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5 Tips To Sell Your Home in a Tough Market

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with Prudential First Properties

1. PICK THE RIGHT BROKER: Look for local agents who are listing, marketing and selling in your community. Ask several of them to make a listing presentation to discuss your home's value and explain how they would market your property, Lets face any one can put an ad in the paper.. but ask them what other methods and how aggressive are the methods they use, ask to see samples and reports of how effective there methods work.. lets fact it the web is a HUGE marketing tool. how is your agent going to use the internet to market your home? do they even know were the on/off button is?

2. UNDERSTAND THE REAL MARKETPLACE: To negotiate effectively, you need to know up-to-the minute sale prices and the deal-making behind them, Your agent should know or and even have you on some kind of "alert" system for when a home comes on the market in your area.. and when a home sells, and what did that home sell for. did the seller of that home give any special incentives, competition is tough.. and in this market you got to be one step ahead of the game.

3. SWEETEN THE DEAL: Sellers are reportedly offering some unusual sales incentives we all seen that. TVs, trips, golf carts, just to name a few.. lets face it if the buyer is knowing they are getting something of value then chances are the buyer is more likely to purchase your home. FYI. incentives to the selling may sound nice.. but if your home is priced well, the agent will show your home, maybe a small gift after the sale would be nice..

4. BE FLEXIBLE ON THE DEPOSIT: To bind the deal.. the buyer should put down a good size deposit.. in some cases it is required 1% of purchase price.. (this is separate form the down payment), of course you would like the biggest deposit you can get, but in a slow market you may have to settle for less.

5. MONITOR AND UPDATE YOUR LISTING: If it is April and your home has been on the market since February, displaying a snowman in the front yard.. it is time to change that photo.. even the inside photos lets face it when you took the photos your home was decorated for winter ... now that Spring and Summer are here, you may have some "light" decorations displayed, or windows maybe open.. something about a home in the Summer with lots of flowers says alot..

There are alot of things you can do in a slow market.. to make your home stand out.. but the number one thing is Price. if it is priced and condition. if it is priced well and shows well.. it will sell.

Happy Selling......

 

Comments (4)

Russ Ravary ~ Metro Detroit Realtor call (248) 310-6239
Real Estate One - Commerce, MI
Michigan homes for sale ~ yesmyrealtor@gmail.com

Great tips for any homeowner in this tough market.  Have a great day.

Jun 26, 2008 12:45 AM
Bryan Spann
SYSNE LLC - Houston, TX
Agent

Price is number one! The market determines the selling price. Thanks

Jun 26, 2008 12:50 AM
Christina Cavins
Irongate Inc. REALTORS - Centerville, OH
www.BuySellOH.com Search Ohio Homes For Sale

Great tips, Anita! Please contribute to my post on home selling tips.

Thanks,

Christina

Jul 09, 2008 03:55 PM
Steve Brigham
Prudential Rand - Middletown, NY
e-Certified

Great tips. Picking the right Real Estate Company is the key.  I started my career with a small office with no budget.  I quickly learned that Prudential Rand is the best out there.  We are #1 in Orange and Rockland Counties and #3 in Westchester.  And here is the best part,  We are #1 in Sullivan County.....and we don't even have an office there.  How about that!!!

Sep 25, 2008 03:17 PM