Top 6 Real Estate Secrets
#1: Open Houses Don’t Work.
Open houses are a thing of the past. Years ago, when you wanted to sell your home, the only way that buyers could see the inside of your home was to be invited to view your home via an open house or making an appointment with the agent listing your home. Now, if a buyer wants to see your home, they can just go online, to any of a dozen sites, and see the inside of your home without ever having to leave their living room.
The truth is open houses don’t work! Real Estate agents host open houses not to sell your home, but to obtain additional clients who are looking to sell their homes (including your neighbors). The fact is, you are more likely to win the lottery than sell your home with an open house in most areas. villa
#2: Marketing is Job Number 1.
If you are selling your home, the real reason you hire a Realtor is marketing. A Realtor’s job is to get as many qualified buyers to your home as possible so that you can sell your home for the highest price. Marketing is the cornerstone of the Real Estate business and a Realtor that does not know marketing, is not worth the commission. Many Realtors avoid the topic of marketing and try to confuse homeowners with internet terms and the size of their firm, all of which means nothing to the actual sale of your home. Here are the things you should be aware of:
* When you hire someone to sell your home, first make sure they are a Realtor and ask to see their Realtor card. There is a big difference between Realtors and Real Estate agents. Real Estate agents cannot list your home in the MLS, a database of homes for sale by participating Real Estate firms.
* Make sure you select a Realtor that truly understands marketing – proactive marketing. All agents use the internet, so that is no big deal. All listings will likely be on Realtor.com and Zillow. Have your agent do a S.W.O.T analysis for you, find out if they work full-time as a Realtor, and ask them what they do that DOES NOT involve the internet to sell your home. Find out how long they have been Realtors, and ask to see any 3 homes sold in each of the last four years. In a very short time, you will be able to sort through the wheat and chaff.
* Don’t be fooled by the most common secret. An agent will mention they work for a big firm, and therefore, your home will get more views on the internet. This is not true, in almost all cases, any home being listed by a Realtor will be listed on the website of all the Real Estate firms in the area and most national websites as well. So even if you list your home with “Mom and Pop Realty,” your home will show up on even the big companies’ Real estate websites.