LET YOUR HOME SHINE - ONLINE
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According to a recent study by the National Association
of Realtors more than 80% of buyers go online before
calling a Real Estate Agent. That's why I tell my sellers to ask for
the following:
- Make sure your property appears on as many different web
sites as possible:
your listing agent's own website(s), ask for individual
property pages
your agent's company site;
real estate specific sites like:
www.realtor.com
www.trulia.com
www.zillow.com etc.
- Check that the images of your home are well composed and on your MLS
listing sheet from day one! A listing sheet
without pictures looks unprofessional and buyers and their
agents quickly forget it. Capture the excitement that every new
listing generates by providing images immediately. Furthermore,
check that your listing responds to the correct search terms.
- Ask your listing agent for an unbranded property web page
with detailed information about your home and plenty of images.
Real estate brokers from other agencies will e-mail ad
free
property-pages to their buyer clients. The unbranded page
should advertise your home only! (Exception: by
law the listing agency must be identified. Example: Listing
provided by ABC Agency)
- Price your home right! Every home, when priced competitively, sells!
Visit competing homes in your neighborhood and in neighborhoods
similar to yours. When all is said and done the sale of
a home is a business transaction and should be treated as such. A buyer
might fall in love with your home, but if the price is too high
today's savvy buyer will move on.
- Don't waste your time with buyers that are not at least
pre-qualified. Ask that a pre-approval letter accompanies all
offers.
- Take your time when listing your home! Have all your papers
in order before your agent enters your property in the MLS and
you open your home to potential buyers. Your papers should
include: property disclosure, GIS image, survey, list of utility
costs for the past year, list of schools in your district with
school website addresses, images of your property for web use,
your unbranded webpage, your pages on your agents website.
Review the marketing plan your agent has created and how (often)
he/she is going to communicate with you.
- Visualize a win-win sale! Nothing is more rewarding than
having a happy seller meet a happy buyer at the closing table!
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