Owning a family home is among the biggest investment you will ever make. You may decide down the line to get rid of the house due to reasons like a growing family needing bigger space, you could have fallen in love with a different house altogether or have an urgent need for quick cash. From time to time the practice has been to hire a realtor to help you with the sale. However, you can advertise and sell your home without a realtor, what is commonly known as a “private sale”. Advertising your home online is a good way of doing a private sale as most potential buyers do basic research online. It also has the advantage of reaching buyers from different areas who you couldn’t have otherwise reached using conventional methods. If you decide to do a private sale online, here’s is how to do it right;
Table of Contents
Correct Pricing
The right price on an online listing will translate to inquiries from interested parties which will ultimately lead to a sale. A good approach towards setting the right price is finding out the price range of property around the same neighborhood then doing an evaluation based on design, size, proximity to infrastructure e.t.c. You can choose to have a slightly lower price in an effort to sell faster and attract more buyers, just ensure it’s not far off, to avoid losses. On the other hand, you can have a slightly higher price based on extra facilities/features your home offers compared to the rest.
Do thorough research on your local market. Pricing your home will be dependant on the current market situation. Research property sales in the area and if possible get a professional Valuator to help you determine the right price. You can also take into consideration the fact that a buyer will negotiate the price and add a small markup to take care of that. Keep in mind if you set a very low price, you will end up losing out financially; on the other hand, if you overprice your property, you will put off potential buyers or altogether spend unnecessary time trying to dispose of the property.
Use Images & Videos
Potential homebuyers will compare property from different websites before settling on one. At this point, the properties are of the same type, price, size and in the same location. One way to make your home stands out from the rest is to have great images that will accentuate your home’s best features and selling points. Have good quality (HD) images preferably for each room in the house. Try and invest in a professional photographer, if not then just use a quality camera. Use the most eye-catching image possible to tell the story of your home. Be sure to declutter your house before taking the photos, there is nothing as bad as having images of a dirty house online!
Try and create an all-around experience by using videos. Videos are still the trend in online marketing. A video of a property gives prospective buyers a better feel of the property they are likely to buy and helps to add appeal and charm to your home with narratives that incite an emotional reaction likely to spark action from the prospective buyer.
Description (Paint a picture with words)
Create property descriptions that will “jump off the page and grab the buyer.” Paint a picture of how amazing your property is by using words that will appeal to the buyer’s emotion. Try and communicate to the buyer what it feels like to live in your property. Ensure that you include the most notable features of the property, with words that are alluring and relatable. Remember to use action verbs and bold language to capture buyer’s attention e.g move-in ready, spacious, remodeled e.t.c
READ ALSO: A Short Guide to Writing Good Property Descriptions
Include Amenities
Amenities are items of interest that make a property more desirable. On property portals, amenities allow for property seekers to find your property faster using filters.
Amenities can make a significant difference in the ability to sell a property. For example, if a homeowner is looking for a rooftop pool, they will not waste time on a property without a pool. Desirable features will help differentiate your property from the competition and help grab the attention of potential buyers.
Use of Social Media
Social media is used to capture the attention of both passive and active property seekers. Online portals have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media who can help in selling your property by liking and sharing it, take advantage of that. You can also complement their efforts by posting your home on different property groups and pages. Remember social media platforms like Facebook are very visual, use good images and videos if possible, and try to have descriptive texts that win.
Remember to treat each platform differently. e.g on twitter you only have 140 characters to sell your home while on Facebook you can play around with more words. Use hashtags on Twitter and Instagram to serve your posts to a wider audience.
Turn Around Time (call back ASAP)
Property seekers inquire about more than one property at any given time so the sooner you call them back the better the chances of making a sale. With the growth of the internet, the buyers you are trying to reach are now very much informed, they know where to get what they are looking for and how fast to do so. So immediately you get an inquiry try and respond as soon as possible.
Sell the Local Area
It is important that you describe the area the property you are selling is found in. Not only are buyers curious about how they will live in that home but they are also curious about the neighborhood (character) they will become part of. What kind of lifestyle will they have? What kind of businesses or services are in the vicinity (schools, Hospitals, parks and transportation hubs etc?) all details which will help the property seeker make a much more informed decision.
READ ALSO: Guides to Nairobi Neighbourhoods & Suburbs
In conclusion, having a listing online doesn’t guarantee a sale. If your listing is not well thought out and executed, you are not going to get the results you are hoping for. Keep in mind that people don’t just buy listings; they buy lifestyles. Try as much as you can to create an ideal lifestyle when you put your home online.
YOU'RE SUBSCRIBED. 
