Marketing Your Home: Dos and Don’ts

When putting your home on the market, a big part of reaching or exceeding your desired sale price is decided by the way you market it.

If people don’t know you’re selling your home, and if they aren’t aware of all its unique features and advantages, they aren’t going to offer you the amount you want (if they even make an offer in the first place).

Here’s our list of what to do, and what not to, when putting your property up for sale.

Do: Have a plan

First and foremost, you’ll need a plan of some sort.

While it might seem like a lot of work for the uninitiated, being organised and making sure your property is marketed smoothly and efficiently will save you money (or earn you more) in the long run.

Imagine buying space in a newspaper or paying for an internet listing before your professional photos were done. You’d be throwing good money after bad, and you would’ve already made a less-than-impressive first impression on buyers.

Do: Use online marketing

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware that real estate portals on the internet are pretty much the starting point for most house hunters these days.

There’s also internet display ads (like Google AdWords), Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and countless other places where leads can be generated and information shared. It’s inexpensive and versatile – there’s basically no reason not to use them.

Don’t: Ignore traditional ads

While the internet’s great, be careful not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Not all property buyers are going to be using the particular site you’ve listed your home on, so be sure to take out some print ads and organise some physical “For Sale” signs too.

Do: Use a reputable local agent

Time and time again, statistics show that sellers achieve better results when they use reputable local real estate agents. They know your area, and they are well-versed in the ins and outs of marketing and negotiating.

Trying to save money by cutting out the agent will also cut out a higher sale price, a faster sale, cheaper advertising, and a better negotiator.

Do: Tell your neighbours

If you know some of your neighbours, they’ll doubtless already know that you’re planning to sell your home. So will your coworkers, friends and relatives. And any signage you have outside your home will also be broadcasting this fact.

It’s a good idea to nurture this word of mouth, as this can secure a sale with an interested party a lot easier than relying on complete strangers.

Don’t: Overspend or overdo it

The rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t spend more than 1% of your home’s value on marketing and advertising. You don’t want to eat into your profits too much!

Buyers (and especially buyers’ agents) can also smell desperation a mile off. If you’re overdoing it, they’ll be able to tell, which will put them in a position of power.

In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for marketing your home, but if you follow the above guidelines, you might just get that edge you’re looking for.

For any further information or advice on putting your home on the market, give Hicks Real Estate a call on 07 3355 6845 or flutterby for a visit at 2/6 Trouts Rd, Everton Park.