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Marketing a New Listing-It Doesn’t Happen Overnight

My good friend in Northern Virginia, Cindy Jones wrote this great post about how long it takes to Market a new listing (see below)

I find that getting the home ready is the largest obstacle.

Via Cindy Jones-Northern Virginia Real Estate & Military Relocation Services (RE/MAX Allegiance #1 RE/MAX Company in the World):

How fast can you put a home on the market? Can you do it in an hour? Can you do it in a day? On a recent listing appointment a seller indicated that a previous agent suggested if they signed the listing agreement right then they could have the house on the market tomorrow. Gasp!

Sure I can run home and put the basic data in the MLS. I don't have to fill in all the data fields or at least not correctly and certainly I don't care if you clean your house or we take any photos to give buyers an idea of how great your home is. We can slap that puppy on the market and sit back and wait and wait and wait for a buyer to show up at the door.

Or perhaps we could do some prep work and make sure that your home is ready the moment the first buyer walks in the front door. In our current market in Northern Virginia the adage "you only get one chance to make a good first impression" is alive and well. Photos, color brochures, websites and complete MLS data are just a few of the up front activities that need to take place before your home hits the market.

Then there are the things you need to do. De-cluttering, cleaning and touch-ups don't happen over-night unless you happen to have a crew of worker bees on call. Northern Virginia buyers are picky and want your home to be close to perfect before they will put it on the short list.
If an agent suggests to you that if you sign the listing agreement right away they can put your home on the market overnight stop and think about it. Unless your home is already picture perfect then you might want to do a reality check. A well prepared home and listing are the best way to put the SOLD sign in your yard!

© Cindy Jones. All Rights Reserved. "Marketing a New Listing-It Doesn't Happen Overnight"

For more information on listing your home give me a call at 703-346-2213. I'd be glad to meet you to discuss the right way to get your home marketing and sold in 2009.

Charles McDonald

Associate BROKER at RE/MAX Assured Properties, Licensed to sell Real Estate in Virginia

(main) 434-515-1585 (cell) 434-981-1585 (fax) 866-527-9526

Brought to you by that guy who sells Charlottesville VA Real Estate

Search for Charlottesville Real Estate 22901 or Search for Crozet Real Estate 22932 in one great place!

Posted by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald on 12/29/2008 06:27 AM

Comments (10)

New Listing in the Home Selling Channel

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Originally posted at: Charlottesville Real Estate: Marketing a New Listing-It Doesn’t Happen Overnight

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10 Comments on Marketing a New Listing-It Doesn’t Happen Overnight

DEC

Cindy makes a good point - though if the seller has everything ready to go when the paperwork is signed there is no reason why the listing can't go up ASAP. I get all the pertinent info ahead of time; usually the only thing left till the contracts are signed is the photos.

Karen, I understand but "most" sellers are not that ready... I think I have had "one" in the last year...

Every seller is different, some have the home "ready" in a couple of days and it takes others weeks. I do not put it in MLS until it is READY

Charles - I can have a home listed on the MLS withing an hour or two of getting the signed listing agreement. However, that is only if everything that you have mentioned is in order. Sometimes I get a stip to delay the listing for up to 10 days to complete preparation.

Hi Charles:

I have two mls systems that I put my listings in...so my input time is doubled.

I'm like you, I first put in the basics IMMEDIATELY! Then it takes me a lot of time to tweak and tweak it from there. Measurements, Photos, verbage, etc...

I seen some agent wait 24-48 hours, I would NEVER do that.

Toula Rosebrock Logo

I think I agree with Charles and Karen on this one. It's one thing to simply enter the listing in the MLS but something else entirely to have a property ready for showing immediately. I think anyone can get a property in the MLS within an hour or two from getting a signed agreement if all you're putting in there is basic information, like Toula said. Personally, I hate it when my clients provide me with only bits and pieces of information to put in the MLS just so the listing can get in there. Not only does it create double work to have to keep going back in to enter more information but there is the buyer perspective to consider. As a recent buyer, I can tell you I didn't even really look at the properties that did not have complete information in the system for me to review. I wasn't going to waste my time calling an agent to get more information about a property if I didn't already think it was what we were looking for. So you may be seriously hurting your listing by putting it into the MLS incomplete.

~Renae

Isn't this like like the one hour photo shop? Come on now we all know good things take a while to cook.

Too much of doing things halfway is the reason so many agents have (and give us all) bad reputations. Take your time, do it right. (Aren't those the lyrics to an old song?)

Kathy

MAR

Wow thank you Charles for the great update on the topic. Have a nice day.

-Peg <(-.-)>

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