In real estate markets across the country, property inventory is at an all time high. As a real estate agent, you will need to do everything you can to make a client's home stand out from the competition. And sometimes, just a few minor upgrades and special touches can make the difference between attracting the right buyer and a home that sits on the market indefinitely. Here are some simple tips to help you get started:
Suggest a pre-sale home inspection. Pre-sale inspections are one way to show buyers that your client's home is in move-in condition. Plus, a favorable pre-sale home inspection report can be utilized as another marketing tool. For example, it can be distributed at open houses and listed as a benefit online and on all promotional print materials.
Help Clients Stay Organized with a Weekly Check List. A potential buyer may want to view your client's home at a moment's notice. And first impressions mean everything. The question is - will your seller's home be ready? Work with your clients to create a manageable weekly check-list so that major areas of the home are kept presentable. For example, pick up children's toys in the playroom, vacuum the living room and instead of drying dishes on a rack next to the sink, promptly put them away. If it's within your client's budget, they may want to consider hiring a professional cleaning service to help keep up a polished appearance.
Replace bold colors and patterns with neutral shades. Maybe your client is partial to mauve or the guest bathroom is fully wall-papered with a 1970's floral pattern. Whatever the case, strong decorative statements are risky when it comes to selling a home, as it can distract a buyer from focusing on a home's true potential. And addressing this situation with some clients can be problematic. Consider sharing success stories to drive your neutral palette suggestion home.
De-Personalize the Home. Items like family photos or personal collections are sentimental to the owner, but just like bold color choices, possibly distracting to a potential buyer. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home, but if it's filled with too much stuff, it's an instant turn-off. Gently suggest that your sellers pack these items away.
Only use quality photography. Here's a buyer turn-off - a property description with no photos, or worse, one low-resolution photo of the garage. If you want to attract potential buyers, you need a variety of quality interior and exterior photos. Then, use those photos in every possible marketing outlet including, newsletters, email blasts, postcards, flyers, Web sites and social media. Those important photos will capture your client's hard work at removing clutter, depersonalizing and creating an inviting, neutral space that compels potential buyers to seek out further information.
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