Selling YOUR home in the mid-Michigan market

Statistically, not all homes CAN be sold

Each year the he Greater Lansing area attracts only enough buyers to purchase a third of the inventory. If every home was perfectly priced and the Lansing market had a record sales year, two-thirds of the homes would still remain unsold at years end.

 

Make your home

from the crowd

To sell in this market you need to make your home so irresistible that a
prospective buyer will choose YOURS over all the others.

You will need to be objective when setting your price and you’ll need to begin looking at your home’s spaces and condition in the same way that a buyer will.



Price to attract buyers
Buyers tend to shop by price and usually don't make offers on homes they can't afford.
 

The communication between the seller and buyer is the asking price. Setting the price much higher than you'll accept is sending the wrong message. Send a clear message - set a realistic asking price that will attract
buyers to your home.


Market to the way buyers search

The internet has changed the way buyers search for homes. The traditional methods - newspaper ads, realty magazines, yard signs and open houses are no longer effective marketing tools.
 

The marketing tools have changed

	According to recent National Real Estate industry statistics:
	84% of all buyers use the internet to search for a home 98% of all buyers want to see multiple photos and virtual tours 78% of all buyers will not click on a listing that has no pictures

Buyers are using the internet to make home selections before contacting their agent for a viewing. Their choices are based on what they see online. The old adage about "first impressions" is a given in Real Estate marketing.

 
What buyers want...

Buyers want to see more than a page full of room sizes, a puffed up description, and a single picture of your home’s front elevation. They need to see an impressive internet presentation that will stimulate them to want
to take a personal tour of your home.
 

One "click" and you're history!
While proper pricing will attract buyers, a poor internet presentation can loose those prospects forever.

With so many homes to select from, buyers click past  listings that have no pictures and won't linger on a listing with only one picture and no interior photos.
 

Dark, fuzzy, distorted and out-of-season pictures weaken your property's appeal and only serve to create a negative impression in the mind of the prospective buyer.

Remember, the buyer is planning to make a major purchase.
He needs to be impressed with what you have to offer.
 

Remove as many objections as possible

The more you can do to make your home appealing to a buyer, the better your chances of getting an offer.
 

A buyer’s first impression is most important

Buyers choose a house because of the way it "feels", frequently giving
a "yea or nay" the moment they walk through the door. What they see, hear and smell will make all the difference.

Home sales are lost because of unkempt lawns, cluttered rooms, bad stains, and unpleasant odors. The things you've gotten used to and don't notice any more. As Realtors, we see the reactions and hear the comments of disappointed buyers as they visit such homes.

Mentally detach yourself from the house and try to look at it the way a buyer will. Most buyers are looking for a home that is "move-in ready". First time home buyers usually don't have money for repairs and will be turned off
by too many defects.
 

Buyers moving up to a more expensive home are expecting luxury and upgrades. These buyers are generally too busy with their careers to take on the task of upgrading a home.

Buyers are more critical

The current economy, the energy situation and home improvement shows on cable television have had an effect what buyers are expecting in a home.  They look more critically at the age and condition of the heating and air conditioning, windows, roofing, foundation, utility bills and the home's overall condition. They quickly evaluate a home based upon how much it will cost for updates and repairs. Thus, a home with great curb appeal, that "feels" like a home the buyer could live in, might easily be rejected because of it's condition.

Make necessary changes and repairs

Don't let a repairable or easily corrected condition stand between you and the sale of your your home. Should
the feedback on your showings indicates that buyers love everything about your home except for the water
leaking through the basement walls, then have this repaired to remove the objection.

The cost of the repair will usually be recovered by a higher, more timely offer that will also reduce the number of monthly payments you'd make while waiting for the the buyer who might ignore the defect.