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Marketing Your
Property
Now that you have decided to
sell your home and have
determined the fair market
price, it is time to begin
thinking about the most
effective way to market your
home to potential buyers.
Whether you intend on selling
your property yourself or have
contracted with a licensed real
estate agent, there are many
ways of increasing the exposure
of your home to the buyer
market.
Remember, when you hire a
reputable real estate agent,
they will coordinate and incur
the costs of the majority of
your home’s marketing needs. In
addition, they have access to a
network of other real estate
offices and agents within their
Multiple Listing Service.
Networking is key when trying to
sell a home!
Below are some ideas that
you, or your agent, can use to
create greater market exposure
of your home:
· Make a List
of Special Features:
Write down all of the
fabulous and unique features
of your property. What are
some of the characteristics
you truly love about your
home? What improvements have
you made to your property
recently? Be as descriptive
as possible. Use this list
to help design flyers, and
other marketing materials
for your home. If you are
working with a REALTOR®,
provide them with this list
so that they can create
these flyers and
advertisements for you.
· Newspaper
Advertisements: Place an
ad in the classified section
of your local newspaper.
Many real estate offices
advertise their listings in
local newspaper publications
as well.
· Real Estate
Publications: There are
many magazines and
publications that feature
homes currently on the
market. Again, many
REALTORS® frequently
advertise their listings in
these publications. Also,
some local areas have For
Sale By Owner
publications in which you
can promote your home if you
choose not to work with an
agent.
· Signs:
Place a For Sale sign
on your front lawn for
additional exposure. Make
sure there is contact
information, such as a phone
number, so that interested
buyers are able to schedule
a showing. Many REALTORS®
use Talking Signs
where a buyer can call and
hear pre-recorded
information about your home.
If you live off of the main
thoroughfare, you may want
to use Directional Signs
to point interested
parties towards the location
of your property.
· Real Estate
Flyers: Design flyers
that you can distribute
throughout the community.
Also, place an information
box in your front lawn so
that passers-by can find out
details about your home.
Include color photos
highlighting some of the
unique features of your
property. Provide as many
property details as possible
to intrigue a potential
buyer. Also, provide contact
information so that the
prospective buyer can
schedule a showing.
· Networking:
Tell friends, family,
neighbors, and co-workers
that you are placing your
home on the market. They may
know someone who is
currently looking to buy.
Also, if you use a real
estate agent, they have a
network of real estate
offices and agents who are
members of their Multiple
Listing Service. Your
REALTOR® can also send out
announcements to their
customers to let them know
you have listed your home.
Even if their customers
aren’t interested, they may
know someone who might be
interested in your home.
· Open Houses:
Host an open house at your
home. Make sure your home is
in immaculate condition as
you will have many people
wandering your house looking
through closets and
cabinets. If you are selling
your home yourself, be
prepared to answer the many
questions prospective buyers
may have, such as the age of
the roof, water heater, air
conditioner, and furnace.
These are important details
to a prospective buyer. If
possible, prepare flyers and
other literature about your
home that details all of
this information. Place this
literature in a prominent
place in your home.
· The Internet:
The Internet is a great way
to market your home. If you
choose to work with a real
estate agent, many now have
personal websites where they
are able to feature their
listings. In addition, your
property will be included in
a listing database where
potential buyers are able to
search for listings that
meet their specific home
criteria. Property listings
on websites offer color
photos, as well as property
details.
· Virtual Tours:
A virtual tour is video or
moving photographs of your
property. Your agent can
create a virtual tour of
your home to include on
their website. Virtual tours
are a great way to show
potential buyers the special
features of your house. The
moving photography enables
buyers to get a feel for the
atmosphere of your home so
that they can decide if it
matches their needs.
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