Selling Your House?

How To Stand Out in a Weak Market



I found this great article on MSN.com with some tips and tricks on how to present your house to potential buyers. With the market being weak, looks do matter and they are looking at everything from the price to the style of the kitchen faucet. If you are selling, right now it is more important than ever to stick out among the pack. These tricks from several real estate agents should help you on your way to selling your home in a sluggish market.



1. Price, price, price

In a market thick with foreclosed homes and short sales, even people who are selling their homes the traditional way need to make sure they are priced competitively. A buyer in this market may be turned off by a home that is priced too high, because they don't want to deal with the headache of negotiating to a lower selling price when the next house over is already at that lower price.

2. We're not in foreclosure!

There are some advantages to being a traditional seller, and sellers who are not looking for a short-sale or a foreclosure can use that as a differentiators. Besides the potential financial headaches of buying a distressed home, a traditional seller is more likely to have kept the lawn alive, the house clean and the appliances intact.
Traditional home sellers also can differentiate themselves by offering little perks, such as a credit towards closing costs, money to repaint the house or a one-year home warranty.

3. Looking your best

It is important to make sure your house has good curb appeal. Clean the house well, add fresh flowers and sprinkle around some brightly colored towels to give your house an appealing look. Sometimes just moving around the furniture and re-staging the house can make a huge difference.

4. Ditch the point and shoot

These days, most buyers are looking at homes online first, so some real estate agents strongly recommend hiring a professional photographer to showcase the house in the best light possible. Think about doing a virtual tour or even a video of the house. Maybe even add some pictures of the neighborhood as well to give the potential buyer the full picture.

5. Consider Leasing

If you absolutely can't find a buyer at the price you want, consider leasing the property to a family that is having trouble buying.