WORK WITH A PRO
In an uncertain market, brokers actually have to broker deals. “A concession from this one, a concession from that one—it’s up to the broker to bring the buyer and seller together,” says Ashforth Warburg president Frederick Peters. Find a broker with a good reputation and significant experience in your neighborhood.
PRICE IT RIGHT
In today’s market, says Brown, Harris, Stevens’s Elaine Clayman, “if the property’s priced realistically, sellers are getting what they’re asking. But if the apartment is priced too high, some won’t get offers at all.” If an apartment sits on the market too long, says A. Laurance Kaiser IV, president of Key-Ventures, Inc., “it may sell for lower than what you would’ve gotten if a realistic price had been offered initially.”
FIX IT UP
Since 9/11, fewer buyers are willing to undergo the hassles of renovating. Consider doing over your home yourself before selling. At the very least, paint. “A $3,000 paint job can get you another $20,000 on price,” says Corcoran’s Scott Durkin.
BE FLEXIBLE
Buying a home—always anxiety-inducing—is doubly nerve-racking today. Make a potential buyer comfortable, says Halstead Property broker Stephen Kliegerman. Be as flexible as possible in allowing buyers to see your home when they like, multiple times if necessary.
Email
Print
Eight Year-End Films Vie for Oscar Contention
Sondheim and Lansbury on a Lifetime in Theater
The Black Keys Release Their Hip-hop Debut 
How the BQE Became an Artistic Muse
On Great Jones Street, Shopping Is Art 
Classic Fare, Old-world Charm at Le Caprice
Buy a Brownstone for Less Than $1 Million
Fifty of the City's Tastiest Soups
Reasons to Love New York 2009
New York Politicians Refuse to Quit
A-Rod Has Babe Ruth in His Sights
McCain Yields to the Party's Pressure
