Philadelphia was recently named one of the top three markets for people planning on buying a home, which means that sellers in Philly need to work a bit harder to get their home to sell. Whether you’re in the process of deciding to list your home or are about to put it up for sale, here are a few tips for selling your home in the Philadelphia area.

Timing Is Everything

One of the most important tips for selling your home is to get the timing right. According to Time, the best time to sell a house is different from the best time to buy a house. Usually, the best time to buy is in the dead of winter, as fewer people are out looking or buying then. The best time to sell a house is in the spring, as there are typically more people on the market.

Time also notes that choosing the right day to list your home is important, too. One of the best days to put your house up on the market is Thursday. When you list on a Thursday, buyers and real estate agents have enough time before the weekend to notice your home and schedule a viewing of it over the weekend. It also gives you enough time to plan an open house for Saturday or Sunday without having the home sit on the market for more than a few days.

Find a Great Agent

When you’re selling a home in Philly, you want to find an agent who knows the area and who will help you price your home in a way that reflects its value and will help bring in buyers. Do your research before hiring an agent — ask for references from past clients, check out the other listings the agent has, and don’t be afraid to grill your prospective agent about Philadelphia real estate. You want to find someone who really knows the market.

Make Your Home Spiffy

Finding an agent and putting your house on the market are just part of the equation when it comes to selling a home. You also want to make your home appealing to a buyer. That often means removing all traces of your personal flair from the home and giving it a good cleaning before the first potential buyer steps through the front door. You might find that hiring a staging company is useful, although doing so is an additional expense.

Schedule an Open House

An open house not only gives buyers a chance to check out your home, it also lets buyers’ agents investigate your home to see if it might be something they can recommend to their clients. Ideally, you’ll want to schedule an open house the first weekend after you list. Since weekends are often full of open houses, one way to make yours stand out is to schedule it at an unusual time. Instead of noon to 3pm, try 2 pm to 5 pm, which allows buyers to stop by after checking out other open houses.

It might be a buyer’s market in Philly right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stand out as a seller. Find the right person to work with, the right times to list, and remember that first impressions last the longest.

For more tips on selling your Philadelphia home, check out Coldwell Banker’s home seller resources.

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