Most people believe there are lots of reasons that a home doesn’t sell. However, there are actually only five. If you address these five common mistakes, then you will never have a problem getting your home sold.
Over Pricing and Speculating
We all wish we could ask whatever we wanted for our homes, but unfortunately price is set by comparable properties and market conditions. If you are priced above either of these, then your home will sit for a long time.
Looking at the price of homes currently listed for sale in your neighborhood only tells part of the story. You must research how much homes are actually selling for, and price your home accordingly.
Exposure
Even a well priced property can’t sell, if no one knows about it. If you are not marketing your home where the buyers are looking, then you will not sell it. The more of your target market that sees your home, the better chance you have. More and more, people are using the internet as their primary source of research. Be sure your home is easy to find in the most common places that people look.
Poor Marketing
You have to make buyers want to look at your home. If your marketing makes your property look like every other listing, then you are simply “rolling the dice” and hoping for the best. Is your marketing truly compelling? A great question to ask is... Why should someone buy my home, versus any other home in the neighborhood or city? If you don’t believe that you have a compelling reason, then the buyer won’t either.
Presentation
So now you’ve got someone to look at your home, but it’s a mess, smells bad, or simply shows poorly. If a buyer doesn’t feel comfortable in your home, you can forget about the sale. If you can, don’t be around for showings, keep the house clean, and do some research on staging your home for sale. A small investment can make or save you thousands.
Lack of Buyer Confidence
Purchases fall through every day because sellers cannot confidently answer the buyer’s questions; provide accurate paperwork, or verify important details. If you are not organized before you sell, then you may watch all your hard work go to waste as a potential buyer walks away due to a lack of confidence.
Do Your Homework
You need to be very realistic with your goals when you are selling and you must do your homework. As the marketplace changes so must your strategy. Too many people spend thousands of dollars, hours of their time (not to mention stress) and miss the best opportunities to sell or don’t have the proper information to make a sale possible. Gather all the information that you need and get the advice of experts when you can. At the end of the day, hiring a professional to ensure your sale is done properly may be one of the best investments you can make.