T ry to sell your home on your own? There are several details that you need to be aware of before you start marketing your home online and in the local paper’s real estate section. First off you need to put together a really good description of your home. This part can be a bit tricky because you probably want to say a lot however most people have a real short attention span and will only read a few lines. So with this in mind it is not a good idea to write a novel about how great your home is. To get some ideas check around other real estate websites and see what the professionals do. Many agents are experience in selling real estate and are pretty good at putting together descriptions. Try to say the most about your home with the least amount of words. Use words as “elegant”, “peaceful”, “serene”, “charming”, etc in your descriptions. You can never go wrong with those. Again by seeing what the professionals are doing will give you a real good idea of what you should say and what you should avoid.If you are placing your ad on the internet or in a print magazine use only pictures to wet the appetite. Obviously a good shot at the front of the home, maybe a nice shot of the living room and other rooms that you feel will photograph well. Unless you have an awesome bathroom, avoid the toilet shots or taking pictures of rooms that just don’t photograph well like small bedrooms. I have seen so many photos that look like the person is trying to sell furniture and not their home. Now what about the title of your home? In some places like Craigslist you need to add a title of your ad.
Don’t just use the address. If you are selling by owner then it is recommended that you mention that in your title. For example “Home for sale by owner in Brushy Creek Hills seeking a new home owner”. Maybe persons seek for sale by owner homes before they work with an agent. Often first time home buyers will seek those out first, hence always mentioning “for sale by owner” in your ad. Be sure also to make the price quite clear. You don’t want to attract tire kickers that are not in your price range. Unless you are willing to immediately come down on your price it is advisable not to use the word “Asking” before your price. That is just telling the prospective buyer that you do not plan on getting what you are initially asking for. These are just a few tips on putting together and ad.
Now that you know how to put your ad together where are you going to place it? In many parts of the country the newspaper has become a dinosaur thanks to the internet. Unless your local paper has a real good website where they will also post your ad online you might be throwing away your money by advertising there. The most obvious places to place your ad is on free sites like Craigslist.com, Backpage.com, Homes ByLender.com, and other free for sale by owner classified sites. Chances are if you are aware of those sites or you found them easily on Google by doing a search with phrases like “homes for sale by owner tri cities wa” for example then it the chances are the buyers will be finding those sites as well.
As you can imagine, most people search online for real estate these days. Multiple website placements is the way to go to ensure that your home for sale by owner is seen by the largest number of people. Of coursework you may also need to think about placing an ad in community papers as well if you feel many in your area still use the paper to search for classifieds. For a few extra bucks you may be able to get the added exposure that you need to make a quick sale. The bottom line is you need to present your home to as lots of people as you can. Exposure is key, along with pricing your home correctly which is an entirely different subject.
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