Five Easy Ways To Make Your Listings Shine

In a tougher market, it's really important not to lose sight of the little things that make your listings stand out from the crowd. 

Here are five simple things that Nancy and I have found to be highly effective:

1.  Take Some Extra Time With Your Photos

When taking photographs, make sure all the blinds/window treatments are open.  Also, make sure to take some extra time to shoot a lot of different angles.  It's hard to tell how well a picture will look on the small LCD of your digital camera.  Now that we don't have to use film anymore, it's so inexpensive to take a few extra shots.  All it costs you is your time.  On average, we take 8 - 10 shots of each room.  We pick the best ones to showcase in the MLS, and use the others on our website as well as sites that we syndicate to.

2. Internet Marketing Is Where It's At

Don't just list the house on the MLS and your standard company/franchise website.  Advertise your listing everywhere that you can.  A good place to start is postlets.com - you can create free property fliers and syndicate it to websites for free.

3.  Stand Out From The Crowd

Don't just put a standard MLS listing sheet in your brochure box, or hand them out at open houses.  With a little bit of time in a program like Publisher, you can create full color, custom fliers specific to each property.  This helps people notice your flier after a day of showings because it stands out.

4. Go The Extra Mile

Take time to write your descriptions.  Make sure to make the prospective buyer feel like this could really be their dream home.  Take them on a tour of the home in your description.  Use as much space as your MLS will allow.  Expand on it on your custom fliers.

For example, instead of this in the MLS:

Custom home on five acres.  Three total fireplaces, including one in master suite that is complete with balcony.  Large kitchen is perfect for entertaining, and overlooks family room.  Home features wrap-around porch, seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two car garage.  Home-site is partially wooded.

Try this:

Love at first sight. You must see this charming country retreat on five+/- acres with seven bedrooms. There's a place for everyone. Beautiful windows overlook the acreage, lush landscaping and stunning wrap around porch. A dream kitchen with double ovens, ice machine and gas cook-top makes entertaining a pleasure. Three fireplaces and master suite with double closets and private balcony add to the appeal.

5.  Provide a custom property folder for your listings

Remember that some buyers looking at your listings will be relocating to the area.  It's a good idea to have a binder in each of your listings that has a copy of the following:

a. MLS Sheet
b. Disclosures (I like having everything someone needs to write a contract right there in the house).
c. local information on services such as nearby hospitals, airports, shopping, dining and entertainment

These are just a few things that Nancy and I have been doing in order to sell our listings in a tougher market.  I hope you can get some ideas for your own listings.

Visit us on-line at www.justduckyhomes.com