This week I’ve been searching the web for some of the most creative, off-the-wall and out of the ordinary ideas to market your home particularly in a buyer’s market or for when you want to sell it fast. Whether you are just getting ready to sell your house or are becoming a little impatient after months of showings, would you be willing to give any of these ideas a try?
1. Add a Non-House Related Incentive
Consider including paying the first year’s property tax, including a free weekend away or even supplying a years’ worth of coffee, beer or house cleaning services. Does your home have a pool? You could offer to cover the first year’s maintenance fees. These type of incentives can be much more meaningful than reducing the price by a few thousand dollars. When buyers are already spending a few hundred thousand dollars on their new home these immediate benefits are tangible and something they can use and enjoy right away.
2. Hire a Home Staging Company
When it comes to selling your home there are many people who say the only two things you can control are price and presentation. If your decorating skills fall short or if your furniture is looking like it’s past its prime then consider hiring a professional stager to visit your home and add some extra touches. A stager will make the home feel neutral and attractive to a number of different buyer groups. When your home looks like it’s from a design magazine your buyers will take it much more seriously!
3. Sell Your Home Partially or Fully Furnished
Perhaps you are moving out of the country, needing to purchase new furniture anyways or just looking for a way to justify buying new things for your new home consider working the price of your furniture into the home’s price. Many people value the convenience of purchasing a partially or fully furnished home depending on their situation.
4. Sell Your Home Faster with Feng Shui
Simple and practical feng shui practices can be a valuable selling feature for many Asian buyers. There are hundreds of sites with tips on Feng Shui best practices that help you create a good first impression, de-clutter the home and remove energy obstacles. Whether or not your potential buyers are in tune with feng shui cues, simply rearranging furniture and de-cluttering will improve the way your home feels for the better.
5. Film a Video
Hire a professional or do it yourself; film a walk through of your home showing off the key selling features. This is often a great idea if you feel your home is “better” than other listings out there. It gives potential buyers the ability to preview the home before coming to see it and also plants an additional seed in their head – they’ll be thinking about your home the most leading up to and during their tours.
6. Have Your Agent Organize a Joint Open House
If you are working with an agent ask them to work with colleagues or other real estate agents of ‘competing’ homes for sale in your area. By having three or four open houses in one area at the same time adds extra convenience for potential buyers and will add an extra incentive for them to venture out and walk through your home. Overall you will likely get more traffic through your home!
7. Use the Holidays to Your Advantage
Why not integrate the holidays with your selling activities? Hand out candy during open houses over Halloween, give away free turkeys during open houses near Thanksgiving and hire a Santa to come for portrait sessions during open houses before Christmas. It’s a fun way to add extra attention to your home.
8. Have a Joint Garage Sale/ Open House
Your neighbors are often the best promoters of your house for sale, especially if you live in a desirable neighborhood their friends and family may want to move into. Why not plan a garage sale and have your real estate agent on hand to host an open house? Simply by inviting local foot traffic through your home and handing out fliers may generate a new sales lead that you may not have otherwise gotten. A garage sale presents the perfect opportunity for neigbhors to drop by plus attracts outside neighborhood traffic.
9. Have a Joint Garage Sale/ Open House
Your neighbors are often the best promoters of your house for sale, especially if you live in a desirable neighborhood their friends and family may want to move into. Why not plan a garage sale and have your real estate agent on hand to host an open house? Simply by inviting local foot traffic through your home and handing out fliers may generate a new sales lead that you may not otherwise would have gotten.
10. Food for the Weary Buyer
Buyers who come through your home for private showings are likely looking at a few different houses in the neighborhood at the same time. This can become physically and emotionally draining so why not put out some bottled water or candy bars along with colored fliers of your home’s listing and floor plan? It may keep them in your house for a few extra minutes and put them in a better mood to assess your home.
11. Create Urgency
When potential buyers feel that there are other people very interested in the home it creates a sense of urgency. The fear of missing out can quicken the decision making process and even help you to close the sale sooner. Your agent can help create this sense of urgency when helping you decide the list price and while setting up showings
12. Finally, Hire an Agent Based on their Current Track Record
If you haven’t hired a real estate agent remember that their previous performance over the past 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years isn’t necessarily a reflection of how they are able to perform in our current real estate market and economy. Ask potential agents what they are doing to market homes in light of the current market and technology.
Did you know that 2 out of 3 home buyers will start their search online? What will your realtor do to make sure your home gets noticed?
Keep in mind these above ideas are not necessarily my professional real estate opinion for all homes in all neighborhoods. These are not ‘one size fits all’ solutions. For some unique creative ideas for selling your home in Surrey, White Rock or Langley please call me at 778-316-4290. I would love to have a chat with you!
