Marketing and showing your
property
The first thing involved in
marketing your property is exposure. If you don't have exposure you limit your
prospects. Be sure to utilize all areas, tell everyone and advertise often!
*Get the sign on your lawn and be ready to get an offer the same day! Advertise
in the local paper as well as the next city or town. Get on the internet, with
as many FSBO (For Sale by Owner) sites as possible that cater to your area or district. Print up
feature sheets with pictures of each room to have available to give to prospects
and to give to your friends and family. Let all your neighbors know!, many
properties sell by word of mouth from the neighbors to their relatives. Post
signs at your work, organizations and gym. Have a feature sheet laminated and
place it on your property for people walking by. Do an open house every second
weekend between 1-4 and advertise it, use Open House
Flyers, put out direction arrows and balloons.
Have fun with it!
How to start!
1) Clean your home from top to bottom and hire a cleaning service if needed.
Keep the lawn cut at least once a week during the growing seasons..
2) Take care of those little problems you have been putting off, like the leaky
faucet. Change burnt out light bulbs, change the burner trays on your stove,
tidy up the closets, and have the carpets professionally cleaned.
3) Find out the dates and note when you last had your home serviced or had
repairs done. The age of your roof, house and annual taxes. Map out the local
parks, schools and transit in relation to your property. Have all of this
available to anyone viewing your home.
4) Measure your home or have it professionally measured if it is large or unique
in room sizes
5) Have a professional sign made with your street address and telephone number
on both side so traffic going both ways can see it. Be sure you always have the
answering machine with full detail of the property on when you are not available
to take the call. Be very pleasant and thank the caller for taking the time and
interest to inquire.
6) Always pre-qualify anyone who is going to enter your home. Make an
appointment, at that time get a name address and telephone number. Find out if
they are able to purchase at this time, have they been pre-approved by the bank
if a mortgage is required. Do they have the required down payment? If you feel
uncomfortable be sure more than one person is home for the viewing or decline
the viewing and call them back to reschedule. ( you will know at that point if
the telephone number is valid) Be sure all valuables are out of sight and make a
point of locking doors and windows during the process of selling.
7) When showing your home be sure all interior doors are open, all lights are on
and all odors of cooking have gone. (coffee, bread and apple pie are ok!) Open
windows if the weather is warm enough or slightly to air out the rooms. All
laundry should be out of sight, shoes in the closet, all dishes in the
dishwasher or out of sight, beds made, bathroom is clean, the dog is outside or
gone for a walk, the T.V. is off, low classical or relaxation music is perfect
for creating atmosphere. Ask your prospects to remove their shoes, this shows
that you respect your property.
8) When showing be sure to tell what it was that sold you on the house, things
that they can benefit by or enjoy. The workshop, garden, storage, extra large
rooms, built in vacuum, neighborhood, schools near by!!
9) Tell them all about the features they can not see! special wiring,
insulation, heating system, age of the water tank, condition of appliances
included and be ready to tell them why you are selling...... they will ask!
10) After the showing, thank them for viewing your home and ask for honest
feedback. Use the information to your advantage and correct any deficiency they
have discovered that you did not!
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The little extras
Here is a list of the little extras that
will make people remember your home.
1) The smell of fresh bread, coffee or the smell of simmering water on the stove
with cinnamon, orange peel and cloves.
2) Towels folded neatly on the edge of the tub, lit candles in the fireplace if
summer and a fire burning in the winter.
3) Fresh cut flowers
4) A breeze through an open window
5) Have a glass jug of iced water on the kitchen table with glasses.
6) Offer them a glass of water, coffee or tea ( be sure it is ready when you
offer) The idea is to try to keep them in the house for a few extra minutes to
make them feel at home and encourage questions.
7) shake hands as they leave and watch them at the door when they get into the
car, you would do this for a friend. Most of all, thank them, tell them to call
anytime should they have any questions and ask them to let other know of the
property.
8) Call them within three days to follow up on the viewing, they may be just
waiting on the bank! There are 100's of loan programs to qualify interested
buyers such as stated income, no
doc, etc..
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