After selling hundreds of homes, we have found that what you do in the first five days, the next four days and decisions you may want to make on day ten if you have yet to receive an offer. We have learned over the years that following a process of conditional probability dictates outcomes, excellent, poor or mediocre.
Ten days is five days before your house or condo goes live on MLS and five days once listed to take offers, or sooner if you wish; however, the five days before listing your home for sale is crucial! Those five days appropriately done will ensure your home sells and relieve any stress levels you may have!
Why five days before?
- All the MLS listing documents are prepared accurately and thoroughly.
- A professional photographer has taken pictures, shot a virtual tour and made floor plans.
- The professional pictures are edited & the virtual tour is downloaded to the MLS system.
- The floor plans & the 3D of your home are ready, along with the marketing brochures.
- The description of your home that buyers will see even excites you!
- A “Coming Soon” sign is installed, and the coming soon is promoted with blogs, social media and websites.
- Keys or door codes ready.
- Now is the time if final touch-ups, cleaning, or repairs are needed.
- On day 5, off goes the “coming soon to MLS sign” and directional signs and a lockbox is installed.
Day 5 to Day 9: When buyers and their realtors search the web to buy a home in London and certain streets for something new and when the excitement is the highest. You are now:
- Prepared for all buyer showings, the marketing materials and home information are available for that one buyer or ten) who loves your home!
- You allow one weekend to have your home listed; weekends are historically the busiest time for viewings.
- If only a few viewings or no indication of an offer in this sellers’ market in London Ontario, the pricing may be wrong, or the marketing needs to go on steroids! Here are questions to get answers for:
- How many showings and why?
- What was the feedback from Realtors who had viewed your home?
- Was the feedback consistent?
- Can the virtual tour be improved?
- Edit the description of your home and use a propelling CTA (call to action).
- What other homes in your price range are you competing with?
- Is there something you can clean, fix or paint? See my Homeseller 101
- You overvalued your property.
- Your listing description or pictures are lacking.
- You’re always present at showings.
- You’re too attached.
- Your home improvements are to you.
- Your home is cluttered.
- Your home requires too many repairs.
Day 10, you are ready for offers, or you stay the course or invigorate the marketing or jump up and down or act anxious & hope it sells (hope is not a strategy!), blame the Realtor, blame your spouse, blame the dog or cat, blame the weather, blame your neighbours or blame everybody, it sure couldn’t be your price or condition of the home, could it?
A few caveats:
Do not embellish your photos! I can’t add that high the amount of properties we have shown over the years where our buyer client was amazed at the discrepancy of the photo to the actual ‘real picture.’
Poor-quality videos or pictures with a cell phone are a no-no!
Price! You can have a Hollywood-produced video and pictures or crappy pictures; if the price isn’t right, the home isn’t selling!
