Del Mar, Calif., is known as one of the most beautiful beachside communities in the US. Located in the northmost reaches of the San Diego metro, this glittering city showcases exclusive neighborhoods and beautiful homes, and has a population of 4,000, living in style. Del Mar properties are in high demand among luxury home buyers. Therefore, owning a home in Del Mar is a great opportunity once you are ready to sell.
The Del Mar housing market is elite, which means selling your home requires a few well-thought-out steps to get the best value from luxury home buyers. With the help of a North San Diego real estate expert, such as Schoelen Pierce, you dive into selling a home in Del Mar for the greatest possible value and a positive selling experience. Let's explore the steps involved in your ideal home-selling process.
How to prepare your home for sale
Getting a house ready to sell is a special process. You want your house to look its best, showing off all the features that make the home unique in a way that buyers can fall in love with it. In Del Mar, there are many beautiful homes. Preparing your home for sale includes removing flaws, accentuating the home's best features, and showing off what makes the house special.
Find the right real estate agent
The first step to selling your home in a market like Del Mar is to find the right real estate agent. You need someone who is not only experienced with the market but also someone with whom you can communicate. Your real estate agent should understand your goals, timeline, and the experience you want to have. This is why you should interview several real estate agents and find someone with both the expertise and rapport you need.
Calculate your home's market value
At what price should you list your house on the Del Mar housing market? It's important to list a price that buyers can approach without leaving money on the table. Choosing the right number is a careful calculation, one your real estate agent can help with. The market value and the right listing price will depend on recent home sale prices in your neighborhood as well as comparable prices for homes with the same number of rooms and features as yours. Unique amenities, special qualities, and recent upgrades can all help raise that number.
Make upgrades and improvements
In a luxury market, such as Del Mar, upgrades and improvements are often valuable investments. The best upgrades are those that modernize outdated features, like replacing rusty pipes, cracked tiles, or old appliances. Following this, stylish yet small upgrades like new molding and fresh paint can make a big difference in a way that can easily produce a return on your investment as you subtly increase your home's value.
Choose the right time to sell
The hottest time to sell in any real estate market is during the summer. Most people prefer summer home purchases because it provides plenty of time and good weather for a move. Parents also prefer summer moves because children are between school years. However, in California, the weather is always nice, and the housing market thrives all year.
Staging your home for photos and virtual tours
Staging is the art of arranging your house to inspire buyers. You want buyers to see a luxurious new life in the home. To do this, you decorate each room with just a few elegant pieces of furniture to set the stage, creating a blank canvas in which buyers can paint any life they want when they envision a future in your beautiful home.
Once staging is complete, you can bring in a professional photographer to shoot a stunning photo gallery for the listing and even use 360-degree virtual photography to create an immersive virtual tour.
Selling your home in Del Mar
Once your home is staged, you are ready to list it on the market with the help of your agent.
MLS listing and marketing strategies
Creating your MLS listing is the first step to marketing your house. MLS stands for multiple listing service. It is a universal market listing platform shared by all real estate agents. From there, your agent will decide on marketing strategies involving other public listing platforms where buyers often look for homes on the market. They will write a compelling home description paired with the fantastic photos that have already been taken.
Hosting open houses
Open-house events are more important in exclusive neighborhoods like Del Mar. They are an opportunity for locals to visit the house and personally walk through the space during a single-hosted event. Your agent may also book private tours and ensure that interested buyers can walk through on days or weekends, even outside of open house events.
The importance of virtual tours
Virtual tours make it possible for buyers to tour without arriving in person. This can be a great way for buyers to fall in love with your house and answer their own questions by exploring an immersive virtual environment created with multi-point 360-degree photography. Virtual tours are also excellent for winning remote buyers who live too far away for a casual visit.
Assessing offers from buyers
How do you know if a buyer's offer is valuable? Your real estate agent will help you to assess each offer as it comes in. It's important to ensure that the buyer has secured financing for the amount they bid, whether they are buying through a lender or with cash.
Getting an appraisal
An appraisal will help you identify the amount that banks will back your buyers with for the purchase. Getting an appraisal before the sale can be very helpful for your selling strategy.
Accepting escrow payment
Once you accept an offer, your buyers will submit an escrow payment, also known as a good faith payment or upfront payment. This money will go to the seller (you) if the buyer drops out of the purchase as compensation for the time off the market. If the sale goes through, the escrow money will go toward their first property taxes and insurance payments.
Negotiating positive terms
Your real estate agent will help you negotiate with the buyer's agent for mutually beneficial terms. They will try to raise the selling price of the home and get the buyer concessions, and the buyer's agent will negotiate for the opposite. This is where buyers and sellers can ask for specific schedule considerations, waive certain protocols, or offer to pay the other's closing costs. Ideally, negotiations will result in a win-win scenario for everyone.
Final closing costs
Lastly, once a seller has paid for the house, they will pay closing costs, including legal and agent fees. Then your home sale is finally completed as a success.
Frequently asked questions about selling a home in Del Mar
How long does it take for Del Mar homes to sell?
The average days from listing to closing in Del Mar is 59 days, or about two months.
Can you sell a Del Mar house faster than usual?
Yes. Your real estate agent can help you find buyers and close negotiations faster than usual.
How can I get the most money for selling a Del Mar home?
Getting the most money for your Del Mar home relies on strategic home improvements and staging. This ensures that buyers offer more money and find no maintenance issues to negotiate the price down.
Is now a good time to sell a home in Del Mar?
Right now, it is a seller's market, and the California housing season lasts all year. So yes, now is a good time to sell a home in Del Mar.
Is staging my home worth the cost or time?
In an upscale housing market like Del Mar, staging is worth the investment. This is because luxury home buyers are more likely to bid competitively for homes that enchant them and promise a luxurious future lifestyle in the house.
Can I sell a Del Mar house without a realtor?
It is possible to sell any home without real estate support, but it is not advised. A realtor or real estate agent acts as your guide to ensure every piece of paperwork and step in the process are smoothly taken care of.
What if my home is not paid off yet?
You don't have to completely pay off a house to sell it. A portion of the home-selling money you receive will simply go to paying off the rest of your mortgage. What remains will be your profits.
What do I do if my home listing expires?
Listings on the MLS only last 60 to 90 days on average. If your listing expires while your home is still on the market, your agent can simply list it again.
The final word on selling a house in Del Mar
Selling a home in Del Mar can be a rewarding experience with the help of a skilled real estate agent by your side. Discover what the experienced agents with Schoelen & Pierce can do for you. Contact us today.
*Header photo courtesy of Schoelen & Pierce
