There's a buyer waiting in the wings for every property. The
catch is the property must be presented in a manner that will lure the
prospective buyers out of shadows and convert them into a bonafide
buyer, not a looker, not a tire kicker, but an actual offer-writing
serious I-want-that-house committed consumer. To paraphrase Bette
Davis,
buying a house is not for sissies, quitters or the faint of heart.
Sellers, you are faced with a monumental task when the decision to
sell is made. You have the commodity but it's up to you to make it
enticing and irresistible enough for a buyer to part with his cash and
commit to a monthly mortgage for the next thirty years that will consume
a large portion of his family's discretionary income. A house is a big
ticket purchase with inherent risks. If your property doesn't embed
itself in their hearts and minds buyers will avoid making such a large
life-altering decision.
How can a seller make his property the one that lingers in the buyer's mind long after the showing?
Like cream, it must rise to the top. It can do this in many ways--some
singular, but often by combining several buyer hot-buttons:
1) Price: There in no better way to grab buyers'
attention than to offer the best price in the neighborhood. Every buyer
wants outstanding value and your price does not need to be the lowest,
but it must offer the best value.
2) Buzz: Every property needs it. Maybe it is a
new razzle-dazzle kitchen, or new hardwood floors throughout or it could
be a fantastic outdoor living area. Make sure to focus attention on
what makes your property special and unique. Give buyers a reason to
linger a bit longer and absorb the intangible as well as the tangible
attributes of the home.
3) Leave the Lights On: Let buyers know they are
welcome in your home. After all, you want them to think of it as
potentially their home. Prepare for each showing as if a special guest
is coming to visit. Fresh towels, spotless counters and all traces of
felines and canines banished to a gated area or special "holding" room
shows respect for prospective buyers.
4) Remove the Roadblocks: If your house is too
difficult to show, you will miss showings and potential sales. Keep it
simple with no elaborate alarm codes or "security" dogs--ask your agent
to handle those tasks before the buyers arrive.
5) Let Your Motivation Show: It's okay for buyers
to know you are motivated and not simply testing the market. Nothing
turns a buyer off faster than hearing the seller doesn't have to sell
unless he gets his way--meaning his price. Bullying tactics are a
sure-fire way to get buyers to walk away. No one expects you to give
your property away, but a little cooperation goes a long way on the road
to sold, and that is the common goal shared by the buyer and the
seller.
Selling a home need not be warfare. The goal is a peaceful exchange of the keys to the kingdom.
Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800
PalosVerdesLifestyle-
Nominated by Relocation.com as one of the top ten Los Angeles area real
estate blogs. Chosen by MovingCost.com as one of the best Los Angeles
realty blogs. Awarded 5 out of 5 stars by Lender411 blog review. Ranked
by Technorati in the top 1% of all blogs. As seen in the Daily Breeze
newspaper.
South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate, property, houses and
homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates,
Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo
Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. Based on information from the
Association of REALTORS®/Multiple Listing as of the initial date of this
article/blog publication and /or other sources. Display of MLS data is
deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS. The
Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not
have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.
Market conditions are lining up to signal it's a good time to sell.
