Marketing Your Home to Sell Quickly and Profitably
This is the fifth article in my series called, Love Selling Your Home: Minimize Your Stress, Maximize Your Profit, a step-by-step guide to selling your home "right" even in today's robust market. My series takes you through the entire home-selling process -- from finding a real estate agent to settlement day. Look for a new, informative article each week, right here!
This is the fifth article in my series called, Love Selling Your Home: Minimize Your Stress, Maximize Your Profit, a step-by-step guide to selling your home "right" even in today's robust market. My series takes you through the entire home-selling process -- from finding a real estate agent to settlement day. Look for a new, informative article each week, right here!Now that you're ready to sell your home, it's time to come up with the most strategic and effective marketing plan so your home gets the attention and foot traffic it deserves.You want potential buyers to love your home and have the confidence that it's the right choice for them.Your Own PR CampaignI approach your home the same way I'd approach a PR or advertising client. Ideally, I start well before you actually put it on the market so I can analyze your situation and come up with a specific marketing plan just for your home.I look at your home as a product to sell and ask the good old basic marketing questions such as
- "Who is your target audience?"
- "What are the unique selling features of this product?"
- "What sets your product apart from all the others?" (This is a biggie!)
I answer these questions about your home from a buyer's perspective and then market and advertise your home accordingly.The Happiness FactorThe ultimate king of advertising, Don Draper of Mad Men, says, "Advertising is based on happiness…we invent want."Now it's your turn.Our strategy sessions are critical in finding this "want." You need potential buyers to WANT your home because they can see themselves living happily there. Remember they're looking for "Home Sweet Home."Working together, you and your agent want to create a positive emotional response from buyers when they walk through your front door. It's that gut reaction that can make them think, "This is where I want to live!"To do this, you'll need to think outside the box. My unique approach takes selling your home to a new level by asking pointed questions and looking at the big picture of your sale.
- What is your goal for this sale.… Do you have to sell quickly because of a job relocation? Or, do you want the highest price possible so you can buy that next "move-up" home? Different goals require different tactics
- What is your home's unique story and how do I tell it to buyers?
- Who's most likely to buy your home? What do they want in a home and how do I reach them?
- What are a few quick and inexpensive changes I can make to your home in order to appeal to the most potential buyers and get you the highest price possible?
- What surrounding attractions and community amenities will draw in your target market? What lifestyle am I selling?
Be Just As SavvyToday's buyers are better prepared than ever. They're tapped into the Internet and do their own online searches, receive seller disclosure forms, order home inspections, etc. That's why it's important for sellers to be just as savvy! Fine-tuning your marketing plan is a key strategy since it will be based on really understanding tody's buyers, how they think, and how best to reach them.And because of buyers' intense focus on technology, your home will be promoted using the latest outreach efforts online and via the smartphone. Plus, it will be featured not only on the MLS, but all the other listing websites out there.Another factor to keep in mind is the HGTV-influenced buyer. So many buyers watch shows on this network and have inflated views and raised expectations on what they want (and can get) in a home. You don't want to disappoint them when they do visit your home.As you can see, creating a unique and targeted marketing plan will sell your home. If you price your home correctly and implementing these simple selling strategies, your sale can be quick and profitable too.Stay tuned for more of my Love Selling Your Home series! Next week, you'll get the inside scoop on When to Say "Yes" to an Offer. How do you decide which is the best offer? Find out right here!