Start Clowning Around and Attract Buyers

When it comes to selling real estate, most people immediately think of the tried and true MLS system, and the big sign on the front lawn. But when you’re faced with a slowing real estate market, you need to get creative with your real estate marketing, you need to get a home stager training and you need to do it now! Forget about the tired old tricks and techniques. Sure they might work when it’s a seller’s market, but in today’s slow real estate market, if you want to flip a house you are going to need to attract attention. Before you do anything, you need to figure out your market. Be sure that you know the exact market that you are appealing to and then you can focus your energy and your marketing dollars directly to them. For example, if you are selling a four bedroom family home in a suburban area, you need to attract families. Instead of putting a small classified ad in the main newspaper, place an ad in the local parenting magazine (most centers have one) that speaks directly to potential buyers. When it comes to writing an advertisement for your property, break out of the box. Take a quick glance at a handful of ads and you will see that they mostly sound the same. Instead of an ad that reads, “Great family home on a quiet street.” Attract attention with a headline that reads, “Memories are made here!” Stand out and be a little different, and a buyer will give your ad a closer look. Another great way to attract attention is by offering an incentive to view the home. Arrange to have the local sports mascot to be present at an open house to greet children. Or advertise a mini-family fest and have a face painter or clown on site to entertain children while their parents have an opportunity to view the home. These are just some of the things that home stager schools would most likely to consider when staging houses. Flipping homes and making money in real estate is not impossible in a slow market, in fact if you can stand out from your competition you will be able to flip your properties faster and for the profit you’re looking for. Get your creative juices flowing and soon you’ll have people lining up to view your properties. About the author: By Karen Schaefer, Founder of Simple Appeal, Inc. and APSD – The Association of Property Scene Designers. To learn more about staging houses, how a home stager should do marketing, home staging careers, and selling houses quickly go to www.5stepselling.com for more info on Karen Schaefer’s “5 Proven Steps to Selling Your Real Estate in 1/2 the Time at Full Market Value”