Tehama Country Real Estate

Tehama Country Real Estate – 3 HOW TO MAKE YOUR LISTING STAND OUT IN A CROWDED SALES MARKET hen real estate prices are falling, the home buying experience becomes a buyer's market. To seal the deal, listing agents have to kick it up a notch to turn the home buyer's head on a piece of property. Creating an effective real estate listing should contain a balance of pertinent property information mixed with a little emotional appeal. Abundant real estate inventory pro- vides the home buyer with a wide variety of choices. The aggressive listing agent that wants to get noticed must pull out all the punches for their listings to grab the limelight. W The standard mini paragraph listed in the local newspaper is not going to cut it when it comes to separating your home for sale from the pack. Creative descriptions and visual aids are the best way to get noticed, and the smart seller will go after as much exposure as he or she can afford. Photos of the Property The tried and true single-shot pho- tograph taken from the curb may not get you to first base in a competitive housing mark- ing. Today's home buyer is smart and savvy and likes to have all the facts at their fingertips. Be sure to take multiple photos and publish the high- lights from every room. Although the interior of the home is the main event, be sure to get a good photo of the backyard, whether it is landscaped or not. The outdoor living space is key to the buyer's final decision. A spacious yard opens the buyer's mind to possibilities with home expansion, garden parties or a quiet place to retreat. When photographing the property, it is essential to omit any flaws or crumbling areas unless the home is advertised as a fixer-upper. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and you want all that vocabulary to be positive. Open Houses Many times a buyer will have their eye on a particular property but can't make it to an open house that runs just a few short hours on the weekend. Major real estate companies know the value of holding a couple of open houses Real Estate Spotlight By Alex Mason during the week to make the showing available to everyone. If you plan to include a mid-week evening showing, be sure that the electricity is flowing like a river and there are no dark corners that will fade into the night. You may have to install some light bulbs or set up your own lighting system for properties that have been empty for quite some time. Most importantly, be sure that the indoor and outdoor walkways are nice and bright to avoid a slip-and-fall acci- dent on the property. Your open house should be advertised in the local newspapers in advance, and be sure to use plenty of arrow signs to guide the buying traffic in from the main intersection. Resources to Get Your Property Noticed In most cases, your home buyer will already be liv- ing in the area where he or she wishes to pur- chase. Newspa- per advertising is excel- lent, and the aggressive agent may wish to increase the interest by listing online. Real estate websites, whether your own or renting a space on a national site, are often the first place the potential buyer will look to find their dream house. Sporting full color and room for plenty of pictures, use as many website advertis- ing formats as you can afford. No, they are not cheap, but they do have a proven track record to get the properties sold. Information Sells To attract more attention to your prop- erty for sale, buyers like to see at a glance the vital statistics for the area. On your website ads, you may opt to include information on the school district and neighborhood amenities such as din- ing and shopping. In addition, buzz words such as "minutes to the freeway" and "one block from the mall" can make or break your sale. In a competitive market, your real estate listing has to sell more than just a house. It has to sell a happy lifestyle and fit it to your buyer's dream. Alex Mason is a former real estate agent and mortgagebroker living in Los Angeles.

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