This one mistake is costing home sellers more than $2,000

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If you’re looking to sell your home – with or without the help of a real estate agent – there are a few things that can make or break a speedy sale.

The folks at Redfin poured through millions of home sales to provide us with some pointers.

Read more: Has your zip code recovered from the housing crisis?

Follow these 4 tips to sell your home fast

List your home on a Thursday

Homes that hit the market Thursday sell faster and for more money, according to Redfin.

On average, homes listed on Thursday get $2,352 more than houses listed on a Sunday, but only 18% of sellers list on Thursday. Redfin says nearly 30% of homes are listed on Saturday, Sunday or Monday – the worst days to list.

This one mistake is costing home sellers more than $2,000

What’s so special about Thursday? Well, it’s pretty simple. It’s when buyers start viewing online listings that they’d like to visit over the weekend. The majority of open houses are held on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you do hold an open house… 

Speaking of open houses, do they really matter? The experts at Redfin say they rarely lead to a higher price or quicker sale.

Some real estate agents simply hold open houses because their clients expect them to. As it turns out, the open house might benefit the agent more than anyone else, potentially introducing them to future clients who don’t have representation.

If you do hold an open house, Redfin suggests doing it within the first week of the listing.

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Professional photos are a must

Most buyers are going to learn about your home through an online listing, so you want to make sure that you make a good first impression.

Redfin says high-quality photos help homes sell faster and for more money.

This one mistake is costing home sellers more than $2,000

If you’re working with a real estate agent, they will usually pay for the photos, because it’s just part of the overall marketing strategy. If an agent wants you to pay extra for the pics, consider signing with someone else.

Price your home strategically

The most important thing to most sellers is getting a fair price for their home, and price is at the top of the list for buyers as well.

Your best strategy is to price your home fairly from the start, according to Redfin. That’s because your home’s online listing gets the most attention right when it hits the market, and you don’t want to risk being dismissed as overpriced.

Also, when you start to drop the price, buyers might wonder if there’s something wrong with the home.

Read more: Are you a member of the middle class? This tool will tell you…

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