Archive for the ‘Flat Fee MLS’ Category
4 Real Estate Mistakes Seller’s Should Avoid.
Timing is Everything, when attempting to catch a fish in your mouth or selling a home. Home Seller’s take note. Several factors have converged to make this the TIME to Sell!
Spring is here. Tax incentives, low interest rates and deep discounts on home prices have buyer’s jumping off the fence to buy a home. The question is “Are You Doing What it Takes to Sell a home in this Market?”.
Learn the 4 Mistakes That Prevent Home Sales
#4: Not Using Effective Marketing and Advertising. Simply put, people can not buy your home if they don’t know it is for sale. Forget print advertising. 95 percent of home buyer’s shop on the internet, so you have to maximize its power. Use a lot of photographs to showcase your home, buyers love photo’s more than anything else when they shop for a home. Video tours are also great sales tools that expose your property to a whole new audience.
#3: Trouble Making Appointments to Show: When a seller has trouble making his home accessible for showings, it is very likely that the buyer will move on to the next house and never look back. It is imperitive that your home is available to be shown in a moments notice. There are simply too many homes on the market for buyer’s to choose from. They are ready to buy now, they will not wait on you.
#2: Home is Not in “For Sale” Condition: As a rule, buyer’s form a first impression about a house in 60 seconds. If your home doesn’t appear neat, clean and cared for, buyers will walk. And, if you have an interested buyer, don’t forget that will insist on a home inspection. Fix problems and address delayed maintanence issues or risk stopping your sale in its tracks.
#1: Incorrectly Pricing Your Home: If your home is overpriced, you will drive away buyer’s. A high inventory of unsold homes means that buyer’s have plenty of choices. And, the internet allows buyer’s to see what people paid for houses similar to yours. Most buyers instantly know when a piece of real estate priced incorrectly. If yours is, buyer’s will simply refuse to look at it, at all.
To Learn More About How to Capitalize on the Busy Selling Season by reading these articles:
How to Find a Buyer for Your Home
The Most Effective Way to Advertise Your Home for Sale. Proof that Photo’s Sell Homes Use a Real Estate Video to Sell Your Home Tough Talk About Pricing Your Home What Home Repairs will a Buyer Expect You to Fix 10 Repairs that Seller’s MUST Make
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We have helped thousands of home seller’s market their homes successfully and we can help you, too. Our real estate marketing program places your home in front of 10 million home shoppers each and every month.
FSBO’s – Stop Annoying Calls from Real Estate Agents
The housing crash is tough on everyone, but it is causing a huge problem for real estate agents. They are making no money and have no business. To make up part of their cash shortfall, they have turned their attention on for sale by owner’s , driving them crazy with cold calls.
Real estate media writers are part of this problem. Widely followed real estate commentators, such as Bernie Ross (good writer) of Inman News, are advising Realtors and agents to cold call for sale by owners in hopes of generating leads in a down market. Her recent article for Inman entitled “Cashing in on FSBO’s”, illustrates why, annoying or not, many agents are dialing your home searching for their next commission check.
Ms Ross advise to Agents :
“In today’s market, expired listings and distressed properties seem to dominate the scene. Nevertheless, there’s another source of right-now business that you can’t afford to miss: for-sale-by-owners (FSBOs).”
If you are selling by owner and find that daily sales calls from real estate agents are disruptive and infuriating, you can take action to make them stop.
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List your property on the MLS. Agents are automatically prohibited from calling seller’s whose property is listed on the MLS. In addition to eliminating sales calls, the MLS also provides fsbo’s the best exposure and reach needed to sell their home.
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Add your home and cell phone numbers to the “Do Not Call List“. If you are on the Do Not Call list, real estate agents and telephone marketer’s should not call you, and they can be fined if they do.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We specialize in FSBO’s real estate marketing and assist homeseller’s with an MLS and Realtor.com home listings. Call us today at 1-800-381-9496.
Some HomeSeller’s Pay More in Real Estate Fee’s than Others Do.
Real estate commissions fell by $12 Billion (with a B) in 2008. In 2007, residential real estate agent’s earned a whopping $58.4 Billion versus $46.6 Billion in 2008. 2005 was the all time high for real estate commissions paid to agents. In 2005, home seller’s forked over $71 Billion to residential real estate agents.
The highest commissions paid to sell a home in the US were in the west, where the average sales price is the highest. Agents in the western part of the US earned an average of $16,230 for each home sale. The average commissions paid in 2008 in other parts of the country were: Northeast, $15,500; South, $11,050; Midwest, $9540.
The data on agent commissions came from the National Association of Realtors and Real Trends. The question is why should seller’s pay more to sell an expensive home than one that is priced for less??? The job to sell any house is exactly the same, regardless of the list price… Why 6 Percent?????
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. We have been assisting home seller’s, who do not want help from an agent, since 2003. We can help you, too.
All homeowner’s are invited to place a Free Home for Sale or Lease listing on InfoTube.net. Good luck on the sale of your home.
Internet and MLS Pay Off for Homesellers
If you are one of the thousands of people trying to sell a home, you need to know what kind of marketing and advertising pays off and what does not. To better concentrate your advertising and marketing efforts, learn which strategies work and which aren’t worth the effort.
Proven Methods to Market Your Home.
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The Local MLS: The #1 place to advertise your home listing for the maximum exposure is the MLS. Every real estate agent uses the MLS exclusively to locate property for prospective buyers. And, over 60 percent of individual home buyers found the home they purchased through public access MLS websites.
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The Internet: If you are putting money into newspaper advertising or home buyer guides, you would be much better off spending the money for online advertising. Only 3 percent of all buyers found their home through traditional print advertising. 90 percent of buyers located their home on the internet. (Curb appeal still counts. 77 percent of buyers drive by or view the home in person)
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Website Features: Homebuyers overwhelming reported that photographs (86 percent) and detailed information (84 percent) were the most important and useful website features. Video or virtual tours (offered on InfoTube.net) are also popular with 68 percent of home buyers. When it comes to photo’s it seems the more you have the better. Studies show that having 16 photo’s instead of 15 resulted in 33 percent more page views. 20 photo’s were the optimum number for maximum exposure, which happens to be the number of photo’s offered on InfoTube.net.
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Yard Sign with an InfoTube or InfoBox: One of the best ways to advertise your property is clearly low tech. 15 percent of all buyers reported that they found their home by seeing a yard sign. And, it seems that all buyers love the convenience of driving by and picking up a brochure to learn more about the house. A whopping 90 percent of buyers are angry or upset if they find an empty InfoTube or InfoBox.
If you need to sell a home, it is vitally important to advertise the property where they buyers are. Don’t sell yourself short. Experience and Research prove that the MLS, the internet and yard signs, with stuffed InfoTubes and InfoBoxes, pay off for the professional real estate agent and for sale by owner, alike.
Thank you for visiting Why6percent.com. We will List your Home on the MLS for $399 and you also receive a Free Featured Home Listing on InfoTube.net , with all features that buyers are looking for. If you need to sell your home, we have you covered. Call us today at 1-800-381-9496.
Home Buyer Talks Straight with Seller’s
So, my husband and I are now in the market for a house! It’s very cool, because it’s definitely a buyers’ market, as it was when we sold. Being on the other side of the equation gives me a whole new perspective, of course, and I’ve been trying to look critically at the houses that we have been seeing so I can pass on my observations to you all, as you are staging and selling your houses. I know that you have lost a bit of leverage, since there are so many houses on the market right now, but there are still things that you can do to help your house stand out. And frankly, I’ve been a little amazed at how some of the sellers whose houses we’ve seen haven’t done those things.
First and foremost, and this may sound like a little thing (but it’s not): Keep your infotubes full! I cannot stress this enough. When we are driving around and see a house that’s for sale, we immediately stop to look for “words.” If the tube is empty, our immediate reaction, fair or not, is “They don’t really want to sell this house.” A neglected infotube could be just an oversight, or it could be a sign of greater neglect. Either way, we don’t even consider those houses. So, if you are still in the house you are selling, for goodness sake, keep that tube full! And if you’re not in the house, make sure that your agent keeps the tube full. It makes a difference. Remember, I am now your potential buyer, and you’ve already lost me!
Depersonalize, please! I consider myself to be a fairly sophisticated buyer–one who is able to look beyond the stage at the bones of the space, but many potential buyers just see what they see. They see the pictures, not the walls behind them. They see the carpet, not the floor underneath. Make sure that what these buyers are seeing is the most tastefully generic stage you can possibly set. We went into a lovely home last weekend–2300sf, soaring ceilings, lovely staircase, immaculately kept. It truly was a lovely home. We didn’t like the layout; it wouldn’t work for us, so we passed. But the people who live there and are trying to sell have written off a large portion of their potential market. There were family photos all around the house and a lot of art–everywhere–that was very personal to them, because it was all religious art. Whether the art was Christian, Islamic, Hindu or Zoroastrian, it makes no difference. Many people will walk into that house and walk back out because they can’t see beyond the stage. I’m not saying you have to be Peter and deny your religion, but you do have to be sensitive to the fact that not all buyers will believe the same things you believe, and many might actually be put off.
As we continue our search, I will continue to bring reports of what I’m seeing out there. I hope that this new phase in our lives will help to focus your resolve as sellers as you get your house sold!
For more information, or to order a copy of I CAN Sell This House: Secrets to Selling Quickly in a Buyers’ Market, please visit I Can Sell This House.
Thank you to Jennifer for writing so truthfully to all home seller’s. We will keep you posted on anyother advise she gathers as she continues her search to buy a home.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com MLS and home marketing services company. Please feel free to search our site for new home listings. And, seller’s call us today at 1-800-381-9496. Our job is to get your home listing in front of people like Jenni and 10 million other home shoppers each month.
Realtors’ own Report Reveals Homes Sold By Owner, Sell Faster and for More Money
The National Association of Realtors publically released report “2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Home Sellers” provided further proof that FSBO sellers made more money and retained more equity than sellers who worked with an agent.
The report found that people who sold “by owner” received an average 97 percent of their asking price, while those who sold by agent, received only 96 percent of their asking price.
In addition, the Realtors report showed FSBO homes sold more quickly. The report found that it took agents an average of 10 weeks to sell a home, while the average FSBO sold their home in only 6 weeks.
“The NAR report is very reassuing in these difficult times. It confirms that people can sell their own homes quicker and for more money than those who use an agent,” said Tommi Crow, President of Why 6 Percent. “Unfortunately, the report didn’t add in the high costs of real estate commissions, when they calculated the benefits of selling by owner. In reality, sellers using agents lost another 6 percent of their sales price, when the net proceeds were distributed after the sale.
The findings from the NAR further prove of the benefits of selling by owner. Stanford and Northwestern Universities conducted separate studies which found that FSBO sellers were as effective as agents in getting the most money for their homes. Their studies factored in commissions and showed that people who sell “by owner” make more money than sellers who hire agents. In September, Consumer Reports Magazine also found that seller’s working with agents received an average sales price that was $5000 less than those who sold their own homes. The $5000 loss figure did not include the commission (sales price x 6 percent) paid to agents, so the real savings of selling “by owner” are much higher than $5000.
“In this market, house prices are dropping everyday. It is very reassuring for home owners to learn that the Realtor’s own data confirms previous reports that “by owners” sell their homes faster and they retain more of the equity in their homes,” stated Ms Crow.
If you are selling your home by owner, Why 6 Percent offers a very important sales tool. The best of both worlds. A FSBO property listing on the National Realtor MLS database of homes for sale. The MLS, and its affiliates, attract approximately 10 million home shoppers each month, dramatically reducing advertising costs and days on the market for home seller’s.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Contact us for information about advertising your home to millions of buyers, in one easy step. And, save thousands of dollars in the process.
Tough Talk about Home Prices
Real estate agent’s have recently commented that although homeseller’s say they are desperate to sell, 90 percent of their listings are priced too high to sell right now. So, what should the motivated seller consider before pricing home, if they truly need to sell???
Rule #1: Never Chase the Market Down:
Many seller’s make the mistake of overpricing their home when it is first listed, then they continue to lower the price month after month. The results of this strategy are always POOR.
Why? A listing receives the most attention from serious buyer’s and agent’s when it is NEW. Seller’s who overprice from the start, waste the most valuable exposure time the property will ever receive. Seller’s have only one chance to make a good first impression. Everytime the price is lowered, the only impression the buyer gets is that the house is overpriced and the listing is stale.
If you are serious about selling, get serious from the start. Experience proves that homes priced to sell, from Day 1 on the Market, are the properties that sell the quickest and for the most money.
Rule #2: They Can Always Make an Offer
Seller’s and agent’s who utter phrases like “let’s see what we can get”, “leave room to negotiate” or “they can always make a an offer” are people which are very likely to be sitting on an overpriced home.
I don’t want to offend anyone who has uttered these words, but… Let’s be real. NO ONE writes offers on overpriced homes. Today’s buyer’s are not in a hurry. They wait on the sidelines for months and months, happily and patiently renting, until the market comes down. There is absolutely no urgency or incentive to pressure a buyer to make an offer on a overpriced property.
Rule #3: Be Clear About Why You Are Selling
If you aren’t serious about selling, or you don’t have to sell, please take it off the market NOW. Overpriced property creates more inventory, which no one needs. And, overpricing encourages buyers to stay on the sidelines, which drives down asking prices even further.
If you NEED to sell your home, Price it to be the BEST HOME in your neighborhood, at the BEST PRICE!!! Do this from the very first day you put it on the market. If you do so, your home will sell for more money and in less time than those listed by seller’s and agent’s who continue to think they can test and fool the market.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We are always here to help you with the sale of your home, even if the current market conditions are painful. The truth is that Homes are Selling. Please check our site for some great deals on houses seen no where else on the web. Leave your comments and experiences here, or post anonomously in our forum.
Top 20 Real Estate Websites
Hitwise, a repected source for accurate reporting on website visitor traffic, sampled 10 million US internet users and 3200 real estate websites for January.
The longtime, dominant leader in the home selling game , Realtor.com, does it again with a 6.7 percent market share for all home searches. Coming in second is Yahoo, who has a 3.38 percent share.
Why is this Important??? It is very important for frustrated seller’s to recognize that if Your Home Isn’t Listed on These Top Websites, You are Missing Millions of Home Shoppers Each Month You aren’t doing everything you can to sell your home. But, take heart, Why 6 Percent can help you.
Why6Percent.com places your property on every major real estate portal, delivering exposure to 10 million potential buyers each month. First, we place your home on THE MLS (the one the Realtors use), then we automatically feed your property listing to Realtor.com, Yahoo, Zillow, Google, Trulia, MSN, Homes, InfoTube.net and dozens of other sites. Current traffic to these combination of top sites is 10 million visitors each month!!!
Remember that Selling real estate is a numbers game. The more people know that your home is for sale, the greater the chances of finding that perfect buyer.
We are here to help you Sell your Home and the cost is only $399 for 6 months of coverage. Call Us at 1-800-381-9496 Today. We have helped thousands of home seller’s sell their home. We can Help You Too.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com home selling services company. Ask about our flat fee MLS listings and our List Until Sold Program-priced at only $299.
Forsalebyowner.com Files for Bankruptcy
Homeseller’s and consumer’s should be made aware that Forsalebyowner.com, owned by the Tribune Company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on December 8, 2008.
Please contact Why 6 Percent for all your MLS or Realtor.com listing needs. We are financially sound and always here to help you with your real estate needs.
Our toll free number is 1-800-381-9496.
November Housing Numbers. Is it Time to Jump In?
The November housing number’s report was not a big surprise. The average sales price dropped 13 percent, year over year, to a low of $181,000. The inventories of unsold homes remained at a stubborn high of an 11.2 months and sales of new homes are at low not seen last since 1997. Interest rates are at their lowest level in decades. Today, lender’s quoted 30 year fixed rates at 4.75 percent, which is dramatically lower than they were one year ago. Rates last year hovered above 6 percent.
Do The Numbers Signal a Bottom in Housing??
Bullish Signs Abound: With prices and interest rates at their lowest level in years, home affordability is well within the reach of many people that were previously priced out of the market. In addition, the inventory glut and builder incentives make finding that special dream home a whole lot easier.
Why Are People Waiting to Buy? Washington needs a firm plan with regard to buyer incentives and further downward pressure on rates, before buyer’s will jump in, in meaningful numbers. With a clear government action, buyer’s and investor’s will begin bottom fishing, and many of those will make the deal of a lifetime.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent and Season Greetings to all. Call 1-800-381-9496 to find out more about our MLS listing packages for owners. We can help you reach millions of home shoppers in one easy step, without listing commissions.