If you've had a listing for more than 3 months, it's time to make some 'cosmetic' changes to the MLS information.
First, look at all of your listing photos posted online.
- Are there any glares or spots on them?
- Are they dark, poor lighting or overcast photos?
- Is there overgrown landscaping?
- Are they winter photos with snow or no leaves on trees?
- Too much furniture in the photos?
- Is it vacant? Add some staging furniture.
Head back out to your listings with your digital camera and take tons of photos. You can even move furniture around and shoot from different angles. Do things like take stuff off the kitchen counters and magnets off the refrigerator. Then decide which ones look the best for right now and replace the old ones with the new.
Next, review your MLS remarks on each listing. Are they up to date? Are you using abbreviations that the buying public doesn't understand? If it's important, write it out. Change them around a little bit and really think about a buyer's emotional 'Hot Buttons'. Why would they want to buy your listing?
Your listings need an edge! Put your listing's best foot forward.
First impressions are very important, because if you don't motivate the buyer to salivate over your listing, they may be gone forever.
There are too many choices available for buyers right now, so do what you have to do to get them to select your listing.
Consider seller incentives, whether paying for the buyer's closing costs or pay for a temporary or permanent interest rate buy-down or paying condo fees for 6 months to one year. Ask your lender partner about how to do this. Ultimately, your listing needs to be listed in the right value range or none of this will matter. Don't offer agent incentives - how is that going to motivate a buyer? Make sure that whatever you offer that's over and above the price is legal in your area. Check with your broker, etc.
Also, where are you posting your listing besides in your local MLS system? There are many web sites that the buying public goes to in addition to the local real estate company sites.
Here's a couple to post on:
You can also buy a domain name address for your listing, i.e. 1234MainSt.com. There are services out there that offer this type of property-specific web site.
One final point: Are your sellers motivated enough to sell? Are they being unrealistic or living in a dream world when it comes to pricing? You know in your heart if they are or not. Have you counseled them enough about how your market really is right now? Do you send them weekly updates on what's happening the market? If they need a dose of reality, it's your job to give it to them.
In most areas right now, there's still a glut of inventory for sale. If you have an unrealistic or unmotivated seller, then you should seriously consider whether or not you want to waste your time and resources on that listing. Remember, you're running a business. In order to be profitable, you need motivated buyers and sellers. I believe that quality clients are better than a lot of unqualified prospects. Make sure you take the time up front to interview and counsel prospects to see if they meet your standards. Otherwise, you'll end up spinning your wheels and going nowhere.
To your success,
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