When you list with a real estate agent, you may want to sit back and let her do all the work. But selling your home is a team effort. You can make a big contribution by beginning to market your home before the listing even goes public.
It’s a concert, not a solo
You hire an agent for her professional ability to sell your house as quickly as possible. A good agent goes way beyond merely listing your home in the Multiple Listing Service and sticking a sign in your front yard. She truly markets your home by having it staged and professionally photographed and then preparing a page for your home on her website with an online virtual tour. She will also list your house on home search sites, make savvy use of social media and hold open houses for fellow agents and for buyers.
But you can help accelerate the sales process with teamwork.
Yes, this is part of marketing
Great marketing can’t overcome a bad appearance, so give your agent a gem to show off. Making your house shine is marketing. Declutter throughout the house and fix broken items such as leaky faucets. Have the inside of your home professionally cleaned and the windows professionally washed. If you have pets or are a smoker, have the house deodorized. Keep your landscape cut, weeded and watered.
Selling your home with digital media
Your agent will post photos on her website and on social media, but you should post them on yours as well. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all are good platforms. Post pictures and tell your story. Maybe your immediate friends aren’t candidates, but they can share with people they know.
Your agent will likely produce flyers, so help her by handing them out to your neighbors, co-workers and church friends. And e-mail flyers to people you know. Again, they may not be candidates, but they certainly may know people who are. email marketing is powerful.
You are the best spokesperson for your house, so tell the world what a great home it is! Get your agent’s business cards from her and hand them out to people you’ve directed to your home.
Creative negotiating
You can help your agent sell your home by being flexible with offers. Make it known that you’ll leave behind that nice refrigerator, or the new washer and dryer, as part of the contract. Sellers cannot pay the buyer’s closing costs, but you can make a price concession equivalent to them. Offer to pay for a home warranty policy. Be creative in what you’ll do to close the deal for the buyer.
Related – Staging Your Home for a Quick Sale
