Hanging Tough in a Slow Market

The stats I publish here would seem to back up what most people already know: the market is in slow gear and it is a tough time for a lot of Sellers.

But not every Seller. In fact, one of my listings sold last month in less than two weeks and when it did - we had MULTIPLE OFFERS. Yep. Remember those? People in the market a few short years ago certainly do.

So what made that listing different? I think there are 4 essential reasons we sold it so quick:

1. Committed Seller

Actually, these clients had listed the previous year (with a different Agent) and their place failed to sell. Rather than get discouraged, this time around they looked at the feedback they had received (mainly that the kitchen needed updating) and did precisely what was needed - they updated the kitchen.

2. Marketing

We advertised our first weekend open houses in the City Pages and on Craig's List as well as on my Web Site and got a great turn out. Several people saw the City Pages Ad but most people had seen it on Craig's List- fast becoming an invaluable resource in the online community with respect to reaching prospective buyers. I also sent out post cards to the neighborhood, produced a snazzy marketing brochure that included pertinent info about the neighborhood (light rail and neighborhood association info) and installed a For Sale sign with a brochure box. What made the difference? All of it. In this market you have to try every legitimate avenue to find the right buyer for a property. You can't afford to do anything less.

3. The Home was A+ Show Ready

Lucky for me, my client's have great taste, so their decor was really spot on throughout. They took great pains to stage and de-clutter the home and made doubly sure that the house was CLEAN as a whistle. Clean Houses SELL. There is no doubt about it - it works. Every time.

4. The Price was RIGHT

We looked very carefully at the CURRENT market...not the market of last year...or 3 years ago...and priced the house accordingly. It's a pretty simple process really. You look at what the comparable homes in the same area are listed for and then you look at what they have recently sold for. This is most critical. This is a virtual road map for what you can expect the sale of your home to be like both in terms of how long it will take to sell (market time) and what price you can expect to get.

This is a Formula that can and will work for anyone looking to sell their home - despite the current market conditions - be they favorable or slow. But it is important to really maximize the full potential of each area. Skimping on one will likely lead to longer market time and perhaps even a significant price reduction before you get an offer.

For more tips on Selling be sure and check out my WEB SITE or feel free to CONTACT ME with any questions you might have.

No need to despair...the market still works!