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How to Prepare Your Luxury Home for the Market


We all know that selling a home is not the most straightforward task, but it doesn’t have to be exceptionally hard. It’s important to understand that the market is a bit different when selling a luxury home, and so is the difficulty level. Everything from how you price the house to how you market it will need to be optimized for the right buyers, and the higher the price, the more you’ll have to make specific moves to appeal to your target demographic.

If you’ve never sold a luxury home before, you might be a bit nervous stepping into new territory, and having a certain level of expertise at your side will certainly help. Knowing market trends will help; an exceptional realtor with experience selling luxury homes will ensure the house is sold promptly and for a fair price. Your job at the end of the day is to do your best to sell your luxury property quickly. And since we know there are no guarantees in real estate, we’ve put together a guide to help you make your home stand out even more.

Find the proper price point


One of the trickiest parts of selling any luxury home is setting the correct price from the beginning. You’ll want to ensure that it’s priced either very competitively or aggressively from the start so that you are attracting buyers right away. You don’t want to price it too high or too low because that will cause your home to sit on the market for longer and could potentially cause it to sell for less than what it’s truly worth. 

Work closely with your realtor to find a happy middle, settling on a price that speaks to the value of your home without deterring buyers. An agent experienced in luxury real estate, like Joshua Saslove or Riley Warwick, will work to get an in-depth comparative market analysis on your home, which will help determine the best price to list your home. A home valuation will also help determine the house’s worth. The team will also help you decide which amenities help your home stand out from the other luxury homes in Aspen — another step toward determining a reasonable starting price.

Hire an experienced real estate agent


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This tip seems a bit obvious, but having an agent experienced in the luxury market is vital to navigating the market as a seller. While every broker has specialties, understanding the delicate balance of selling a luxury home is critical, especially in pricing and marketing.

You can find someone with proven experience in several ways. Start with networking. Check with your friends and neighbors who have sold luxury homes for recommendations. You can also search your area for agents in the luxury market and look at their past-sale portfolios and reviews. As leaders in the Aspen luxury real estate market, we at Saslove & Warwick take pride in having the knowledge and work ethic you need to sell your home quickly.

Hire a professional stager


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As with selling any home, the process of staging will not single handedly sell your home, but it can go a long way in making it more appealing to buyers. Your goal is to showcase the home’s signature amenities, making it exude luxury. If you have an exceptional outdoor space, is it staged so buyers can envision themselves enjoying evenings in the summer? What about that magnificent kitchen that would make a chef drool? Showcased each room so the luxury features are front and center, ensuring buyers can easily see what makes the home unique and desirable.

Staging your home can be a huge task, and it might be challenging to see the home from a different perspective. In this case, hiring a professional staging company is an excellent option because they can help guide you through the entire process and explain how it optimizes your home’s full potential. Aspen Home Staging is perfect if you’re looking for a professional with quality work and tons of experience.

Hire a professional photographer


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When it comes to luxury real estate, quality supersedes quantity. More than 90% of buyers begin searching for their homes online, so use photos and videos to make your home stand out. If your agent does the images themselves, ensure they have plenty of experience and proper equipment. The lighting should complement your home’s layout and amenities. Mediocre smartphone images don’t cut it in a standard market, so they certainly won’t draw any crowds in a luxury market. Investing in high-quality photos and videos is going to make all the difference.

Better yet, create a virtual walk-through of the home. Buyers online can tour your house and get a feel for it without leaving their own. The MLS limits the number of photos, and because buyers can be from anywhere, the stakes are high regarding visual marketing.

Market your home wisely



Real estate marketing is critical when selling a luxury home. Simply putting a sign on your lawn and listing it on the MLS isn’t likely to cut it. Print advertising is one way to reach people in ways the internet cannot. But the best agent will connect with your prospects via their website, blog, and social media. Using these tools ensures our clients and their listings get maximum exposure.

Most people use social media, and your agent should go beyond simply sharing your listing. They will know the luxury market, how qualified prospects find homes, what strategies work best, and what additional tools will ensure your listing stands out.

Selling a luxury home is similar to selling any other home, but it requires a bit more patience and a lot of expertise. A good strategy and suitable agents will ensure your home is sold quickly and for the best price. When you’re ready to sell your luxury home, contact us. We’re happy to help!

*Header photo courtesy of Saslove & Warwick



About the Authors

Joshua Saslove

Joshua Saslove is the undisputed luxury real estate leader in Aspen, Colorado. Saslove routinely outperforms all other brokers in one of America's most exclusive, and most competitive, real estate markets when it comes to Aspen real estate. With over 40 years of experience and an unwavering commitment to the perfection of client service, he has sold an estimated $3+ billion in real estate while accumulating a client list of some of the world's most influential individuals.

Joshua Saslove has been featured on the cover of New York Times for his representation of the Prince Bandar $135 million estate. During 2009, the worst economic year in decades, Saslove made headlines for seller representation of the largest residential home sale in the United States for that year, a $43 million Aspen estate.

A Detroit native, Joshua is a proud Harley guy who enjoys cross-country skiing and spending time with family.

Riley Warwick

Riley Warwick is co-founder of the Aspen-based brokerage team, Saslove & Warwick, at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, with his partner Joshua Saslove. Saslove & Warwick approaches Aspen’s real estate landscape with an auspicious blend of experience, deep community ties, and forward thinking. Together, The Saslove & Warwick Team has over 60 years of experience and $5+ billion in closed sales.

Riley’s uncanny ability to find off-market opportunities for his clients is one trait that sets him apart. Recent examples include his record-setting sale of 421 Willoughby Way for $108M, 132 Placer Lane for $55M, representing Buyer and Seller in both transactions, and numerous other off-market sales. 

Crediting his success as an Aspen real estate agent to a relentless work ethic, responsiveness, and deep market knowledge, Riley also adheres to the primary principles of discretion, honesty and continual improvement. Ultimately, Riley judges his success by the number of clients who would recommend him to their friends and family.

His success thus far has not gone unrecognized. The Saslove & Warwick Team maintains standing as the #1 Colorado Team by sales volume for 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019. Riley was ranked #1 Douglas Elliman Colorado Agent in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 for gross sales volume, #2 Douglas Elliman Colorado Agent in 2019 for GCI, voted the #2 Aspen Times Realtor of The Year in 2017, and received the Team Player Award from Douglas Elliman in 2018. 

A graduate of Purdue University and an Indiana native, Riley has been a downtown Aspen resident for the past ten years. When not working on real estate, Riley is an avid reader and cyclist. His other interests include art, architecture, design, vintage watches, and cars.

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