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3 Ways Not To Sell Your House

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Andrew Realty Serfvices

wallflower Originally uploaded by bunky's pickle

Selling your house can be stressful, but there's nothing worse than getting your house ready for sale and then having no one show up. It's like being the wallflower at the school dance, watching as everyone else gets asked to dance while you try to look uninterested.

In today's fast paced world, potential buyers will quickly decide whether or not to look at your house based on what they see online. Here are the 3 top ways to discourage a buyer from looking at your house for sale:


  1. Poor Photos
    It's sad to say that there are many great examples of horrible photos. There's even a Facebook Group Really Bad MLS Photos with over 1,700 members!

    When you're interviewing agents, check out their website and look at the quality of their photos. Do they show off the house well? Are the photos blurry, overexposed, too dark? It takes a long time to photograph a house well. Make sure the agent you choose doesn't skimp on this very important step. You want lots of high quality photos to entice people to come look at your house in person.


  2. Unenthusiastic Description
    If a buyer likes the photos of your house enough to look more, the next thing they will do is read the description. You'll want the description to paint a picture to help the buyer envision themselves living in the home. It should be more than just a list of the features of your home, after all, most sites will already list the number of bedrooms and baths.

    It's not uncommon to see a house where the description says "Won't Last" but the house has been on the market for over 3 months. When you are interviewing agents to list your home, read what they've written about their current listings to get a good idea of how they will describe your home.



  3. Limited information online
    If buyers can't find your house for sale online, you won't even get a chance to get up to bat. If they can find your house but there's only a few exterior photos, buyers will assume there's something wrong with the interior. Buyers want as much information as possible before they'll schedule a showing to see your house in person. You not only want an agent who will use an abundance of quality photos to market your house, but in today's YouTube world, a video of your house lets buyers see how the rooms relate to each other.


    You've spent time, energy and money getting your house ready for sale. Make sure you choose an agent who will help you entice buyers to see your home, not have your house sit on the market with no one asking it to dance.
Vickie McCartney
Maverick Realty - Owensboro, KY
Broker, Real Estate Agent Owensboro KY

Hi Deb~  It is hard to imagine why any agent with a listing would not do all of those things and more for a listing!  I guess sellers do not research their agents before they hire them for the job!

May 27, 2010 07:06 AM
Jill McTague
RE/MAX Andrew Realty Serfvices - Medford, MA
DebOnTheWeb & Associates - Medford, MA Real Estate

I totally agree Vickie, yet I continue to see properties for sale with horrible photos or just exterior shots and very little description.

May 27, 2010 07:11 AM
Kathy Torline
ERA Herman Group Real Estate - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog 719-287-1049

Deb:   I think the photos are just important as the data.    You can't underestimate the result of poor photos on a listing.

Jul 13, 2010 01:04 AM
Jill McTague
RE/MAX Andrew Realty Serfvices - Medford, MA
DebOnTheWeb & Associates - Medford, MA Real Estate

Absolutely Kathy - photos can totally turn off a prospective buyer from even looking at a property.

Jul 13, 2010 02:21 AM