3 Ways to Speed Up the Sale of Your Home, According to ‘Million Dollar Listing’ Stars Ryan Serhant & Emilia Bechrakis

When it comes to selling homes at top dollar, Million Dollar Listing stars Ryan Serhant and Emilia Bechrakis know a thing or two. With more high-priced sales under their belts than we can count, the married couple and costars have a whole host of tips that help them move even the toughest of properties. So when we chatted with them as part of their partnership with the Amazon Echo, we just had to know: What are the easiest things you can do to sell your house quickly—and for the most money? It all comes down to three simple rules.

As the agents pointed out, “Buyers want to think about living in their future home as opposed to moving into your home, so it’s important to neutralize the space.” This can easily be achieved by decluttering and making sure your home smells fresh. Basically, you want to do everything you can to help buyers picture what their lives would be like in this house, and having a ton of tchotchkes—or deeply personal items, like a ton of family photos—can disrupt that vision.

“Repainting with a fresh coat of white” goes a long way in helping potential buyers imagine themselves living there. As much as you might love that deep blue bathroom or emerald green accent wall in the living room, a blank canvas can do a much better job of getting those offers.

No, this doesn’t mean adding posh accents to your property. Instead, step up your tech game and make your house smart. This can be as simple as utilizing your Amazon Echo Show ($230) or Amazon Echo ($90) to turn on all the lights before a buyer comes by. For Serhant, that’s a major game-changer: “It’s great when a home is hands-free. When I’m showing a property, I arrive early to make sure all the lights are on, and sometimes that can be a 20-minute process.” It’s a time-saver for sure, but it can also impress potential buyers when they see how modern—and easy to use—the features are.

Lights aren’t the only thing you can automate, either: “You can control the temperature, operate your shades or even turn on your faucet—all hands-free,” he added.

Hey, we’re all about doing the least possible work to achieve the best result.