Two sellers with identical units can end up months and a substantial sum apart, and the reason is usually decided in the first fortnight. An overpriced listing does not sit still — it teaches the market to wait for the reduction.
Price against closed sales, not against listings
Listing prices are asks. Closed sales are facts. Ask for the last three or four comparable transactions in the same building or subdivision, adjust for floor, view, parking and condition, and price into that range. If the only evidence available is what neighbours are still asking, treat it as the ceiling rather than the target.
Have the paperwork ready before the first viewing
Nothing kills momentum like a serious buyer waiting three weeks for documents. Collect them while the photographs are being taken, not after an offer lands.
- Certified true copy of the title, and the tax declaration
- Real property tax clearance, current year
- Association clearance confirming dues are paid up
- Valid identification for every registered owner, spouse included
- A written note of who pays which closing cost
Spend on light, then paint, then repairs
Preparation money has a clear order of return. Cleaning the windows, replacing dim bulbs with brighter ones and taking down heavy curtains costs very little and changes every photograph. Neutral paint comes next. Actual repairs come third — fix the things a buyer will notice and price down for, and leave the renovation you would have enjoyed to whoever moves in.
The first two weeks of a listing are the only two weeks the whole market is watching. Spend them at the right price.
MyVan sales desk
Decide before you list what your walk-away number is, and write it down. It is much easier to hold a line you set while you were calm than one you invent in the middle of a negotiation.