How To Attract Qualified Buyers

You have many ways to attract buyers ...

• For Sale signs

• Classified advertising and For Sale By Owner magazines

• Hold Open Houses

• Digital ads published online including classifieds

• Pay-per-click on major search engines like Google, and Bing

You may get maximum benefits from these sources. Your sign should be visible. The exterior of the house should be very attractive and your ads must be well written and appeal to the proper market. As you know, advertising is very EXPENSIVE and you don't want to waste your money.

You Must Give Out Your Address

Upon reaching the property, the buyer may be "turned off'' and merely drive on, or worse, he/she may come early, or never show up for the appointment. To help combat this when you're not using an agent, make sure you allude to the fact that the interior benefits may considerably outweigh the negative first impression of the exterior.

When You're Not Home

One of the reasons professional agents make a good living is that they try to always make themselves available. However, if this is not possible for the owner, then I have found that having a voicemail message explaining all the details of the home has been very helpful.

Also a mailbox attached to the For Sale sign out front with property flyers in it is also an excellent way to disseminate information.

However, the best advice is to try to have someone available all the time so that the potential buyer does not go on to other properties and never return.

Classified Advertising

There are many ways of merchandising your house: newspaper advertising is just one. Contrary to what most people think, newspaper advertising is not a major source of buyers.

However, should you choose to advertise in the newspaper, always include the area of town, the price, number of bedrooms and baths. These are the most important considerations for a buyer.

What Kind Of Buyers Do You Attract?

INVESTORS 

"People who know what they are doing."

They are interested in saving the commission.

FIRST-TIME BUYERS

"They usually have an agent representing them."

It would be my suggestion to cooperate with these buyers' agents because most first-time buyers will NOT make a move without their agent's advice.

MOVE-UP BUYERS

"They will be your best leads."

They are usually familiar with the neighborhood and, since they have gone through the purchasing process already, they have the knowledge necessary not to be afraid of the process. One drawback, however, is that being familiar with the neighborhood, they may be looking for a BARGAIN or have a house to sell first.