When selling your fsbo real estate there are many things you can do just as a real estate broker would to assist the sell of your property. Your home is a product, and the marketing and price will play a large factor in the success of your attempt to sell. Follow some of these simple guides to market your home like a real estate agent.
Photos – A picture is worth a thousand words!
Take high quality photos of the home preferably during optimum conditions. Have images of the outside of the home from the front on a bright sunny day. Include photos of the kitchen, living area, and master bedroom; make sure all clutter is gone and counters are cleaned off. Set the scene with small things like fresh flowers, set the dining room table, or maybe a nice fruit basket in the kitchen. Make the home look warm and inviting!
Write informative sales copy
In a few sentences point out the positive attributes of the home or property. Include location advantages such as close to schools, shopping, beaches, etc. and property uses such as single family home, ranch, or rental potential. Remember the characteristics you fell for when you purchased the property: great view, nestled in the trees, swimming pool, large kitchen, etc. Include all the positive things that are not obvious in the photos or could bear repeating.
Price competitively
Many homes sit on the market for extended periods of time with no interest because of over-pricing. On the other hand nobody wants to lose money on one of his or her biggest investments. Most real estate agents do a competitive market analysis or CMA on a property to suggest the asking price to a seller. With information on the internet to you it is easy for you to do a CMA yourself. Search for similar homes in your area currently on the market, most agents now offer the area MLS on their websites that you can use for this task. Some agents also offer a comprehensive list of sold properties on the web as well. Search this or county records for similar properties to yours that sold over the past year. This information will give you an idea of what the house is worth, what others are asking, and how much of a supply there is for your house style and size.
Investor information
More and more real estate buyers are investors looking for property to add to rental house markets. Contact a property management company in your area to assist you with a rental analysis for your home. This gives a third party speculation for the rental income the home can potentially bring in for an investor who places the property into the rental pool. With this already in hand to share with potential investment buyers your chance for a sale in this group increases exponentially.
Your real estate is one of thousands on the market in your demographic! Help your listing stand out from the crowd with quality photos and a great sales description. Give the potential buyer a complete picture of the property to make a well-informed decision. If the price is right for both parties involved the sale will go through without a hitch, and you will save thousands of dollars on an agents commission.