Creativity in Selling a Home

So, your home has been on the market for a longer time than you find comfortable and it still hasn’t sold despite all the open houses, advertising and even incremental price reductions. What can you do to stimulate buyer-interest in your property? Here are a few ideas you can use to stand out from the herd in our crowded market.
If you have your home listed with another agent, please check with that Realtor® to make sure any tactics you pick coincide with that person’s marketing strategy.

1) If you haven’t already done so, consider freshening up the interior by a major overhaul of the furnishings and arrangement of furniture, often called staging.
2) Do likewise for the exterior to improve curb-appeal.
3) Before making another price reduction, consider an increase in the buyer-agent commission.
4) Offer another SPIF (incentive) to the buyer’s agent, such as bonus or inducement similar to what you’d also provide to the buyer.
5) Provide some form of a financial incentive to the buyer by covering some or all closing costs, buying down the buyer’s mortgage or other inducement.
6) Throw in a free car, plasma TV or other high ticket item.
7) Solve an obvious cosmetic or other problem with the property through carpet or flooring allowances, fence issue remediation, painting credit, etc.

Professional buyers’ agents show the best in the inventory that meet their clients’ requirements and try to remain above being influenced by incentives that enrich them. Many of these incentives can be found in the hidden “confidential remarks” portion of MLS listings.
If you’re a buyer, it’s fair to ask your agent to concentrate on those listings that have added inducements.
If you’re a seller, it’s just as fair in a tight market to consider using some form of an inducement to “sweeten the pot” for a buyer or the buyers’ agent.
If you’d like more information on any of these ideas or to explore how listing your home to present the most attractive package for buyers, please give me a call:
888-525-6268
Or email me: jerry@jerrykalman.com

PS: Don’t let the holidays dissuade you from listing or letting your home be shown. Quite often a well decorated home has just the right warmth and homey appeal to a buyer to make it stand out from all the rest. And, with a seasonally reduced inventory, your home might appeal to those serious buyers with a must-move requirement!