Securing a home listing is a big accomplishment.
But, that’s only half of the work.
The real challenge is selling the actual property.
So, now that you have a listing, how do you sell it? Here are the 5 home listing tips that every real estate needs to know to sell a home.
Tip #1: Prepare
Preparation is crucial when it comes to selling your listings. The first thing you have to do is to sit down and talk with your sellers. Explain to your sellers how their property should be presentable for their prospects.
The Interior of the House
You can best prepare a home listing by cleaning and depersonalizing it. This way, it will be easier for the buyers to imagine themselves living in the property. Thus, it will have a higher chance of getting sold.
Remember that as their listing agent, it is your job to be direct. You want to give them good and critical advice that is going to help them improve their property.
But, make sure you strike the right balance. You don’t want to be blunt and discouraging. Remember to work from the place of helping your client.
The Exterior of the House
Your home listing must look good on the inside and outside. Curb appeal gives your prospects’ first impression on the listing.
Whenever a prospect drives by the property, they will form an opinion of the house. How the exterior of the house looks will determine the prospect’s opinion.
Does the house have a clean exterior? Is the front yard taken care of? Does the house need a paint job? This is what prospects pick up on. A clean house attracts prospective clients.
You would want the exterior of your home listing to grab people’s attention. Try to pique their curiosity, and make them want to take a look at the inside.
Hire a Private Home Inspector
Hiring a private inspector before showings can help you spot structural issues. It will allow you to make the necessary repairs to the home or give you a list of disclosures for the buyer.
Tip #2: Pricing
One of the most important steps of listing a home is valuing it.
Sellers can have unrealistic expectations. They often overprice their home to get the biggest profit.
Who can blame them? They have an attachment to the property and this is their biggest investment.
But, it’s also your job to educate your sellers with a pricing strategy as their listing agent.
Overpriced homes run the risk of losing the attention of potential buyers. But, underpriced homes will short-change the seller the best deal possible. An accurate home price attracts more buyers while giving your sellers the best deal.
Tip #3: Advertise
Don’t forget to spread the good news about your new listing. Generally, you can advertise your listing through four avenues.
Your Sphere of Influence
This is your database of people in your immediate network. You can passively tap your sphere of influence for leads by talking about your new listing. Also, you can post it on your social media and your friend might message you that they’re interested.
A more direct approach is contacting your sphere of influence. If you know someone who is home searching, then drop them an email, text, or phone call.
The Neighborhood
Let the entire neighborhood know and place a “for sale” sign in the front yard. You can also hang door fliers or send postcards. The goal you should adopt is to create a buzz in the neighborhood.
Other Real Estate Agents
If you are working with a brokerage, advertise there. Attend meetings or town halls and inform them of your home listing. This way, you’re already selling the property to other agents as well as their sphere.
Market Online
The biggest place to market a property is the internet. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a database of listings that every agent has access to. Upload great property pictures and videos along with the listing. It’s all about selling the property and its unique features.
Don’t forget to make your contact information clear and easy to find. That way, people know who to contact if they’re interested in purchasing.
Tip #4: Communicate
You have to keep the communication open with you and your sellers. As their listing agent, it is your job to be transparent. This is especially crucial when it comes to showings.
For open houses, you want your sellers out of the house. Prospective buyers can feel self-conscious if they know the homeowner is looming around the corner. Create an environment that makes them feel comfortable to voice their opinions.
Maybe they don’t particularly like the color of the walls or the furniture? If your sellers are around and someone criticizes their home, they might get offended. This may start an argument or create prejudice with your sellers, which you don’t want to happen.
Another thing that you need to communicate with your sellers is when you receive an offer.
Sit down with your sellers to talk about the offers you get. Regardless of the amount, you are legally obligated to present all offers you receive to your sellers.
Tip #5: Negotiate
Always negotiate with professionalism.
Negotiations shouldn’t be a clash of parties nor should they be a competition. These are meetings held to see how both parties can leave the deal happy. Remember that you must remain professional as you are still dealing with a buyer.
If you lose your professionalism over a negotiation, your buyer might back out.
Final Thoughts on Selling Your Client’s House
At the end of the day, your job as a listing agent is to find the right buyer at the right price. Your sellers are entrusting their biggest investment to you. They count on you to sell their house. For this to happen, you must be able to market the property, communicate, and negotiate with professionalism.
