How organized are you before selling a London home? How important is:
An inadequate or poorly written description of your property.
No video or a poor one
Floor plans?
There may be errors in the taxes, what is included in the price, and the square footage. Double-check and double-check again!
Homebuyers and their Realtors search daily for specific neighbourhoods or something new when their excitement is usually at its highest! Please do not confuse or alienate them!
In most cases, home sellers do not know this is occurring. They may not know that potential buyers and their Realtors have bypassed the listing, disregarded it altogether, or are frustrated when they view your home or are pleasantly surprised!
Below are some reasons your home may not get the exposure and action you anticipated.
The sign goes up, but the Listing Realtor has not turned the listing into the office yet, so the office has no record of the listing and does not know who the listing Realtor is. Buyers drive by; they call the office and get nowhere.
The Realtor has not quickly loaded the listing to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Again, the buyer does not see it for a day or two, and their Realtor will not see it on their frequent search for new listings.
The listing appears on MLS, but when the buyer and Realtor get there, the lockbox isn’t on yet; no keys are cut, etc. If you are not home, the buyers may reschedule to come out again if they have not bought anything.
Your house listing is not yet on other websites, blogs, or social media sites. (Is that not important?) The latest data shows that buyers preview homes on the web 94% of the time BEFORE they go and look in person!
There’s More Before Selling a London Home!
The MLS listing has mistakes. Room sizes are wrong. Poor pictures or not enough pictures. (Last week, I showed good clients of mine a $839,000 house & they at first declined to see the property because of the poor or inadequate pictures. Their interest was piqued after seeing the house, but they did not make an offer.
The showing instructions indicate that the “call agent for appointment” should arrange showings, but the Realtor does not return the call or, if so, the next day. The buyer’s Realtor again calls to set a time and leaves a message or a page. The window for showing comes and goes, and the buyer cancels the appointment to see the property. Believe it or not, this can happen two or three times before they can finally get in!
The buyer and their Realtor show up at your door, and you did not know they were coming. Or, they show up at your door when you explicitly told the listing Realtor you did not want any showings. The buyer and Realtor leave or are uncomfortable if they do go through your house. All because someone did not notify you.
You do not get any feedback about the showings that have taken place.
You do not know why you have not received an offer yet.
You are unaware of whether there is anything you can do or change to help sell your home.
The listing Realtor does not know either because they did not ask the showing Realtor for feedback.
They have not recorded who looked at your home and their comments.
Oh No!
You may think that the above is rare, but it is not! Frustration mounts for a buyer, they and their Realtor think:
“Am I going to get in”? “Is the home seller serious about selling?”
If buying a car, the salesperson said he/she would get the keys so you could take a test drive. Then never returned with the keys, you would finally move on to another dealership, wouldn’t you?
Your listing Realtor’s credibility transfers to you and your property. If the lack of credibility starts with showing the property, the buyer and their Realtor wonder what other problems they will encounter.
Listing with a Realtor with a reputation for being thorough will never harm you.
Who has a strong web presence?
Has a thorough, consistent follow-up system.
Has the finances to see your property through to the final stages without getting pushy!
Ensure that:
Keys are cut and stored in the secure Supra Lock Box (not a contractor box for $39.95).
Listing brochures, presentation folders, or pertinent information is in place.
The sign is installed with directional signs on every corner.
The listing is active on MLS.
Ensure the Realtor has a system for you to view comments and feedback about your house..
Do they have a checklist that they share with you before your house even gets on the MLS?
Do not let others get in the way of selling your home. Why not make it easy and comfortable for buyers and their Realtors to see your home and make an offer? You are always in the loop, informed, and willing to sell your home.
In summary, the most critical time for selling a London home is BEFORE it goes on the MLS.