Eight Tips for Selling Your Home Faster in A Slow Market

Selling a house in a slow real estate market can be difficult. In times like these, it's not enough to simply list your home and wait; you actually have to sell your home. No one really wants to sell anything when the market is bad, however, it's not impossible to sell your house in these conditions. It just takes a positive attitude and a different kind of game plan.

Even though the market's not favourable to sellers and widespread economic recovery may be months, even years off, there are a number of tactics available to increase the likelihood of a sale.

1. Know your market
One of the most important things you can do to get your house sold is to learn your market, the value of your property and your competition. Most sellers operate in the dark, simply offering the property for the price they want, without regard to what other homes have sold for and are currently selling for. Undervaluing or overpricing your home can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

2. Price your home right
With homes sales slowing and prices plunging, there's little doubt that selling for a good price in today's market is going to be tricky. The median existing home price dropped more than 7% compared with the same month last year, according to the National Association of Realtors. So if you try to ask as much for your property as your neighbour got a year ago, you're going to turn off potential buyers. Instead, price your home conservatively by looking at similar houses currently on the market. Also look at the homes that aren't selling. Chances are those owners priced their homes too high.

If you really want to stimulate a sale, you should under price your property by just a little. Trimming the price by a few thousand dollars can generate more foot traffic and create a buzz.

3. Make your home presentable
Keep your house looking good at all times, repair things that are broken, and replace things that are rundown. Add a fresh coat of paint (neutral colors preferred), freshen up landscaping, trim trees, clean up clutter and remove personal items, so that prospective buyers can picture themselves in the home rather than seeing you there.

To guarantee a quick sale, consider using a professional home staging service. Your property must make a strong, positive impression. Staging a home is the cheapest way to make a house look different from your competition so it becomes the most memorable one that the buyer saw.

4. Be flexible with showings
It only takes one Buyer to get your home sold. Don’t make your Realtor feel as though their request for a showing is an inconvenience.

5. Play up your home’s best features
If you have fireplaces, make sure that you have fires burning so that there is a beautiful warm glow and the sound of crackling. If you have a gourmet cook’s kitchen, have some great-smelling treats baking in the oven. Turn on soothing music. Set all lights and lamps if the home looks dark or feels heavy. Lighting is crucial. Do the same as if you were having a formal dinner party- the house will certainly sparkle.

6. Offer buyers incentives
A low price may be incentive enough for some buyers, but others might be holding out for something more. This is where creativity can really take over. Perhaps you can throw in a new set of kitchen appliances, or a 3-day paid vacation in Mexico. There are a ton of incentives that speak to the heart of the buyer; be creative and see which one speaks to yours.

7. Offer flexible terms
Often, the best way to sell a home more quickly in a buyers market is to adjust the terms of the sale instead of the price. While it may sometimes be necessary to adjust the asking price downward, or to negotiate a lower price with the buyer, sometimes offering help with closing costs, or an extended possession date, will go a lot further.

8. The first offer rule
If you get an offer within the first few weeks, the tendency is for sellers to try and hold out for a better offer. This is generally a mistake. The biggest fish usually bite first, so keep in mind that your first offer will often be your best.
Lastly, keep a positive attitude!

Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Emailor call:
Phone:	(403) 614-2694
Office:	(403) 288-1554

Royal LePage Foothills
308,5149 Country Hills Blvd. NW
Calgary, Alberta
T3A 5K8 Canada

Selling

I will work for you every step of the way! My combination of skill, experience, and technology ensures that I can sell your home for the highest possible price and in the shortest period of time. I have the tools to meet the demands of a highly competitive, modern market.

My Unique Automated Internet Marketing System Online Presence: Available 24 hours a day!

My online marketing system allows me to make information accessible 24-hours a day, and to respond immediately and directly to each and every prospective buyer. From my website, prospective buyers can get information immediately about your home. They can access my} site 24 hours a day and view your property listing -- and in a much easier format than the existing realtor.ca website! Through my Personal Home Search, your listing will be sent by e-mail to every prospective buyer in my database, where your home meets their criteria. Plus it will be e-mailed automatically to future prospective buyers as well.

Traditional Marketing

As soon as you list your home with me, I will enter your home in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database. Other agents can immediately access your property information by computer. I also regularly publish in magazines and newspapers in the area and send out direct mail pieces to potential buyers. Do not hesitate to contact me to find out about the marketing system that actually works!

Pricing Your Home

When you think about it, there are several other homes for sale competing with your home. I will help you price your home competitively to attract qualified buyers. The way I do this is by generating a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) report, which will show you a range of prices being paid for homes in your area. You can complete my online form to get a feel for your home's market value.

Every Step Of The Way...

Remember, I will be working for you every step of the way to make sure that you get the highest possible price for your home in the shortest period of time with the least amount of hassle.