Here’s a scenario for you: you’ve been living in your starter home for a few years but after a job change, a baby, and maybe even dodging nosy neighbors, you’ve realized that you have outgrown your house and need an upgrade.
Dealing with real estate agents and potential buyers scares you more than your mother-in-law during the holidays. It’s okay. After reading the next seven strategies for selling your house that we’ve compiled, you’ll practically be an expert in the real estate market.
Housing markets are constantly changing and it can be difficult especially for inexperienced sellers to sell their homes. The following seven strategies contain reliable marketing strategies to make the process of selling your home a bit easier.
From adding a virtual tour to your listing to working with local influencers, these are foolproof ways to increase interest in prospective buyers. To facilitate the process, we buy houses in Pennsylvania. Read on to find out the best ways to sell your house in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.
Selling Your House Fast Creatively
Houses are being sold in record numbers, with some listings only active for less than two weeks on the local market before being bought. A great option for selling your house fast is to sell to a cash buyer. Most cash buyers already have experience in the home buying market, so the sale is more likely to proceed expeditiously. Check out our list of what to do when selling your house to a cash home buyer.
Another way you can creatively sell your house is to remodel or upgrade the property to increase curb appeal for a quick sell. Consider a few inexpensive ways to make the property more vibrant such as clearing out the debris from the garden, planting new flowers, and giving the exterior a new coat of paint. If you want a more out-of-the-box option, try house-swapping for the weekend. With Airbnb becoming more popular, letting possible buyers test drive your home is not only trendy but instills trust.
Creative Ways to Sell Your Philadelphia Home
Despite being a seller’s market, listing and selling houses is still very competitive. A few professional photographs and a floor plan just don’t cut it anymore. Interested buyers want to experience the home before they sign on the dotted line. You may be wondering, “How do I accomplish that?” Great news! We’ve compiled several options that will help your listing truly stand out from the crowd for a fast sale.
Up Your Open House Game
Open houses have been a tried-and-true way to get prospective buyers interested in the property of home sellers. Nowadays, however, it’s not enough to just open the doors and welcome people into an empty home. Work with interior designers to stage the property and breathe life into the home. Often people don’t see the full vision of a property until you show them.
Another great way to make your open house memorable is to add some background music. Adding some ambient tunes throughout the house can have a calming effect on potential buyers so that they feel more at ease. Lastly, you can add some fresh-cut flowers or even a wax warmer to add to the ambiance of the home.
Research the Pennsylvania Property Market
Housing markets can be tricky to navigate especially in a post-Covid world. It’s increasingly imperative to know the ins and outs of the property market to correctly assume your home value and set your asking price. According to Redfin, a popular site for tracking the median sales of homes, Philadelphia saw an increase of 1.0% – up from the same time last year.
With more homes being listed and sold every day, it’s no wonder that now is a prime time to sell your house. For more information on the Pennsylvania property market, you can check out these companies that buy houses in Philadelphia.
Find the Right Time to Sell Your House
As 2022 brings a bit of normalcy back to consumers, most landlords have increased their rates to keep up with demand. With the moratorium on waived fees and rent forgiveness coming to a close, more renters are looking for a more reliable option for their housing needs, which is great news for sellers who want to unload their properties quickly. In March, the news site Axios reported that Philadelphia listings dropped by 9.3% in December of 2021 versus the same time the year before.
There is more demand for housing as listings are expected to trend upward by the second half of this year, with Philadelphia seeing a 20% increase in the sales of homes, as well as other housing market trends in PA.
Use Free Property Listings and Maximize Reach
Selling a house can often incur expenses you did not expect. Professional photographs and videos of your property, staging design and accessories to entice buyers, and other factors can build up over time. Use free property listings to help you maximize outreach but also cut down on expenses. One benefit of uploading your listing on free websites is that it attracts more potential buyers and allows you to actively engage with them.
Use Video
Using video can exponentially increase views on your listing and even propel clients to call and get more information. Professional photography, while helpful, is now considered the baseline of what you should offer in your listings. If you want to step it up, upload virtual tours online or video clips of the property.
Buyers want to see and experience the property without having to leave their living room sofa. A few clicks through listing photos, no matter how well-lit, aren’t quite as attractive to prospective buyers as they used to be. If it seems as if buyers aren’t flocking to your property for a walk-through, try adding a virtual tour to the listing.
Virtual tours can be a simple video tour of the inside of the house, pausing at each room to zoom in on specifics such as large windows and additional lighting, or you can hire a company who will create a 3D model of the property that clients can interact with virtually. According to the 3D professionals at Matterport, 95% of buyers are more enticed to reach out for more information on homes that include 3D virtual tours.
Use Local Influencers to Share Your Content
Influencer marketing is at an all-time high. With more people engaging with influencers on social media, having that extra value in your back pocket can help sell your house faster using influencer marketing. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that more businesses and brands are working with influencers to engage with their target audiences.
More than 4 billion people all over the globe use the internet daily, specifically social media sites, which equates to more eyes on your listings, more shares, more likes, and more prospective buyers. Start or establish an Instagram or Facebook and use it to help sell your property fast. Take clear and professional photos of your properties and cross-post them on different social media channels for increasing the chances of a home sale.
Share Key Information About the Pennsylvania Area
For non-native Philadelphians, drive home the attractions that make the property appealing. Start by describing what daily life is like, what restaurants and shopping centers are close to your property, and if there are any parks or nature trails nearby.
Try to deter from saying anything negative about the area that could impact the sale price. Instead of saying that the crime rate is low, let buyers know that the area includes a neighborhood watch program with a high level of security. Focusing on the positive will drive more clients to your listings.
Network, Network, Network
Having a team of people backing you can be extremely fundamental when trying to sell your house. Prospective buyers are more apt to buy your property when you have a list of accredited and verified contractors, lenders, or agents that you can refer them to. Networking builds a circle of trust and word-of-mouth affirmation that you are a quality seller.
Patronize your local real estate office by bringing them business and even dropping off breakfast from time to time. Not only will the realtors greatly appreciate the food, but it will help build rapport and trust, and may even get you some great options on a new home.
Conclusion
From dealing with cash home buyers in Chester to listing your home in Philadelphia, selling your home fast and creatively should be a breeze with these marketing ideas. Now is as good a time as any to sell your house, but it is a good idea to research and track market value and buying trends.
Buyers love seeing professional photos and videos of the home, especially if they can interact with it virtually. Staging your home creatively and posting on social media can help attract buyers as well.
Networking with other homeowners and your local real estate office can help you build trust and word-of-mouth when selling your house. Consider starting a local Facebook group or in-person community to network with other people in the Philadelphia housing market. Lastly, promote your property through free online listings and partner with influencers to get more eyes on your properties.