Top Ten Ways to Attract Buyers

As a Coldwell Banker® real estate professional, sellers often ask for my advice on how to attract buyers. When you’re selling your home, it’s important to remember that you’re in competition with every other similarly priced listing in your area. To win buyers, you need your home to stand out from all the rest. Here’s my top ten list of things that you can do to win buyer interest:

1. Create ‘curb appeal’ -- Buyers decide whether they like a property within the first few minutes of arrival. Make a great first impression with well trimmed and cared for lawns and walkways. A small investment in new lighting at your front door, an urn planter, a new mailbox or street numbers can all upgrade the look of your home.

2. Give them a warm welcome - Make the most of those first few critical minutes as buyers enter your home. A foyer or entranceway is typically one of the smallest areas of your house, so upgrading the flooring with hardwood or slate can be a very worthwhile and cost-effective investment. Add a mirror to visually increase the space and clear out shoes and mats.

3. Let there be light – Create a bright and cheerful atmosphere by opening the blinds and curtains and turn on all the lights for showings. If you have a fireplace, have a fire burning if the temperature permits.

4. Show you care – Properties that aren’t well maintained send up ‘red flags’ to buyers that larger problems may be lurking beneath the surface. Complete all those minor repairs jobs that you’ve been putting off.

5. Create space – Buyers want a spacious interior, so do everything you can to create space, even if it means moving several items offsite while you’re showing. Send those extra chairs to Mom’s for now or rent a storage unit.

6. Depersonalize – You need buyers to picture themselves living in the house, so pack everything that’s distinctly yours, including photos, awards, mementos and religious artifacts. It’s your first step to moving out.

7. Appeal to all the senses – Some of the strongest emotional reactions are created by smell, not sight or sound. Before showings, open windows to air out rooms, light scented candles, and put out a bowl of fresh lemons.

8. Upgrade for maximum impact and return – Kitchens and bathrooms are the most important rooms when selling a house, so they’re the areas where upgrades will likely get the best return on your investment. Even simple changes like new faucets or a lighting fixture can have big impact.

9. Present a neutral interior – A fresh coat of paint is always a good idea. Choose pale, neutral colors that won’t clash with a buyer’s furnishings.

10. Let me go to work for you – One of the best things you can do to help get your property sold is to leave the house when showings are underway. Potential buyers will be more inclined to linger and ask questions if you’re not at home. As your sales associate, it gives me a chance to counter objections and offer solutions that can help turn interest into offers!

Want more advice on how to get your home sold?

Call me at 416-450-7572 and let’s talk.

Keep negotiations open

The presentation of an offer to purchase is one of the most sensitive phases in the entire selling process, and it’s an emotionally charged event. Recognizing this fact can help you to stand back and take an objective view of the process. During my career as a Coldwell Banker® real estate professional, I’ve seen sellers who let their emotional involvement in their home make them lose sight of the importance of working with an offer, even if its a low one. Sometimes when an offer is quite low, homeowners take it as a personal insult. This may even cause them to react too strongly and just refuse the offer out of hand. If you let this happen to you, then you could be missing out. Remember, even if it looks like you and the potential buyer are very far apart, the important thing to keep in mind is that a serious buyer has made an offer that has opened negotiations. Your goal is to keep them open until you get the results you want.

When considering an offer, bear in mind that prospective buyers usually don’t expect their first offer to be accepted outright. Don’t let your emotions drive your decision. Look at it as a purely business proposition. There are several positive sides to receiving an offer, even if it’s not what you hoped for. First of all, you’ve made contact with a serious buyer who’s ready to purchase. Secondly, you know the buyer prefers your property over any other in your price range. Don’t slam the door on this prospect. You can keep negotiations going with a counter-offer (or “sign back”). A sign-back doesn’t mean you have to make major concessions to your desired price or terms. Even if you send the offer back with exactly the same terms as your listing, it gives your sales professional one more opportunity to meet with these interested buyers to promote your property, counter objections, offer financing options and encourage a better offer.

When preparing a counter offer, its important to keep in mind that other aspects of an offer have value besides price. Even if you can’t move far from your list price, you may be able to offer other concessions such as including fixtures (lighting, appliances, draperies) or changing your preferred closing date to accommodate the buyer. Keeping the lines of communication open gives your sales associate a chance to do their job. Want to know more about effective negotiating strategies? As your local Coldwell Banker real estate professional, I’m here to help.

Call me at 416-450-7572 and let’s talk real estate!