12 Easy Steps to Selling Your Home, Step #4

12 Easy Steps to Selling Your Home  (originally posted on the FlexitRealtyBlog)

“Step #4  Marketing Methods to expose your home to the maximum number of buyers".

Many home sellers and agents think, a home for sale listing is completed when the photos are taken and the home has it’s description written and recorded on the local real estate agents MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and the real estate companies website.  This is far from the end, this is the beginning of the marketing campaign to promote a home for sale!

Real Estate Agents let the MLS spread the word of your home being listed for sale, for them.  Meaning any linking or rebroadcasting of the listing is done explicitly by the MLS on behalf of the agent and your property, is caused by the agents MLS membership.  This may seem like enough for buyers to find your property, it does not shout…”Hey Look Over Here”, we have a property for sale.  Agents may see your listing and decide for the buyer if it is shown to the buyer!  Buyers may never look at the local MLS website.  This is the normal extent of marketing by most real estate agents.  Sure some go the extra mile and run a magazine ad, how effective this form of marketing remains suspect.

The fact is your home only has the basic minimum buyer exposure for listing your home. Consider what every agent does when listing a home as a minimum.

1.  Places the home with photos on the MLS. (nearly every real estate agent uses the MLS unless they are not a member of the MLS, then inclusion is an extra charge for your listing)
2. Places a for sale sign in the front yard, unless you request them not too or association rules specify they may not use this form of advertising.
3. Maybe uses a brochure box.  Some real estate agents use brochures other don’t want to be bothered and tell sellers they are a waste of time.
4. Maybe hosts an open house, this is an added expense and many agents do not want to host open houses.  This option was used 45% of the time by buyers, open houses have some pretty good odds a buyer will see your home in person.
5. Maybe places a magazine ad.  Magazine Advertising did not show up on the top five real estate buyer used methods list when searching for a home!
6. Waits for buyers or buyer agents to call!

You wait for a showing, someone interested in seeing your home in person.    I know the list contains “Maybe’s” because the average agent spent less in advertising homes in 2011 than 2010.

Thinking of Selling Your Home? Attract a wider range of buyers with Flexit Realty.know the list contains “Maybe’s” because the average agent spent less in advertising homes in 2011 than 2010.

Here are the facts about basic MLS marketing by real estate agents.  The MLS does feeds, allows other websites to use homes for sale listing information.  You search on the Internet and see your home listed by multiple websites but the information is different, not complete and someone else has their name on your listing.  The name is not the real estate agent you signed to sell your home!  You never heard of the website before.  This information sharing comes from the local MLS part of your original list information is used on other sites.  Website domains also use a technology called “scraping”, using information from websites in a rebroadcast format as their own, with a disclaimer at the bottom.  If your agent does not claim the listing, it goes unnoticed, that someone else is using your homes for sale listing to market your home.  They are trying to generate a buyer.  Buyers call them, the agent in turn calls the listing agent (your agent) and your agent calls you for a showing appointment.

You may say, what is the problem I still received a showing.  The problem is, this is a random buyer who happened to stumble upon your home for sale.  This also means other buyers just like this buyer never knew your home was for sale.  The other marketing flaw is your agent didn’t capture the buyer for you.  The top level professional real estate agents know how to maximize home selling marketing efforts.  These agents spend the time and money to generate buyers to purchase the homes they have listed for sale.

Maximizing your online presence with Blogs, Pod-casts and articles including controlling how your website exposure is presented will maximize your online home selling efforts.  Adding other controllable home selling marketing options will increase your buyer exposure when selling your home.

For example, did you know 45% of buyers attended an open house to find a home?  According to the National Association of Realtors® field guide to statistics.  Most real estate agents never host an open house.

If you are thinking of selling your home in the Grand Rapids Michigan or have real estate to sell in a surrounding city, give Flexit Realty® some serious consideration.  Get your home exposed to the maximum number of buyers possible using current real estate seller and buyer technology.  We know 88% of buyers start on the Internet.  We include your listing on top national sites along with local websites including a featured position on our on the Flexit Realty website.  Your home will be on the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors website and the through a wider network of websites covering 18 West Michigan counties of buyer agents.  Flexit Realty® agents know agents make the difference when selling your home!

"FREE SELER'S CHECKLIST"

Ask for a FREE Seller Checklist if you are in the Grand Rapids Real Estate Market and considering selling your home.  Expose your home to a wider range of buyers using todays most up to date real estate technology and selling methods.

Quick Links to 12 Easy Steps To Selling Your Home.

1. Estimating your homes value.
2. Who is your homes competition?
3. Deciding to sell with a real estate agent or without.
4. Marketing Methods to expose your home to the maximum number of buyers
5. Property Descriptions, survey and narrative details
6. Preparing the outside of your home for sale.
7. Preparing the inside of your home for sale.
8. Photos, the visual details to attract buyers
9. Showing your home to potential buyers
10. Financing 
11. Open Houses
12. Negotiating Your Homes Sale

Thanks for Stopping By and Leaving a comment.

Gary L. White, Associate Broker
CRS, GRI, ABR, ePRO, AHS, SFR

Phone: 616-784-2360

Email: GaryWhite@FlexitRealty.com

Website: www.FlexitRealtyGrandRapids.com

Videos:  YouTube.com/FlexitRealty

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