

	(Click chart to see larger image)
	*This communication is not intended to cause or induce breach of an existing agency agreement. *Although this information has been received from sources deemed reliable, we assume no responsibility for its accuracy, and without offering advice, make this submission to prior sale or lease, change in price or terms, and withdrawal without notice.