Boca Raton is a city of about 98,000 residents in southern Palm Beach, FL. It’s one of the wealthiest places in all of South Florida and will celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2024.
The main architectural styles are Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean Revival. The city imposes strict building codes to prevent oversized commercial buildings and the number and size of building signs and billboard ads from affecting the city’s landscape.
The main campus of Florida Atlantic University is located here, as is the corporate headquarters of office supply giant Office Depot. Tennis pros-in-training have an opportunity to train at the Evert Tennis Academy, founded by French Open and U.S. Open winner Chris Evert.
Retail therapy seekers will delight in a visit — or two, or three — to the high-end Town Center at Boca Raton, the largest indoor shopping mall in Palm Beach County. Downtown Boca Raton is built around a lifestyle and entertainment locale called Mizner Park. Those searching for a one-and-done spot for living, shopping, and dining can head over to Royal Palm Place.
If you’re in the market to sell, here are some ways to increase the number of offers on your Boca Raton home.
1. Hire an agent with strong marketing skills and an upbeat attitude
Your realtor is key to marketing Boca Raton houses with the most effort and skill, so treat the process of finding an agent like hiring a new employee. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers for referrals, and ensure they’ve had a one-on-one experience with whomever they name. Look for agents with solid sales numbers and ask for a free consultation. While you certainly don’t want a “yes man” who oversells everything, you do want a realtor on your team who's eager to represent you, has enthusiasm, and has a strong marketing strategy.
An agent will conduct a comparative market analysis (CMA) that analyzes every Boca Raton home like yours that has sold over the last several months. If your home is higher or lower in price than its comparables, potential buyers might think there’s something wrong with it and write it off.
A successful agent offers sales and marketing advice based on their factual knowledge of the market. If that agent insists on listing your house at the highest price possible, they’re not an ideal match for you.
They will offer ways to repair and renovate your home to boost its return on investment (ROI). Otherwise, you could waste money on upgrades that buyers don’t even want.
An agent presents different methods of marketing your home that exceed just uploading some pictures and details on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). They include networking, video tours, and staging.
2. Stage the inside and outside of your home
When people hear the term "curb appeal," they assume it only pertains to the outside of a home. How's the yard? The curbs? The driveway? Work on repairing and upgrading these external features to draw buyers in. Groom overgrown landscaping, power wash the exterior, and clear the cobwebs from the house. Illuminate walkways, the front porch and front door, and repair any cracks or uneven surfaces on the driveway and walkways.
An internal appeal is also a critical part of the selling process. Create a neutral, inviting space by depersonalizing the house. Removing personal effects, such as family photos, awards and trophies, and your kids’ artwork. The goal is to make your space as neutral as possible so buyers can envision themselves and not be swayed by a wall of photos from your vacation in Tuscany. Additionally, make sure to clear out at least one-third of all the furniture in every room and place it in storage. This allows buyers to picture themselves more easily in the home and provides more open space for buyers to move around in.
3. Learn about the art of pricing
Every seller wants to walk away with the highest offer for their home, and every home buyer wants to purchase a home for as little as possible. While it's tempting to list your residence at the highest price possible, it’s not the best tactic. When buyers begin their home searches, they first look at the price that falls within their budget. Houses that fall below or rise above that range probably won’t be considered, much less seen. An effective realtor will work with a seller to calculate the ideal price for his home so that it falls within the median price of comparable homes nearby.
4. Lower your asking price sooner rather than later if you need to
Even if you’ve priced your home within the “sweet spot” amongst comparables in the neighborhood, the market can be fickle and change instantly. It’s possible to come up empty even if you’ve taken all the suggested steps to garner more offers on your home. As impossible as it might seem to have to lower your asking price, it’s important to do so sooner than later. Why? If a house lingers on the market, potential buyers could assume it’s faulty in some way or that the seller is not willing to negotiate, even if they are. Work with your realtor to establish a lower asking price if the average sales window is nearing its end and you don’t have any offers..
The Berk Group is here to help
Local realtors are experienced with all types of markets. They’ll be happy to assist you in presenting the best versions of Boca Raton houses — including yours — so they can sell quickly. If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to the experts on The Berk Team for more information.
