4 Things that Make your Home Stand Out in the Crowd

Okay, so we know we're in a buyer's market.  Sellers know it, agents know it, and buyers certainly know it.  When we factor in things like foreclosures and troubled or distressed builders who are forced to sell their product to keep from going under, it compounds the situation for the normal seller (and their agent).

This means that you must do some things to stand out in this crowd of homes:

•1.      Immaculate showings - if you are trying to sell a less than new home make sure it stands out from the rest by showing well.  Make sure everything is clean, tidy, painted, mopped, trimmed, picked up, and otherwise looking the best it can.

•2.      Staging - This can be another great tool to make buyers feel at home in a strange house.  If your property is vacant there are always area staging companies that will gladly furnish the home, for a fee.  But hey, if it helps sell your home, it may be worth the trouble.

•3.      Pricing - To sum it up in one word, Critical.  Overpricing your home will cause it to sit on the market for an extended period of time.  Eventually, your listing becomes stale garnering no showings, no activity, no sales.  Don't chase the market.  If you aggressively price your home from the start, you'll generate more attention and improve your chances of getting a qualified offer on the table.

•4.      Use An Agent - A professional, experienced agent will provide the advice, knowledge, and strength (emotionally) that sellers need to get a home sold.  Find an Agent that will market your home aggressively so that it stands out from the crowd and gets the most exposure possible.

There are always other little things you can do to help your home sell in this challenging market but they should all shout from the rooftops that "This home is the best value on the market."  If you can do that, you'll get that house sold in no time flat.  Notice that I called it a ‘challenging' market and not ‘bad'.  2007 was still the 4^th best year for real estate EVER.  Keep things in perspective while you go through the home selling or home buying process and everything will work out fine.  Until next time.