Marketing Your Home In A Slow Market
(The slowing market has made it increasingly hard for even the most beautiful and well-priced home on the market to sell.)
Sellers are forced to go to drastic measures to make their house stand out from the others that are for sale as well, such as offering a new car with the home. Now not everyone has the money or the means to offer such ornate incentives and promotions, but there are some marketing tips that pretty much every seller can implement. The way you market your for-sale home is one of the most important steps of the selling process.
If your home is not marketed and advertised properly, chances are you will not get a lot of people even coming to look at it, let alone make an offer on it.
An article posted on about.com by Elizabeth Weintraub, "Top 10 house marketing tips - how to market your home," gives some great information how to promote your home to potential buyers.
"When real estate markets transition from seller's to buyer's markets, agents tend to put a lot more money and work into selling listings. However, I believe that employing strong marketing techniques is just smart business, regardless. In seller's markets, good marketing can bring higher prices and, in buyer's markets, it could mean the difference between sold or expired. Good marketing might not sell your house, but it will make the phone ring. Because if buyers don't call, you won't sell."
The most important element of marketing your home for sale is the pictures. We live in a world dominated by first impressions, so the picture could really make or break whether a person looks at your home, or moves on to the next listing.
"Most homebuyers begin a home search online, so good photos are essential. Listings without a photo or with only an exterior shot are often passed over and ignored. Buyers are visual. If you own a condo or townhome without a yard, then take pictures of the clubhouse, pool, spa or tennis courts. If you have a yard, however, buyers will want to see it."
You should always crop out sidewalks and walkways, and move cars out of the driveways. Emphasize the space you have and always mow your lawn or trim the bushes and be sure there are no children's toys lying around.
Interior photographs are also very important as well. "Take photographs of every room. Even if you suspect the room won't photograph well, shoot it anyway because the photo quality just might astonish you and be useable. Open drapes & blinds, turn on lights, focus on interesting details like the condition of a wood floor or a fireplace mantle, remove trash cans & close toilet lids in bathrooms and use floral arrangements in kitchens & dining rooms."
After you have taken good pictures of your home you should think about signs and advertising in print publications. Street signs with balloons or other decorations are a good way to attract a buyer's attention.
"Print advertising reaches more buyers. If your neighbors say, 'Everywhere I look, I see your home advertised,' you're doing a good job. Puts ads in: Major newspapers: Find out which days pull the most readers. Typically it's Sunday but some newspapers also publish 'picture classifieds' on other days. Local newspapers: You can probably run a larger ad for less money that will more closely target those looking in your area. Real estate publications: Check on press date; can you wait?"
Open houses and emails are other great ways to advertise your home. In a slow market it is best to do anything within your means to get a "buzz" going about your beautiful home.