Tips to Market Your Own Home
More and more individuals are trying their hand at selling their home without the assistance of a real estate agent. For sale by owner (FSBO) properties do sell but sellers need to make a more concerted effort to do it. What comes naturally to a real estate agent probably won’t be second nature for you. Here are some tips to market your home if you choose to sell it on your own.
1. Advertise in the newspaper. People still read newspapers on a daily basis. Be sure to place an ad in the Sunday edition of the paper as well since people have more time to browse each page on Sundays than on any other day through the week.
2. Get a yard sign. If you live in a higher profile neighborhood, potential buyers probably ride through on the weekends to see if there are any houses for sale. A yard sign increases the traffic to your home. The sign should include your contact information in case potential buyers don’t have time to stop.
3. Get help writing home ads. The trick is to give the best impression of your home in the fewest words. Most ads use the same wording and abbreviations. You will want something more unique. One rule is to show them the house in the ad. For example, instead of saying that the family room is a certain square footage, say that you have a ìspacious great roomî. This will mean different things to different buyers which is what you want. They will have to check out the house to see if it meets their expectations.
4. Advertise on the Internet. More and more people are searching for homes on the Internet. It is easier and you can set the search parameters to satisfy your needs. One feature is pictures. Pictures give a potential buyer a chance to check out the house or at least a few rooms of it. Don’t take too many. You want the buyer to actually visit the house and not just the listing on the Web.
5. Dress your house. Nothing says ìI’m a hot commodityî like a well designed home. Home stagers are artistic professionals who come in after you have cleaned and de-cluttered to the best of your ability. They use their talent to create a mood and theme to your home. Buyers will be blown away by the ambiance.
6. Hold an open house. This is a chance for you to tell anyone who will listen all about your home. Send the kids to a babysitter and get to work. Welcome potential buyers into your home. Be sure to have a sign in sheet so that you can follow up later with them.
Marketing your own home is not easy but it is possible. If you are a motivated seller, you can express that to potential buyers who are interested in a home like yours. Try one, two, or all of these tips to get started, and sell that home.