Whether you are a first-time seller or you are releasing some of your portfolios, here are a few key points to remember when selling your property.
1. Marketing is Key
In this modern world of property sales, marketing is a key element to a successful process. 98% of people now search for their dream home online rather than in their local estate agents. Having a strong online advert is a must when it comes to selling your home. Professional looking pictures, a brief but catchy summary and a strong write up is a great way to ensure your property will stand out from the rest.
2. Give Your Property the Photoshoot it Deserves
First impressions are everything, with people normally going on to read a description purely because of the images listed alongside it. When it comes to taking photos you have to make sure the room is ready, nobody wants to see a picture with your underwear on the floor or a garden with the grass higher than the fence line. I have found that making a house look like a show home is always a great way of maximising the look of your pictures. Give everything a good tidy and put things away, leaving only some flowers or a bottle of wine and some glasses out in the kitchen and some folded towels in the bathroom/bedroom. Lastly, make sure the lighting’s right and that the picture is nice and colourful. If you only have a Kodak wind-and-shoot camera I would leave it to the professionals with flashes and expensive lenses.
3. Be Honest
As with everything, honesty is the best policy. For example, if you have a cupboard under the stairs that you are trying to market as a 4th bedroom you will struggle to get anywhere. This is an extreme example, but my point is that you should just say it as it is, you don’t need to oversell it. Somebody will see your property and fall in love. You did, right? You can’t sell a property to everyone, potential buyers will be looking for something specific and no amount of storytelling or reality stretching will change their mind so just be honest and the right buyer will come along before you know it.
4. Do Not Use the First Agent You Talk To
There are a lot of agents out there competing for the instruction of your property, shop around and see what offers are out there. Nine times out of ten they will provide the same service, some may offer different prices or even fixed fee packages. Find someone that you like and get on with, in layman’s terms, your agent will be a middleman that you speak to most days during your sale process so if you don’t get on with them from the start it may be a long journey.
5. Listen to Your Agent
Although your Dad’s next door neighbour used to be an estate agent, he might not know best. The estate agent you have enlisted is a professional and has got to where they are because they are good at their job and know their markets. You might think that your property is worth £10,000 more than one down the road because you have just had a hot tub fitted in the garden, unfortunately, this may not be the case. If your agent suggests something it will be for a good reason, trust them and take the expert advice after all that’s what you’re paying them for.
6. Be Open to Trying Something New
Agents are now moving into the world of social media, using Instagram and Snapchat to market properties. If they want to compile a video or a story for their accounts, let them. Around a third of people looking to buy now are millennials so any exposure to their most used platforms is an added bonus. People may comment, like or even share the posts about your property which will, of course, help to maximise your reach.
