1. Pricing: This is the foundation for selling a home in any market. If the house is priced incorrectly it won’t sell… end of story. This isn’t the time to take a bunch of price cuts to test the market. This is the time to trust your agent’s professional, well thought out recommendation on pricing. If you price the house right in any market it will sell. 
2. Professional Photography, Virtual Tours and Aerial Shots: Historically, high-end professional photography, virtual tours and aerial drone footage was reserved for luxury listings over $1 million purchase price. Over the years the cost on these services have come down dramatically and can be scaled to work for almost any price point. 
3. Digital Marketing: This is part of every seller plan for me, but without the added expense of print materials, and labor hours of open house this is the time to triple down on social media and internet marketing campaigns. Every house I sell has an online budget to make sure the home is in front of the maximum number of people. 
4. Pre-inspection: Knowledge is power and being transparent as a seller is one of the top things you can do to move a buyer along in the process. Sellers should consider having an inspection completed prior to listing the home so they can address any major issues that may deter buyers from making an offer or following through with a purchase once under contract.
5. Agent Video Walkthrough: One of the tools I use for all my out of state clients is FaceTime or Zoom to do a live virtual walk through. This really helps give clients a great opportunity to see the home in real time and have a look at certain aspects that might not be captured in a virtual tour such as closets. I’ve had many clients make offers site unseen from this type of interaction.
6. Serious Inquiries Only: If the previous steps aren’t enough to get the buyer to the offer table, in person showings can take place with caution. Some ways to manage this is by requiring a valid lender pre-qualification or proof of funds and a simple health questionnaire for each person who wants to tour. If they don’t have this or aren’t willing to provide it, then they likely aren’t interested enough to purchase the house anyway. 
7. Wash your hands: Chances are you’ll be able to limit traffic though your home by utilizing the above strategies. However, you’ll likely need to open the home to buyers and inspectors at some point during the process. I provide all my clients kits with hand sanitizer, gloves and shoe booties to make sure we limit any exposure to surfaces in the house. 

It’s certainly possible to sell your house for a great price using the steps outlined here. It’s been a sellers market for a while in Arizona and although we’ve seen demand taper off a modest amount in the last month, homes are still selling. Right now we sit at just 2 months of supply of homes in the valley. If you’ve thought about selling your home to move up to another now is a great time as there’s less competition between buyers for the short term. 

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Lindsay Fricks, Helping you, your family and friends Live & Love in Arizona!