Industry powerhouse Zillow recently took some of the finest real estate minds in the country and locked them up with nothing to eat except airplane peanuts until they could agree on the one thing sellers could do to help sell their homes quickly and easily.  Or maybe there weren’t any peanuts or locked room and it was just that Zillow conducted a survey of sorts…but ANYWAY the surprising discovery that emerged after plumbing the depths of these brilliant minds was that Home Sellers need…(can I have a drum roll please for suspense)…to improve curb appeal!  You see, folks, this is why Zillow is the top dog—profound insights such as these which are beyond the minds or ordinary men and women like you and me.  And it only serves to reinforce what I always say—why bother thinking for yourself when there are trained professionals to do it for you?

Zillow’s survey also asked agents and interior designers nationwide to specifically identify the most valuable home improvements sellers could make.  In essence, the consensus was…don’t.  In another upset of existing assumptions, Zillow discovered that sellers should not do much improvement beyond the minor ones like painting and maybe some landscaping to freshen up the outside appeal. Zillow’s chief marketing officer Amy Bohutinsky summed up the reigning thought: “Home buyers don’t want to feel they are paying top-dollar for someone else’s decorating style.  An inviting exterior and landscape, fresh paint in neutral colors, and clutter-free spaces will always appeal to a board range of tastes.”

Now I know some of you are slapping your heads and exclaiming, “If I’d only had an Amy Bohutinsky earlier in life I could have saved myself and everyone else so much trouble!”  But don’t beat yourself up…you live and learn.   From now on, if any one you know tries to get cute and clever by updating their bathroom, you can just hold up Amy Bohutinsky like a shield against such tomfoolery and perhaps you’ll win the day.  Whatever you do, don’t handle the situation on your own without Zillow…who knows what mayhem will result?  And make sure you stay tuned next week when Zillow will announce the three most important factors in Real Estate.  This one will really shock you and I won’t be a spoiler but I’ll just give you one hint—they all start with an “L”.