How to Ensure Your Home will Get Showings
Monday, July 27th, 2015
Real estate is a highly competitive business. When you list your property for sale, you immediately enter into competition with every similar property in your neighbourhood that is for sale. You are all competing for the attention of buyers. Even in our digital age, very few people purchase a property sight unseen. Phone inquiries and internet hits are all fine and good, but in order to sell a home, you really need to generate floor traffic and showings.
If you are working with a Realtor and have not had many showings, you need to sit down and pinpoint the problem. There is a market and a buyer for every home out there, including yours. You just have to find them and invite them in. Start by focusing on those factors that are within your control. You cannot change your neighbourhood and there is not much you can do about your competition, but there are some things you can definitely do to drive traffic toward your property.
Make the home available and easy to show.
Even though it may be inconvenient, you really have to be ready to let prospective buyers into your home at a moment’s notice. Your Realtor must be reliable and reachable and so must you. Buyers often view several homes in a neighbourhood at a time and if the house is not available for a showing when they are around, you could lose the opportunity. Homes that require too much advance notice and complicated instructions for showing are often a turn-off for buyers and their agents. In addition to being accessible, the home should be tidy and free of pet odors, if possible.
Make sure your marketing is up-to-date.
Marketing is the responsibility of your Realtor and to maintain a competitive edge in today’s world, homes are marketed using both traditional and digital outlets. It starts with good photos and perhaps, a video that entices buyers to want to see more. In addition to traditional advertising through signage and newspapers, your property should appear in the local MLS and a host of other internet sites catering to buyers in your area. Your Realtor should be familiar enough with social media to arrange for well-placed postings on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.
Make sure the price is right.
There is no quicker or easier way to discourage showings than to overprice your home. Your sentimental attachment to your home does not necessarily translate into real value. That is one of the many reasons you need a professional Realtor to price the property from an objective point of view – free of emotional attachment. If you are not getting any showings, the first thing to ask is, “Are we priced right?”
These are just a few of the items to consider when listing your home for sale. If you are not getting the foot traffic you feel your home deserves, sit down quickly with your Realtor and strategize to increase the number of showings. Price it right, market it effectively and stay accessible to real estate agents and their buyers, and the property will sell itself.
Do you need to move to celebrate the changes that are happening in your life? Let me serve you in helping you make the move to the place or home that reflects where you are in life’s journey! I will listen to your needs and use my knowledge and expertise to make this a smooth transition to the right place for you to call home in Calgary. Contact me at 403-708-5873, ajames16@gmail.com, or www.allisonjames.com and let’s get on with your journey!
About Allison James
Allison James has been a realtor® since 1999 with Century 21 Bamber Realty Ltd. in the changing Calgary real estate market. A Century 21 Centurion Award 2007 recipient and a member of CREA and AREA, she specializes in residential real estate and has her designations as a Seniors Real Estate Specialist and a Certified Condominium Specialist. These designations testify that she has the expertise and resources to help her clients make a smooth transition to the next step in their life journey. She enjoys helping her clients as they move through many of the same stages of life that she, too, has experienced. The fact that the majority of her business comes from past clients and/or referrals from satisfied clients speaks volumes about her dedication to the high quality of service that she offers her clients to meet their Calgary and surrounding area real estate needs. She is a mother of four who are all on their own now, and a grandmother of eight. Besides helping people buy or sell real estate, she loves spending time with her family, being active outdoors, traveling and meeting new people, photography, playing the drums, reading, scuba diving, listening to music, learning new things, and nurturing her spiritual growth.
