Sites to Help You Sell Your House Online

I recently had to sell my house and move. As I searched for a good Realtor, I discovered that most of them knew a LOT about real estate, but very little about online marketing - even the ones with an e-PRO certification from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

I finally chose an excellent ZipRealty agent who had expertise in real estate, but was willing to let me use my eight years in online advertising to promote the house online. My house sold in less than a month (in August 2007).

Granted, the house was priced right (based on my Realtor's recommendation) and was in good condition, but I believe the exposure it received from the extra online advertising also played a part in getting buyers to the house.

Sales is all about numbers. The more people who see your house, the more likely it is to sell. So I hope these sites are helpful in helping you find more eyeballs to view your place. In this market, every little bit helps.

Zillow is one of those sites that make home sellers glad the Internet was invented. It's uncluttered, fast, extremely useful and, best of all, free. Sellers or agents can post a house for sale and upload photos, highlight features, and add a description.

Zillow provides aerial photos and maps of the neighborhood, as well as neighborhood comps, estimated homes values and more. And even if you've never heard of this site, many others have. Alexa ranks it as the second-most popular real estate guide (behind NAR's Realtor.com). And did I mention it's free? Be sure to check this one out.

Craigslist is enormously popular in some areas and not so popular (or perhaps unavailable) in others. But if you're in or near a metropolitan area served by Craigslist, you'll definitely want to post your listing here.

The best way is to use Postlets.com. Postlets will let you create a much more graphically pleasing ad for Craigslist (and other classified sites) that should help draw attention to your home. You'll still need to submit your ad through Craigslist once you create it on Postlets, but it's a simple cut and paste operation.

Google has become a household word, but its free classified site, Google Base, is not nearly as well known. But if you want to ensure that your house for sale information is found by Google - and quickly! - then this site is for you. Don't be discouraged if you end up on the page for real estate professionals. Home sellers can post their own listings with permission from their agent by using the One at a Time posting form. You'll just need a free Google account to post your listing.

You can also submit your ad through Postlets, which is described above.

Bargain Network Homes started out as a site that helped home buyers find foreclosures, but they've expanded their offerings and now also offer a very cheap way for home sellers to advertise homes for sale online. The service is currently just $1.49 a month and you can add photos and list features of your home and neighborhood. The ads are syndicated to AOL Real Estate, among other places.

If you're looking to buy a new home when your existing house sells, you might also want to check out their foreclosure listings while you're there. The trial membership is free.

Sure, we've all heard of eBay, but Kijiji? It doesn't roll off the tongue as easily and it's definitely easy to mistype, but if this site does as well as parent company eBay, this will soon be the classified site everyone is talking about.

You can upload information about your house with up to four photos. And if you include the address, Kijiji will also display the Mapquest location of your home for sale.

This free site lets you add your "for sale by owner" listing for free with as many photos as you'd like. They also offer free real estate forms (currently only for California, Oregon and Washington). As part of your listing, you can also include an open house date, and they provide code for users to add their fsbo listing to Craigslist featuring multiple photos and an enhanced layout.

The real estate advertising sites listed above are available for anyone trying to sell a house, whether you are working with a Realtor or going it alone.

But if you're thinking about selling without a Realtor, be sure to check out ForSalebyOwner.com. They offer a free downloadable e-book with tips on selling your home without a real estate agent, which is great reading for anyone considering the do-it-yourself-route.

Once you decide to sell your own house, you can advertise the property online at ForSalebyOwner.com. Pricing depends on your location, but the site offers a variety of plans. You can choose monthly billing or "until sold" billing plans, and options include yard signs, flyers, and listing in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

All ads allow you to include up to six photos of your property, a 1000-word description, and the ability to upload a virtual tour.

Does your house have good "curb appeal?" That's the term used to describe the first impression potential buyers have when they drive up and see your house for the first time. Here are a few tips to make sure buyers still want to see the inside after seeing the outside.

1. Mow and edge the lawn and trim the bushes.
2. Add fresh bark or mulch to any flower beds.
3. Clear rock beds of leaves or debris.
4. Sweep the front porch and knock down cobwebs.
5. Pressure clean spots in your driveway.
6. Wash all the windows.
7. Give the house a fresh coat of paint.
8. Clean and/or paint the front door.
9. Add fresh flowers to flower beds or in pots on the front porch.
10. Replace any burned-out lightbulbs in exterior fixtures.

Most people who choose to sell their own homes rather than use a real estate agent do so because they want to save money.

There are many good reasons to use a Realtor, including help with pricing, staging and negotiating, as well as simply handling incoming phone calls and inquiries. A good Realtor can be worth his or her weight in gold.

On the flip side, nobody wants to part with 6% of their home's selling price if their Realtor hasn't done a good job. So how do you find a good Realtor and maybe even save some money?

The best place to start is with your friends and family. Do they have recommendations? Real-world referrals are the best way to find a good Realtor.

But if no one in your close circle can help, the Web can. One option you can look at is ZipRealty. This real estate company will save you money by refunding part of their agents' commission to you. They don't operate in all parts of the country, so check their site to see if there is a location near you.

You can also look for recommendations about Realtors on sites such as AgentMachine.com, RealEstateRatingZ, and Yelp.com.