Many property owners are selling their houses without the benefit of a real estate agent. Otherwise referred to as the “For Sale or Rent by Owner” approach or FSORBO, property owners are able to generate a higher return on their houses by removing the agent from the sales process. The perceived value of real estate agents lies in their ability to sell property fast. But even without agents, you can also sell your house fast if you are smart about it.
Here are 5 smart ways to sell your house fast:
- The Price is Right
The house is probably the most expensive investment you can make. As the property owner, you rightfully want the best price for your house. But so do prospective buyers.
Negotiation is a battle of wills between the Buyer and the Seller. But in a Seller’s Market, the buyer can always find another property that will meet his or her interest.
If you want your house sold, be realistic about your price. “Realistic” does not mean “low” or below market.
For example, if the median property value is at AUS$300,000, do not price it at AUS$ 320,000. Find out the range buyers in your area are looking for. If the range is AUS$ 250,000 to AUS$ 280,000, why not price it at AUS$ 275,000 to 280,000? You still have 10-15% room for negotiation.
By adopting an FSORBO approach, you can further improve price flexibility because you no longer have to pay commissions and you have better control over sales-related expenses.
- Your House Should Feel “Like Home”
When buyers are prospecting for a house they want one that not only looks good but feels “like home”. Here are some tips to make your house more welcome to buyers:
- Remove personal items and family memorabilia.
- Reduce the amount of clutter in all areas.
- Open up more spaces in the living room, kitchen and dining areas.
- Keep your cabinets half full.
- Make use of lighting; open up drapes and turn on lights in key areas.
- Keep pets away from the house.
On the day of the open house or when there are scheduled visits from buyers, brew a pot of coffee and if possible, bake some bread. The aromas of brewed coffee and freshly baked bread are powerful triggers that exude the feeling of home and warmth.
- Get Professional Help
Even if your house has been around for years, you always want it to look, smell and feel brand new when you are trying to sell it. The best approach is to hire professionals to do the job.
Hire a General Cleaning or a Carpet Cleaning company to give your house a thorough cleansing. These contractors have the experience, equipment and expertise to make your house as clean as the first day you walked in.
Here are the important tasks by the cleaning company:
- Steam clean all carpets, drapes, bed sheets, mattresses and upholstery free of dust mites, molds, mildew and other allergens.
- Remove dirt from floor tile grouting.
- Remove mildew and molds from kitchen and bathroom areas.
- Remove pet stains, if any.
- Remove unwanted odors.
- Clean and shine all kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
- Polish kitchen counter-tops.
- Clean the front entrance of the house.
The last thing you would want is to have potential buyers sneezing and wheezing in your house because the air is thick with allergens.
If you have a garden, hire a gardener or landscape artist to fix up the flower beds and to trim the grass.
When selling your house, first impressions last. The first impression of buyers should be “Wow!” not “Oh, wow.”
- Harness the Power of Online Marketing
According to a joint study by Google and the National Association of Realtors, 90% of all home buyers use online channels to find property.
While traditional marketing methods remain popular, online marketing has proven to be more effective and efficient in generating interest for property. Online marketing costs less and allows you to achieve greater reach and coverage compared to traditional marketing.
Among the best online marketing tools to use are as follows:
- FSORBO websites. There are websites that assist property owners who want to sell property on their own. For a small monthly subscription, you have access to their huge number of followers.
All you need to do is create an account and regularly update text and images. These FSORBO websites will give you exposure to other high traffic websites to improve the probability of a sale.
- Social Media. More than 50% of the global population who search the Internet every day for information use social media. These networks are effective channels to market and promote your property.
Check if your area has its own social media pages then ask if you join. Once accepted, post pictures and content on your property and link it with your FSORBO account.
- E-mail Marketing. If you’ve amassed a large number of followers or qualified leads, include them in an e-mail marketing list. Use a service such as MailChimp or AWeber to make your e-mails more professional.
E-mail marketing is effective because the probability is very high that the recipient will open your content as everyone checks their inbox every day.
- Give Your House a “Virtual Makeover”. Once the professionals have done their job cleaning up your house, the next step is to hire more professionals!
We’ve already established the power of online marketing. If you sign up with an FSORBO account or use social media, you should ensure the quality of your content. When it comes to selling property, content means the images you use and the message of your marketing copy.
- Professional Photographer – A professional photographer can provide you with high quality, high resolution images that will look great on all your marketing materials.
- Stage Decorator – Before your professional photographer does his or job, the Stage Decorator can fix up your house to make it look more elegant and comfortable.
By hiring these professionals, you can have your house look more welcoming and inviting in all of your marketing materials.
You can sell your home fast by adapting these 5 smart strategies. It will cost you some time and money but in the end, the return on your investment will be well worth it.
