Frustrated With the Lack of Showings?
Unfortunately, I’ve seen a dramatic decrease in showing activity across all price ranges in the last few weeks. All the latest statistics are pointing to an across-the-board decrease in all price ranges and locations due to an oversupply of homes on the market compared to the number of currently active buyers. Believe me, I am equally as frustrated! I’ve given the issue a lot of thought, and have come up with some ideas to help grab a buyer’s attention.
Price reductions – Yes, I’m suggesting the dreaded price reduction. After looking at the homes that are selling, I’ve noticed 2 trends–a fantastic price and beautiful updates. Even if your home is priced well, you’ve got to set yourself apart from the competition to get noticed.
Making updates – If you get consistent feedback that the home needs too many updates, it’s time to get to work. If buyers can tell from the photos that the home needs a lot of updates, then you’ll never get them through the door. Buyers these days want something move-in ready. Most don’t have a ton of extra cash to gut a bathroom or update a kitchen with. You may not recoup a lot of that money when you sell, but it should help grab the attention of a buyer and hopefully get them to see your home. Courtney is great at suggesting ways to get a big impact out of a few small changes…feel free to give her a call!
Professional photos – Your photos are your first “showing” to a buyer. Grab their attention with professional photos. If you took your photos yourself or want a fresher look to your listing, this is an inexpensive way to really make your home shine. I can recommend a professional home photographer who will also include a virtual tour for a very reasonable fee.
Incentives – In certain price ranges, offering to pay some or all of a buyer’s closing costs can help get more traffic to your listing. Offering an agent bonus is another way to get some attention, and works really well in conjunction with sending out an email blast (an additional marketing option outlined on our website here). We’ve had a very good response to email blasts that offer a drawing for a $100 gas gift card…the showing agent gets one entry into the drawing for every showing within a certain time period, usually 2 to 4 weeks.
Although I can’t guarantee these things will help get more traffic through the door, I think they will help your home stand out from the rest, which isn’t a bad thing. As always, please feel free to give me or Courtney a call with any questions!
