Reasons why homes don’t sell

If you have had your home on the market for several months and haven’t seen much activity or any offers, chances are that one or more of the reasons below are to blame.

Pricing:

One of the most common reason for a home not selling is that the asking price has been set too high. Caution should apply, from over enthusiastic listing agents to unrealistic seller expectations,you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. Regardless of the reason though, if you’ve priced your home too high, you’ve set yourself up for a number of obstacles to selling your home. When pricing your home, you must consider the competing listing on the market. Remember most buyers are looking within a 25-30 mile radius.  Look at other homes for sale, homes similar  to your home in style, square footage, taking into consideration condition, amenities, and location. The fact is, your home is competing against those other homes. Position your home to sell by  correctly pricing  your home. It may actually give you leverage over your competition! As your Realtor we prepare a Comparative Market Analysis Report to assist in correctly pricing your home for the current market conditions.

Condition:

The more you can do to make your home look appealing to a buyer, the better your chances to receive an offer.  Look at your home with a critical eye – put yourself in the buyers position.  A buyer doesn’t want to have to do anything except move in.   Make sure that all of the paint is in great condition, both inside and out.  The most inexpensive way to get your property looking good is basic; a good cleaning, fresh coat of paint and organizing will bring out the best in your home. De-clutter and depersonalize your home, pack up items you don't use on a daily basis, clean closets and store items in one location such as basement, attic, or storage room. Plastic totes are great , easy to label and it will make your move easier when the time comes. You want the buyers to look at the property, not at your personal belongings.  We realize your time is important and we will help you in staging your home to look its best. One of my favorite TV shows on A & E is "SELL THIS HOUSE"  and HGTV also has some very good staging shows. For a small amount of money and some sweat equity you can dress your home in its "Sunday Best"!  Staging your home will help impress the buyers and highlight the best attributes of your home and property.

Location, location, location

It’s the oldest cliche in the world, but it’s true.  When it comes to real estate, it’s all about location!  When it comes to homes, things like how good the schools are, crime rates, visual appeal of the neighborhood and noise or the smell of pollution can all effect how desirable the location is.  If you’re in a bad location, a good real estate agent may help to minimize some of the impact by suggesting improvements to the house. If you are in a busy location or lack privacy you may want to consider strategically placed shrubs and landscaping to block out the unpleasant view, or a fence to keep children or pets off a busy street.  Location defiantly factors into the price of the property.  As your agent we will assess the location and the impact of the location and discuss it with you. Sometimes the only really reliable way to overcome a bad location is with a lower price.  

Exposure in a Visual World:

The best listing agents all use an aggressive marketing plans to market their listings.

Inviting photos are essential in today's market. When viewing listings on the internet, buyers are making a decision in less than 30 seconds whether your home is worth viewing in person.

Great photos are essential. Visual tours are a wonderful way to entice buyers to give your home serious consideration. We are easy to find on the internet site and belong to organizations to increase web site hits on our listings.  

With excellent exposure our listings are in the local newspapers and  monthly real estate publications. RE/MAX is the most recognized names in real estate in the world, with radio, well known magazine and television ads. As a member of the National Association of Realtors and the Multiple Listing Service our listings are available world wide giving our sellers the RE/MAX advantage.

In a Buyers Market

You’ll hear it described as a slow market, or a buyers market, or maybe a cold market.  But it all means the same thing, Buyers are taking their time, negotiating when buying a home.  Sellers can be proactive in a sluggish market  by 1) Get the property priced correctly, don't overprice 2) stage your home- you will only get one chance to impress each buyer that drives by your home. 3) Offer incentives, Buyers are expecting to find bargains during a slow market.  You can also help yourself by offering to pay 3 % of the price towards the buyers closing cost, to help a buyer that might not have a lot of cash.  Leave the appliances, curtains, or one years lawn care. It will cost you less in the long run if the house sells sooner than later.

Is Your home  easily accessible?

Imagine being out on a Sunday drive and you happen to see a For Sale sign on an inviting property. You get exciting and say think "that's looks like what we have been looking for!" You call the agent and you are told "sorry, no showings without 4 hour notice".

In this busy world that would be considered a defiant missed opportunity. Buyers like to scout for themselves to see the neighborhood and drive through areas they like.

To get your home sold quickly, it’s important be ready to show.  When a busy agent is compiling a list of homes to show a buyer, the agent will naturally tend to show those houses that are easiest to gain access to first.  Many homes on the market have “lock boxes” on them.  The lock box is a device which holds a key to the home, that only qualified local agents can access.  Homes that are listed as being “lock box," with one hour notice or a call, leave message and show, will get shown more often than homes listed as “agent has key, call for appointment”.  If at all possible, you should let your agent put a lock box on your home for easier showing.  If not, you should do anything else you can to make it as convenient as possible for agents to show your home. 

BE PREPARED:

Know your competition, prepare your home for sale, and position your home to take every opportunity and advantage to sell your home at its best in a tough market.

Give us a call we would be happy to visit with you in regards to the marketing potential of your property!