How a Flagstaff Home Went Under Contract (Over Asking) in 48 Hours
My newest listing in Walnut Meadows went under contract in 48 hours, over asking. That is not what most headlines would predict right now, so let me explain what actually happened.
First, the facts. The home is in Walnut Meadows, Flagstaff. It features 3 bedrooms + Office, 2 bathrooms, 2 car garage and most importantly, is single level and has no major repairs to be made. It went live on Oct 15th and we had an over-asking offer the night before it went live, which was accepted 2 days later after the first open house.
Here is my honest take on why it worked. Pricing came from the data, not from hope. Sellers are often tempted to start high and “see what happens.” In a market with high days on market, that is exactly how a home becomes stale. We priced to the buyers who are actually shopping, regardless of the fact that a recent appraisal came in much higher. We knew we needed to be competitive to get noticed, and thankfully this seller is open-minded enough to know that listing under market value can actually drive the purchase price up.
Prep happened before launch. By the time the listing hit the MLS, the home was ready to be seen, not “almost ready.” We did a full interior repaint with a professional company, gave the handyman a punchlist after doing a pre-inspection on the home with a local inspector, installed all new can lights, door hardware and light switches. We had a deep clean done and lightly staged the home. Buyers right now are cautious with their money, so anything that reads as extra work gets punished fast.
Strategic marketing occurred as soon as it was compliant. We are allowed to start locally marketing the home with signs, verbal communication, etc, 24 hours before we go live in the MLS. And I took full advantage of that. I knocked on about 50 doors in the surrounding area, inviting the neighbors to my open house the following Saturday. We do this because often times a neighbor is who ultimately brings a buyer. Sure enough, one of the neighbors is a local realtor and when she heard what was coming to market, she knew she had the right clients for it. These buyers had missed out on a few other single-level opportunities in this neighborhood and were prepared to do what it would take to secure the right property. We had an offer that evening- and because they knew the seller wanted to wait to review offers until at least once open house had occurred, they made a standout offer that would be very hard for the seller to refuse. ..SMART!
Communication kept the seller steady. Before I was a Realtor, I was a life and health coach. That background matters more than people think. Selling a home is emotional, and the seller who can stay level-headed makes better decisions about showings, offers, and negotiations. I sent the seller a 24 hour report about online views, showings, market changes etc. Then another report and call after the first open house. Although we had other interest, the offer we received first was incredibly strong and it was decided that it was the best thing to do to accept, hoping we’d received backup offers just in case.
The takeaway is not “list your home and it will sell over asking.” The takeaway is that well-priced, well-prepared homes still move in Flagstaff, even when rates are not where anyone wants them. If you are curious what your home would look like on the market right now, I am happy to walk through the data with you, no pressure.