We Tried to Sell Our Home by Owner

We Tried to Sell Our Home by Owner

About Me

We Tried to Sell Our Home by Owner

I’m Harvey James, thanks for stopping by my website. My wife and I thought it would be easy to sell our house without the help of a realtor. We live in an affluent residential area where homes sell quickly. Our house is in excellent condition inside and out, so of course it would be easy to sell, right? Wrong! We found that there’s nothing simple about selling your own home. We put a sign out front and did a bit of advertising. Five months later we still had our house on the market and had only had one very low offer. My wife suggested we contract with a broker, so we decided to give it a try. Three weeks after the agent listed our home, we had accepted an offer and were in escrow. There are many reasons to list with a realtor. I hope you benefit from my story.

 

Get That House Listing Noticed: Four Tips For Sellers

30 December 2019
 Categories: Real Estate, Blog

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This real estate market is a competitive one — not only for buyers but also for sellers. You need to make sure your house listing attracts attention and stands out from the competition. But how do you attract the eyes of all those potential buyers? Here are some tips.

1. Use keywords in your home description

Most people these days search for homes to buy online. To ensure your listing pops up in their search, you will want to use popular search keywords in the description. For instance, if you are selling a single-family home that would be good for a family, some terms to include would be:

  • Single-family home
  • Family home
  • One-family home
  • Home for kids

Also, think of other things that set your home apart. If it's in a rural area, use the terms "country home" and "rural home." If it's near a highway, use the term "home near exit x."

2. Have professional photos taken

Instead of just snapping a few pictures on your phone, hire a professional photographer. The first thing people see when looking at a house listing is its facade. This is especially important for single-family homes since the buyer wants to find a home that really feels in line with their family's preferences and aesthetics. A professional will ensure the photos show the home in the best light. 

3. Make it shareable

Make sure your listing is easy for people to share on social media. Make sure you have a good main photo to represent the home, and that the description includes the key information in the first few lines that will show up in the clip when someone shares the link. Once the listing is live, share it yourself — and encourage your friends and family members to pass it on.

4. Use bullet points

When greeted with a wall of text, many people will feel overwhelmed and will just keep scoring. When selling a single-family home, it's easy to be overlooked since there are so many homes of this type on the market. Setting up your ad in the form of bullet points will help grab the eye and keep people from scrolling past the listing.

Selling a single-family home is a competitive experience, but with the strategies above, you can set your home apart. For more tips and advice, reach out to a qualified real estate agent in your area.