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SELLING YOUR HOUSE (Continued page #7):
Brochures
Brochures or one-page flyers can also be a useful method for marketing your
home. You can use the same design as the flyer that you made to post on bulletin
boards. Or, you can expand on it a bit. Use more photos, have captions underneath
each photo to identify what they show. Highlight all of the amenities that you
might have to offer such as: tennis court, community club, swimming pool, etc.
There are several things you can do to get your brochures in front of the
public. You can buy a brochure holder which is really just a plastic box with a
hinged lid mounted on a stick. Plant it in the ground near the FSBO lawn sign out
front by the curb. Make sure that it stays stocked with brochures so that every
potential buyer can get one.
Do not become annoyed or offended when your “nosy neighbors” pick up
your brochures. Since they are your neighbors, they are obviously within your
price range. They probably have family and friends who can afford this price
range, too. So, when you see your neighbors take one of your brochures, stop and
ask them to give you a call if they know anyone who is looking to buy a house.
Don’t think of them as “nosy” neighbors. Thank them in advance for the free
referral, instead!
Remember to keep a supply of brochures in your home to give to
prospective home buyers who come in for a showing or an open house. People
who are shopping for a new home usually look at many, many properties at a time.
It can be exhausting and overwhelming to go on a long house-hunting trip with a
realtor who crams as many showings into one day as possible. This leaves the
poor, exhausted home buyer with too many properties to digest at one time. They
need something to refer to when they go home so that they can reflect on which
properties they liked, and what it was that they liked about them. Make sure your
materials point out all the best that your property has to offer. The house whose
best features stay with them on a brochure with color photos and clear, detailed
information is a house that buyers will remember and easily visualize. Buyers tend
to write contract offers on properties that they remember and visualize clearly.
Take your brochures to work. It is not necessary to solicit your co-workers,
but be sure to let everyone know that your house is for sale. Since your property is
in a convenient location for you to live at-- in relation to the distance from the
workplace-- perhaps one of your associates might also find that location to be
convenient; or, maybe they know someone else who would. Ask them.
Internet Advertising:
There are plenty of Internet sites on which FSBOs may list their properties
for sale. With Internet listings, you can include photos, descriptions, information
about “open houses,” etc. The prices for this service vary. Try fsbo.com, or
forsalebyowner.com, or buyowner.com, or query your favorite search engine.
There are plenty of sites to use to get your property listed in the MLS.
Open Houses:
That brings up the notion of “Open Houses.” In many areas, sales frequently
take place because of a well attended open House. If you are in a location with
good traffic, an open house can be an excellent marketing tool. You can promote
your Open house in any, or all, of the venues we’ve discussed above. We will go
into greater detail about how to host a successful open house further along in a
later chapter.
Whether you use a realtor or sell your home on your own, marketing it is
going to be the key to getting a quick sale. It takes some time and access to a few
tools, but most sellers can put together a successful marketing program.
STAGING YOUR HOUSE:
When the Sellers decided to get their home cleaned up and ready to go on
the market, they knew that they would have to work fast and get results. So, they
invited a group of friends over for the weekend to help. They created a productive,
fun-filled working environment by turning their gathering into a three-day spring
cleaning party. Everyone had a great time. They accomplished a lot, and with
beautiful results.
Passersby would certainly stop and admire the lush, green, manicured lawn.
Fragrant flowers bloomed and flourished in shapely beds that were freshly
mulched, edged, and trimmed. Perfectly sculpted shrubs lined the perimeter of the
landscape, and traced the front of the house and along the porch. The bright, clean
exterior siding looked brand new. The windows sparkled and shined in the
sunlight.
Inside, visitors would be welcomed by the warm feeling of freshness and
light. The beautiful hardwood floors were buffed to a glossy mahogany shine.
The spotless carpets complemented the freshly painted walls. Everything looked
brand new. The house was immaculate.
One evening when they took a break from working, Rick and Lisa sat down
to watch television. Rick was absentmindedly flipping through the channels with
the remote control when Lisa saw something that caught her attention.
“Hey, look at that,” she said as different images flashed by on the screen.
“What?” Rick asked.
“Turn it back for a second.” Rick flipped back a few channels until Lisa said,
“there.” They landed on an Arts and Entertainment Lifestyles Channel. One of
those “Sell This House” television shows was on.
“I’ve heard of these shows before,” Lisa said. “They work with people
whose properties are not selling. The expert comes in and shows them how to
redesign the layout and décor of each room to make the house more appealing.
Then, they have an open house, and the house sells fast.” The television show that
they watched teaches people different home staging techniques that home sellers
can use to make their home more enticing to potential home buyers—so that it will
sell faster.
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