When you put your home on the market your presentation can make or break a sale. Buyers prefer turnkey housing where they don't have to do much work.
As a home seller, you want to make viewing a house as easy and pleasant as possible for a potential home buyer. Viewing a house should certainly not be challenging. The buyer should come away from the viewing having positive feelings.
The more enjoyable the home showing process is the greater chance you will hook a buyer. Let's take a look at some of the better tips for showing a home.
Home Showings Start Online
The first chance a buyer will get to view a property is when they are sitting at their computer browsing new real estate listings from the Multiple Listing Service. Some real estate agents are really in tune to the fact that their online presentation is a key selling element.
Having your house show fantastic online is the first chance, you'll get to improve your chances for a fast sale. First impressions are everything in real estate.
Keep in mind just how vital your home's photography will be to the home selling process. You will want professional photography! It cannot be emphasized enough how vital this will be to the process of selling your home.
The amount of people wanting to view a property will go up exponentially when the presentation is exceptional. When real estate markets turn to favor buyers and showing volume slows, it will be even more crucial not to waste any opportunities.
What is a Home Showing in Person?
A house viewing is any time a buyer is allowed to walk through your property in person. It could be through a private showing with an agent or at a public open house.
When you would like to sell your house for the most money possible, turning down showings is not wise. You can't sell a house unless people can view it.
Getting the most potential buyers as possible into your home should be one of your top considerations.
Preparing Your House For Viewings
Before the house viewings begin it is vital that your home shines! When a buyer walks onto your property, it should be a wonderful experience. Here are some of the things to do to ensure this happens:
- Make sure your curb appeal is up to snuff. Clean the yard, mulch the beds, and power wash the house. There shouldn't be any leaves hanging out of the gutters. You certainly don't want the home to look neglected.
- Have the front door area looking great. Buyers will pay attention to how the front door looks and the area immediately around it.
- The inside of the home should be presented very well - make sure everything is picked up and neat. All of the floors should be cleaned and look excellent.
- If you have pets make sure there is no visible evidence or ungodly smells.
- Let in as much light as possible into the home. A bright home is a more saleable property. Draw the curtains and put up the shades.
- Remove all the clutter on the counters in the home.
- Get rid of anything that is not coming with you to the next home - donate to charity or call a junk removal company like 1-800-Got-Junk.
- Excess furniture should be put into storage so that the home feels as spacious as possible.
- Before every showing do a careful sprucing up to improve the chances of a favorable showing.
Make Showing Your House Easy
Having been a real estate agent for thirty-five years, I can tell you first hand that some sellers do not make the process of showing their home easy. There are a few big home showing mistakes that happen far too often.
They are putting rigid restrictions on when your home can be shown and making your listing agent accompany the showing.
Showing Restrictions Make a Home Harder to Sell
Some sellers don't realize what a nuisance it can be when they are trying to set up showings for multiple properties at a given time and one property can't be shown. The seller has decided they don't want showings after 4. p.m or nothing after noon on the weekend. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Having restrictions like this screams I am not motivated to sell my home. The second big obstacle is when a seller wants their real estate agent present.
Don't Have Accompanied Showings
In my experience there are two common reasons for this. A seller believes that their real estate agent is somehow going to "sell" their home to the buyer. Folks, selling a home is not like selling a pair of shoes. A Realtor will never be able to talk someone into buying your property.
Pointing out something the buyer may not immediately notice, also isn't going to make or break the sale. A home purchase is an emotional decision that happens within a few minutes of a buyer walking through the door.
Your agent pointing out to the buyer you just replaced two of the toilets in the home, and replaced the carpets isn't going to sell the house.
Don't Let a Real Estate Agent Convince You an Open House is Needed
There are many agents who love to tell home sellers that open houses are necessary. They are not. Open houses benefit agents far more than they do home sellers. An open house is nothing more than a prospecting activity for a real estate agent. Except the prospects are to pick up buyer client's for other properties.
It also increase the chances of the agent double siding the sale which can lead to dual agency. Allowing dual agency means your real estate agent will no longer represent you in the transaction. By law they will not be able to give you any advice throughout the transaction, including when an offer is presented.
Sellers are often mislead to believe that when they see a ton of cars outside a home, it was a success. Unfortunately, while there may be some real buyers in an open house, there will be tons of people that don't belong. You can count on there being lots of people who are not qualified to purchase, your neighbors, and others who just like looking at nice properties.
Serious buyers always schedule showings with real estate agents. If the pandemic has tough anything it is that open houses are a complete waste of time.
Final Thoughts on Home Showings
Without question a home that is appealing is going to sell quicker and for more money than one that is not. It is worth the effort making your home as presentable as possible.
Even if you don't have a large budget, do what you can to make the home showing process a better one for your prospects.
Using these house viewing tips should lead to a quick and more profitable sale.
Is this the type of content you love reading? Check out Bill Gassett's articles on News Break. You'll get expert advice on real estate, mortgages, financing, home improvement, moving, and more.
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