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HOW
TO SELL A HOUSE THAT DIDN'T SELL
If
your home has just come off the market and hasn't sold, don't be discouraged.
The reason it didn't sell may have nothing to do with your home or the
market. In reality, your home may havebeen one of the more desirable properties
for sale. If your listing has expired and you still want results, before
you put your home back on the market, take a step back and review your
situation.
Q.
Where should I begin?
A.
Start by making a commitment to do what it takes to market your house to
get it sold. With the right system, the home sale you want is still well
within reach.
Q.
Why didn't my home sell?
A.
Review your previous selling plan and you'll discover that an expired listing
usually reflects a problem in one or more of these four major areas1. Teamwork,2.
Pricing,3. Condition of Your Home, and4. Marketing.
4
IMPORTANT POINTS THAT WILL GET YOUR HOUSE SOLD
1.
Teamwork.
Your
home is a major financial investment, and your relationship with your Realtor®
should be a full partnership where your needs and wishes are heard, and
you receive detailed and dependablefeedback on the progress of your sale.
Your agent has a responsibility to source this feedback from the agents
who have shown your home, and to communicate this to you so together you
can make the right decisions about what to do next. How well did this occur
the last time you had your home up for sale?
2.
Pricing - Did price work for or against you?
The
"right" price depends on market conditions, competition and the condition
of your home. Pricing it too high is as dangerous as pricing it too low.
If your home doesn't compare favorablywith others in the price range you've
set, you won't be taken seriously by prospects or agents.
You'll
get the facts when you see the statistics! To help you to establish a realistic
selling price for your home, ask your agent to provide you with an up-to-date
competitive market analysis togive you
*
a review of comparable homes recently sold or currently for sale,
*
an idea of how long other homes have been listed, in order to calculate
an average time in which a home can sell in today's market,
*
a review of homes whose listings have expired, to understand what issues
were at play.
Note
There is no mention of how much you paid for your home or its improvements.
Like any other investment, the market value is determined by what a willing
buyer will pay and a willing sellerwill accept.
3.
Condition of Your Home - Showcase Quality!
Is
your house someone else's idea of a dream home? When buyers enter are they
inspired? Do they think, "I love this house!" Remember, the decision to
buy a home is based on emotion, notlogic.
A
house in move-in condition invites a sale. You need to consider* fixing
all the little squeaks and cracks* keeping it clean for all showings* making
it uncluttered* brightening it up* what your home shows like from the street
(concentrating on outside curb appeal)
Plus
- Consider taking care of major items, such having your home painted. Offering
an allowance to your prospective buyers, so they can have painting completed
is not the same as having doneit for them. Now, as they're trying to imagine
what that new paint job will look like, they may also be discounting the
price even further because of the less-than-perfect look of those walls.
Remember...
A house that presents well, sells for the best price because it outshines
the competition. Ask your agent if they can arrange a no-obligation inspection
of your home to help you assess the above.
4.
Marketing Your Home To Sell!
One
of the first steps in your marketing plan involves finding an agent who
will best represent you. When interviewing agents, test and compare their
knowledge and ask each to demonstrate howthey will market your home to
buyers. Compare, too, how much money each spends on advertising the homes
s/he lists, in what media (newspaper, magazine, etc.) and the effectiveness
of onemedium over the other. Remember, it's not just how much they spend,
but how they spend it.
Say
goodbye to any real estate agents using old, traditional methods to sell
your home because they don't work in today's market! To be competitive
in today's marketplace, agents who usenew and innovative, non-traditional
marketing approaches are the ones who are getting more homes sold fast
and for top dollar. EVERY SELLER CAN BOOST A PROPERTY'S EXPOSURE!
1.
Make your house easy to show.* Consider installing a lock box.* Allow
showing times that are convenient to buyers.
2.
Use a "For Sale" sign, where permitted.
3.
Create a Good First Impression by* depersonalizing furnishings and
decor so prospects can visualize themselves in your home;* emphasizing
curb appeal;* keeping large pets at a distance.
REMEMBER
- The next prospects who visit your home may be your buyers - be ready
for them!
GET
THE BEST RESULTS
To
get the best results when selling your home, you need to team up with your
agent to develop a powerful marketing plan that exposes your property to
the widest possible pool of prospectivebuyers.
Not
all agents are the same. The relationship between you and your agent can
make the difference between selling your home fast, or not selling it all.
BUYERS
ARE OUT THERE - AND THEY WILL COME!
Before
you put your home back on the market, remember1. Effective communication
is vital between you and your agent.2. Price your home according to market
conditions, competition and the condition of your house.3. Be sure your
house is in showcase, buyer ready-condition.4. Have an innovative marketing
plan firmly set in place. |