Selling your house isn't as simple as putting up a 'For Sale' sign and then sitting back and waiting for hordes of excited buyers waving money in your face ( but wouldn't that be nice?). To catch the attention of as many prospective buyers as possible you have to promote your house. This is generally the responsibility of your realtor, and a good one will know exactly what steps to take to market your property based on its location, attributes and value.
Very valuable properties, especially those in exclusive locations (like waterfront properties, ski chalets or big city penthouses) and with special features might be marketed using different channels than more economical, starter properties.
Most people are familiar with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This formidable marketing tool will get your house in front of a huge audience of prospective buyers. Listing your property on the MLS is usually one of the first steps in marketing your house. If your realtor doesn't want to use MLS then you should ask them why - they had better have a buyer for your house in their hip pocket!
An MLS listing is important, but it's not the only tool in the kit. Your realtor should establish a thorough marketing strategy for selling your house that includes:
· An MLS listing, complete with accurate measurements, well written property description and stunning photos;
· A realtor's caravan to show your property to local realtors, who may already have clients looking for a house just like yours;
· Open house promotions, to invite the public to tour your house, and
· Depending upon your market, other real estate advertising channels might be beneficial.
Every house for sale is different, and so too should every marketing plan be different - tailored to the circumstances. Spending money on a slick video to help sell your multi-million dollar waterfront estate is probably smart, but doing the same for an economical starter home is probably not!
Your MLS listing might possibly be the main channel in your overall real estate marketing strategy, and therefore it's critical that the information that is posted there is accurate and reflects all of the attributes of your property for sale. Your realtor should be able to craft an MLS listing using the right language, correct measurements, all of the pertinent information and striking visuals to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
An experienced realtor will often use a dedicated team of professionals to put into action a thorough real estate marketing strategy. Home stagers, photographers and videographers and professional ad writers can work together to craft a campaign to entice many prospective buyers. Presenting your property in the best possible light, and getting the information in front of the right audience at just the right time is the best possible real estate marketing strategy.
In certain locations and a certain points in time, it might be really easy to sell your house without a lot of marketing, but these days you just can't count on that. Ask your realtor to explain what kind of real estate marketing plan they have in mind to sell your house.
