Sell Your House Fast Even in a Down Market

Even in a relatively good market like Austin, home sales have been slow. If you are a seller and need to sell, there are some things you absolutely need to know about selling your home fast in a down market .

Buyers these days want a deal. They first thing that many do is shop price. If your house is priced at or above market value, it may not get many showings. So not price high expecting a low offer and then settling in the middle. That strategy does not work now, especially if you want to sell your house fast. Price at or just below market value. If prices are falling in your area, price below market value.

There are three things that typically sell a house and they are location, condition and price. If the location is such that the area is not as popular as other areas, you need to compensate by making sure the home looks great and is priced correctly.

The condition of the house is critical. Here are things that are musts about the condition:

- Great curb appeal - landscaping should look good and the front of the house should be clean and inviting.

- De-clutter - the house should not feel crowded. There should not be nick-knacks or toys all over the place. Cabinets and closets should not look full and they should be neat and organized.

- Depersonalize - remove personal photos, certificates, diplomas, etc. These can be a distraction and can take people's attention off the house.

- Clean, clean and clean some more. Windows and mirrors should be spotless, floors and counters should be dust free.

- Stage the house. A professional home stager can arrange furniture and other items to make the house show the best it possibly can.

Price is the final thing to get right. Do not make the mistake of pricing over what you think market value is expecting someone to make a low offer and then to negotiate. You may not get showings. Price below market value when at all possible.

Another critical element in getting a house sold fast in a down market is getting it in front of a lot of buyers. This can be done by working with a qualified real estate agent.

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Some home owners are in a pinch financially and think they can save money by selling their house on their own. What they don't understand is that many buyers look at for sale by owner homes and think they can buy the house at a discount. They assume that because a seller will not be paying real estate commissions that they can get the house for less than list price. Most owners will also not be able to market the house as effectively as it needs to be.

A quality REALTOR® with a good marketing plan, can add a lot of value that can help get a home sold faster and at a higher price than if the owner goes it alone. A good listing agent will help a home seller to get maximum online exposure by getting the house in the MLS and on other real estate websites. A good listing agent will also load a lot of photos that can show off the house.

A good REALTOR® will also have the ability to help you price your house correctly. Pricing correctly with current market conditions may mean pricing just below market value if a home owner wants to sell quickly. A good REALTOR® will also know how to negotiate effectively in order to get you the most for your house as well as selling the house fast.

Any decent listing agent will post photos in the MLS and on other websites, but did you know that there are ways to use the photos a little more creatively? Many MLS systems will allow more than just 10 photos of a house. If the house is small and you only have 10 that are truly useful and want your agent to post more, what can you do?

Take photos of the area. Many home buyers are not local. If you post photos of area parks, playgrounds, pools and points of interest, you can add value to a website visitor's experience. One caution is to make sure that there is an accurate description of the photo. You don't want a prospective buyer thinking a photo of a lake means that the home is on the water if it is not. You can also post images of surveys and plat maps to show the size of the property.

Videos - you can take 20 photos and make a slide show to post online. Youtube is a great resource. When uploading a video or slide show to Youtube, you can add a long description. If I have a listing in Apache Shores, I am going to add a keyword rich number of paragraphs describing a listing in that neighborhood, not the actual property address. This way, anyone searching for a home in Apache Shores might see the video.