Blog: Marketing Mistakes When Listing Your Home For Sale

When it comes time to sell your house, you want to do everything possible to sell quickly and for top dollar. An aggressive marketing strategy can help drive showings and generate offers. However, potential buyers can become annoyed if homes for sale don’t live up to their advertised images. Below are some common mistakes made and how to avoid them.

• No photos or not enough photos online.  Almost all buyers start their searches for homes for sale online. If you don’t have any photos or enough photos, many buyers will skip your house entirely.
• Your marketing photos don’t match the house. Nothing upsets buyers like deliberately deceptive photos. Don’t make the mistake of staging your house impeccably for the photos and then letting the clutter pile back up. There’s nothing wrong with showing your house in the best light, but if it doesn’t live up to the photos, buyers will be automatically disappointed.
• Not mentioning major problems up front. If your roof is leaking or your foundation needs to be repaired, your ads should reflect this. Nothing frustrates buyers like taking the time to see a property only to find out down the line that it needs some serious TLC. Instead, mention in the ad that your home needs TLC, so you can market to those buyers willing to take on impending projects.
• You don’t put away your pets or leave the house during showings. Buyers are really turned off when the owners — or their pets — tag along while they’re looking at the property. Buyers want to be able to discuss a house openly. Even if you think you can best explain its amazingly unique features, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice by sticking around.

Don’t get carried away and exaggerate the qualities of your house. Buyers searching for homes for sale want the truth and are more likely to purchase your property if it proves to be exactly as it’s portrayed.