Marketing Your Home

When we list  your home, what is our goal? It is to sell your home, but we have certain issues to overcome. First, we can’t sell it to someone who doesn’t see it, and  2) we can’t sell it to someone who doesn’t want it, and  3) there are a lot of homes on the market, can we illustrate or create a competitive advantage for your home?

Showings

Our marketing plan centers on generating quality showings, and, where ever possible,  removing the barriers that might keep a buyer from buying.  We still can’t force anyone to buy a home they don’t want obvious I think, but by increasing the number of showings, we will, in most cases  get to the one who does want your house sooner rather than later.   Does that make sense?

The last major survey (NAR ‘07) indicates that 84% of all home buyers begin their home search online. Still, we must do all the basics- the MLS is where data starts, it all flows from here.

Our entire marketing plan is designed to generate showings. That marketing plan is somewhat confidential- we share it with all of our potential clients in face to face meetings, but it is a strong competitive advantage of the McDonald Team, so we don’t publish is here. I hope you can understand that.

Generate Showings To Generate Offers

Showings are good, offers are what counts. Exactly! What can we as Listing agents do, and you as Sellers do, to help generate offers? I said to help, becasue we can’t make anyone make an offer, but here is what we and you can do to help.

Get the home in its very best condition for every Showing. I know this isn’t easy, and at times impossible, still this Must be the goal.  I can not emphasize enough- each day when we show homes to prospective buyers, if we show ten, there are three that are perfect, I mean they look more like model homes. These stand out because the look “lightly lived in” or as I like to say “low miles.” do everthing, de-cltter, clean and piuck up to make your home look “lightly lived in”

Make Your Home Easy to Show- Ideally it is a “Call and show” that doesn’t require confirmation, by appointment is OK but you must be near a cell phone to confirm that appointment, and you need to confirm 90% or more.

Remove Barriers to a Buyer Buying – these fall in two broad categories, things you can control, and things you can’t control. Under things you can control, the biggest barrier are pets. Anything that keeps someone from getting a full, comfortable view of your home is a barrier.  Teenagers at home. A home that smells of pets, moisture, or has been closed up too long.

Many homes have an issue or issues some home buyers find objectionable that  a seller can’t control. Road noise is a common problem, unsightly neighbors might be another… sometimes they are obvious, but Not a real issue, and a sellers explanation can go a long way. Other times, issues like privacy can be ameliorated, and made better for more buyers.
Sometimes there is little you can do, except point out that the “low” Price reflects the issue.

Staging- the more expensive the home, the more this may become necessary

Quality Sales Materials- these brochures are needed to keep the homes details in mind, after the prospect has left your home

Highlight features of the Home and Neighborhood that the typical area buyer is seeking. Community amenities, neat nearby parks etc… If there are lots of children intheneighborhood, you can include a picture book of neighborhood parties- we as Agents can’t discuss if there are a “lot of kids in a neighborhood” but you sellers are welcome to, does that make sense?

If you loved your home and community, show the potential buyers why.