Is your home listing keeping buyers away?

You’ve put a lot of work into your home, so it should sell itself, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, there are plenty of mistakes you can make when listing your home that will impede its purchase. Due to record low mortgage rates, it’s a buyer’s market, so you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to get the right price for your house.

Keep it honest, but not too honest

It’s easy to make exceptional claims in order to sell the home. But most of the time these claims can turn off potential buyers – or if they do view the home, they often end up disappointed. You can use creativity to entice shoppers, but claims such as, “it’s the best property you’ll find in the state”, aren’t the best way to sell.

Common assertions like “recently updated” can also be a turn off to agents and buyers. This usually indicates that you are trying to flip the home, even if you’re not. Flipping isn’t a bad thing, but it requires proper permits to be done well, and many flippers don’t attain the proper permits. That said, you shouldn’t sell the home “as is” either, which indicates that you may have taken everything including the drywall with you. Instead, simply be honest and list which parts of the home might need improvement and which parts are improved. Most buyers are more likely to look at a home when they know what to expect.

Take pictures

If you don’t have pictures in your listing, you’re almost asking for fewer potential buyers. Pictures are essential in a buyer’s market with low mortgage rates – buyers usually want a general portrait of the property before they go see it in person. Do your best to feature the highlights of the property in the photos – if the deck is large and newly finished, get a good shot. It might also pay to hire a photographer for the job. You’ll only need around a dozen pictures, but quality is better than quantity. Professional photography can do wonders for the popularity of your home listing.

What are your tips for a successful real estate listing?