Know your target and market your house effectively. A strong marketing technique is smart business, and though it will not always assure a sell, it will get the phone ringing.
Homebuying.about.com would like you to try these 5 practical steps to effectively market your house:
Photograph the front
When marketing your house, photos are everything. Buyers are visual and there are actual tricks on how you can make your house look 10 times better for potential buyers' scrutinizing eyes:
- Crop out sidewalks and streets.
- Remove vehicles from driveway / front of home.
- Shoot up-close & angled photos.
- Avoid shade on the house.
- Clear away vegetation blocking front door or path to door
Exterior photographs
If you don't have a yard like if you own a condo or a townhome, you can always take photographs of the amenities like the pool, clubhouse, gym, or tennis court. Otherwise, if you have a yard, the buyers most definitely would like to see it.
- Emphasize space and shoot long.
- Mow the lawn & trim bushes.
- Remove evidence of pets.
- Put away children's toys.
- Avoid shooting into the sun.
Interior photographs
Getting photos of the interior can be tricky, but you really need to provide them for the buyers especially photos of every room of the house. There are techniques you can use to ensure good quality photos.
- Open drapes & blinds
- Turn on lights.
- Focus on interesting details like the condition of a wood floor or a fireplace mantle.
- Remove trash cans & close toilet lids in bathrooms.
- Use floral arrangements in kitchens & dining rooms.
- Avoid shooting into mirrors because your image will reflect.
Virtual tours
Just because your property is not a million-dollar home doesn't mean you can't do virtual tours. Buyers love virtual tours! Just two spins can sometimes even be enough to get them calling you.
- With 360 or a video, a buyer will have an experience of looking into every room.
- Add sound, music, and description for a more creative virtual tour.
Signage
Don't underestimate a "For Sale" sign. Home buyers will easily have a way to contact your agent if they become interested to your property.
- Some HOAs allow only window signs.
- Ask your neighbor in the corner lot if you could put a sign on their yard pointing to your property.
- Don't forget to include the phone number of the closest office as well as the agent's mobile and voice mail number.
