How to Sell a Home That Didn’t Sell

Author: James Greiner / Category: Selling, Unsold Listings

If your home has recently come off the market and hasn’t sold, don’t be discouraged. The reason it didn’t sell may have nothing to do with your home or the market. In reality, your home may have been one of the more desirable properties for sale, if your listing has been removed from the market and you still want results, take a step back and review your situation before you put your home back in the marketplace.

 Q. Where should I begin?

 A. Start by making a commitment to do what it takes to market your home and get it sold. With the right system, the home sale you want is still within your reach.

 Q. Why didn’t my house sell?

 A. According to the Board of Realtors, 50% of all homes on the market sell in 30 days or less. After 30 days those that did not sell have only a 50% chance of selling at all. This means we need to do it correctly, right out of the gate. Review your pervious selling plan and you’ll discover that an unsold listing usually reflects a problem in one or more of these four major areas: 

  1. Teamwork
  2. Pricing
  3. Condition of the Home
  4. Marketing

 Q. Is it still possible to get my home sold?

 A. Absolutely, your second marketing period is actually a new beginning and an excellent opportunity to get your home sold.

 4 Important Points That Will Get Your Home Sold.

 1. Teamwork

Your home is a major financial investment, and your relationship with your realtor should be a full partnership where your needs and wishes are heard. You should receive dependable feedback on the progress of your sale; your agent has the responsibility to receive this feedback from other agents who have shown you property and to communicate this to you so together you can make the right decision about what to do next. How well did this occur the last time you had your home up for sale?

 2. Pricing

Did the price work for, or against you? The “right” price depends on market conditions, competition, location and the condition of your home. Pricing it too high is as dangerous as pricing it to low. If your home doesn’t compare favorable to others in the price range you’ve set, you won’t be taken seriously by prospects or agents and may actually help sell other homes in your area. You’ll get the facts when you see the statistics! To help you establish a realistic selling price for your home, ask your agent to provide you with an up-to-date comparative market analysis that gives you: 

  • A review of comparable homes recently sold or currently for sale.
  • An idea of how long other homes have been listed, in order to calculate an average time in which a home can sell in today’s market.
  • A review of homes whose listings have expired, to understand what issues were at play. Note: There is no mention of how much you paid for your home of its improvements. Like any investment, the market value is determined by what a buyer will pay and a seller will accept.

 3. Condition of Your Home

Show Case Quality! Is your home someone else’s idea of a dream home? When buyers enter, are they inspired? Do they think, “I love this house!” Remember, the decision to buy a home is usually based on emotion, not logic. A house in move-in condition invites a sale. You need to consider: 

  • Fixing all the little squeaks and cracks.
  • Change outdated light fixtures and hardware.
  • Keeping it clean for all showings.
  • Brighten it up.
  • What your home shows like from the street (concentrate on outside curb appeal).
  • Staging your home.

Consider taking care of major items, such as having your home painted. Offering an allowance for prospective buyers so they can have the house painting completed is not the same as having it done for them. Now as their trying to imagine what a new paint job will look like, they may also be discounting the price even further because of the less than perfect look of the walls.

Remember… A house that looks well, sells quicker and for the best price because it outshines the competition. Ask your agent if they can arrange a no-obligation inspection of your home to help you evaluate the above.

4. Marketing Your Home to Sell

One of the first steps in you marketing plan involves finding an agent who will best represent you.

When interviewing agents, test and compare their knowledge and ask each to demonstrate how they will market your home to buyers, also compare in what media (internet, newspaper, magazines, etc.) and the effectiveness of one medium over the other. Are you getting the most for your money? Keep in mind, it’s not how much they spend but how they spend it. How about your internet presence, how many web sites are you listed on? In today’s High-Tec market, nine out of ten buyers search for homes on the internet prior to contacting a real estate agent. What about the photos, were they good quality? Did they use maximum amount allowed on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and other web sites? Lastly, say goodbye to any Realtors using old, traditional methods to sell your home, because they won’t work in today’s marketplace, agents who use the new and innovative, non-traditional marketing approaches are the ones who are getting more homes sold fast and for top dollar.

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