Hello Long Branch homeowners! Are you thinking of selling your property? Today, I’ll walk you through how to get the best value for your property right here in Long Branch, NJ. I’m Michele Irizarry, CEO and Broker of Shore Prime Properties. With over 20 years experience in helping local homeowners to prepare and sell their homes, I have witnessed the many changes in the market and learned how to pivot strategies in order to keep up with current market conditions and attract excited buyers to the properties we market for sale.
Long Branch is a truly special place to live. A coastal city filled with rich history, booming development, beautiful beaches, and a vibrant community all located within close proximity to New York City.
Market Trends:
According to the National Association of Realtors, the median home value in Monmouth County, NJ is $596,643.
Understanding the Long Branch Market:
After doing some research on the Monmouth Ocean Regional Realtors Multiple Listing System, the average sold price in Long Branch for 2023 was an impressive $927,137. A desirable location combined with historic and new construction homes, Long Branch properties are commanding top dollar, well above county average values.
Pricing a property competitively is what will bring great results. As a Pricing Strategy Advisor, I have learned that in performing a market analysis on a home prior to listing, you have to think like an appraiser. Should an offer come in subject to obtaining a mortgage, the lender will send an appraiser out to confirm that the home is in fact worth the contract price. Should the house not appraise, the transaction is at risk of falling apart and most appraisals happen 2-3 weeks prior to closing – a pretty terrible time to find out you may not have a closing.
Competitive Pricing:
Pricing on point with the market has proven with the majority of our listings, to attract multiple buyers and in an competitive environment, have produced offers above the list price. Utilizing our pricing strategies, we have a record for the highest sold two family in property in Long Branch for 2023. We have also received multiple offers well above list price on the most recent Long Branch property we are currently marketing for sale. Pricing matters in all types of market conditions. And having a skilled, knowledgeable Realtor representing and guiding you can make all the difference. At Shore Prime Properties we always aim to understand the competition and set a price that attracts buyers while maximizing your returns.
Preparing Your Home for Sale:
Declutter and Depersonalize:
Once pricing is determined, the next step is to prepare the property for the market. A well-presented home can significantly boost its appeal and selling price. The top advice we give our sellers is to declutter and depersonalize the space. Having each room as open as possible allows potential buyers to appreciate how much square footage the home has to offer. Removing personal effects helps them to imagine themselves living in the home and not feel as if they are intruding in some one else’s personal space.
Repairs and Improvements:
Depending on our seller’s timeframe and budget, we will suggest repairs and improvements that can increase the home’s value and bring our sellers a high Return on Investment for these projects.
Staging:
Staging can have a major positive impact when buyers are viewing the home. Staging can be done with the homeowners own furniture or rented from a professional stager. The National Association of Realtors states that 81% of home buyers’ agents said that home staging made it very easy for their buyer clients to envision themselves living in the home. A couple of years ago, we listed a townhome in The Shores in Long Branch, NJ. The home had expired with a previous agent. We recommended some upgrades and had a stager come in. We received multiple offers and ultimately closed with a record breaking sales price for the complex that year. Many of the buyers asked if they could purchase the furniture- proving that today’s homebuyers really do want turn key properties and are willing to pay for them.
Effective Marketing Strategies:
With pricing in effect and the home prepared it’s time for what I find to be the most fun aspect of representing home sellers- the marketing! Effective marketing can make your home sell faster and for a higher price and is an integral part of the home selling process.
Professional Photography:
When Shore Prime Properties is marketing your home, we hire a media company. They come out and shoot professional photos of the home and the exterior. We also have drone photography, as well to highlight the yard or the complex as well as the location and what is near to the house.
Virtual Tours:
Virtual tours play a big part in helping a buyer to understand if they want to schedule a tour of the house or not. Our virtual tours are walk through videos, where all potential buyers have to do is sit back and watch. These videos can also include drone video footage which provide a bird’s eye view of the property and its surroundings.
Spreading the Word:
Finally, we have a property ready for sale. Now it’s time to take the amazing marketing assets ( the photos and videos of the home) and put them out to the world. Shore Prime Properties has an amazing network of other local Realtors, local business, as well as an impressive database of clients, contractors, friends and family that we keep up to date on all of our latest homes for sale. In addition to getting the word out locally, I hired a business coach to teach me marketing techniques, similar to the Forbes 500 companies, like Coke, Tide and Nike to properly distribute these marketing assets across social media to demographically targeted audiences. The results have been astounding and we have many happy home sellers who were both amazed and satisfied with the results of the Shore Prime marketing plan.
Understanding the market, preparing your home, and using effective marketing strategies are instrumental to having a successful sale of your home. For more personalized advice and a free home valuation, contact us at Shore Prime Properties directly. Don’t forget to subscribe for more insider tips on selling your home in Long Branch, NJ. I’m Michele Irizarry, providing a 5 star real estate experience at the Jersey Shore.
