1. Audit your agent’s online marketing. 92% of homebuyers
start their house hunt online, and they will never even get in the car to come
see your home if the online listings aren’t compelling. In real estate,
compelling means pictures! A study by shows that listings with more than 6
pictures are twice as likely to be viewed by buyers as listings that had fewer
than 6 pictures.
2. Post a video love letter about your home on YouTube. Get
a $125 FlipCam and walk through your home AND your neighborhood, telling
prospective buyers about the best bits – what your family loved about the
house, your favorite bakery or coffee shop that you frequented on Saturday
mornings, etc. Buyers like to know that a home was well-loved, and it helps them
visualize living a great life there, too.
3. Let your neighbors choose their neighbors. If you belong
to neighborhood online message boards or email lists, send a link to your
home’s online listing to your neighbors. Also, invite your neighbors to your
open house – turn it into a block party. That creates opportunities for your
neighbors to sell the neighborhood to prospective buyers and for your neighbors
to invite house hunters they know who have always wanted to live in the area.
4. Facebook your home’s listing. Face book is the great connector of people these days. If you
have 200 friends and they each have 200 friends, imagine the power of that
network in getting the word out about your house!
5. Leave some good stuff behind. We’ve all heard about
closing cost credits, but those are almost so common now that buyers expect
them – they don’t really distinguish your house from any of the other homes on
the market anymore. What can distinguish your home is leaving behind some of
your personal property, ideally items that are above and beyond what the average
homebuyer in your home’s price range would be able to afford. That may be
stainless steel kitchen appliances or a plasma screen TV, or it might be a golf
cart if your home is on a golf course.
6. Beat the competition with condition. In many markets,
much of the competition is low-priced foreclosures and short sales. As an
individual homeowner, the way you can compete is on condition. Consider having
a termite inspection in advance of listing your home, and get as many of the
repairs done as you can – it’s a major selling point to be able to advertise a
very low or non-existent pest repair bill. Also, make sure that the little
nicks and scratches, doorknobs that don’t work, and wonky handles are all
repaired before you start showing your home.
7. Stage the exterior of your home too. Stage the exterior
with fresh paint, immaculate landscaping and even outdoor furniture to set up a
Sunday brunch on the deck vignette. Buyers often fantasize about enjoying their
backyards by entertaining and spending time outside.
8. Access is essential. Homes that don’t get shown don’t
get sold. And many foreclosures and short sale listings are vacant, so they can
be shown anytime. Don’t make it difficult for agents to get their clients into
your home – if they have to make appointments way in advance, or can only show
it during a very restrictive time frame, they will likely just cross your place
off the list and go show the places that are easy to get into.
9. Get real about pricing. Today’s buyers are very educated
about the comparable sales in the area, which heavily influence the fair market
value of your home. And they also know that they’re in the driver’s seat. To
make your home competitive, have your broker or agent get you the sales prices
of the three most similar homes that have sold in your area in the last month
or so, then try to go 10-15% below that when you set your home’s list price.
The homes that look like a great deal are the ones that get the most visits
from buyers and, on occasion even receive multiple offers. (Bidding wars do
still exist!)
10. Get clued into your competition. Work with your broker
or agent to get educated about the price, type of sale and condition of the
other homes your home is up against. Attend some open houses in your area and
do a real estate reality check: know that buyers that see your home will see
those homes, too – make sure the real-time comparison will come out in your
home’s favor by ensuring the condition of your home is up to par.
11. De-personalize. Do this – pretend you’re moving out.
Take all the things that make your home “your” personal sanctuary (e.g., family
photos, religious décor and kitschy memorabilia), pack them up and put them in
storage. Buyers want to visualize your house being their house – and it’s
difficult for them to do that with all your personal items marking the
territory as yours.
12. De-clutter. Keep the faux-moving in motion. Pack up all
your tchotchkes, anything that is sitting on top of a countertop, table or
other flat surfaces. Anything that you haven’t used in at least a year? That
goes, too. Give away what you can, throw away as much as possible of what
remains, and then pack the rest to get it ready to move.
13. Listen to your agent.
If you find an experienced real estate agent to list your home, who has a
successful track record of selling homes in your area, listen to their
recommendations! Find an agent you trust and follow their advice as often as
you can. Sell a flat by using allindiayellowpage.com.