Marketing Your Home

The decision to sell your home is a big one and can be quite daunting in itself, but it is just the beginning. Having made the decision to sell you are now faced with the task of preparing and marketing you home.

We at Sunny Nelson Realty understand how difficult this process can seem and our aim is to make it all as simple and stress-free as possible for you. To help with this we have prepared this quick guide to break down the process of selling your home in to six simple steps:

• Choose an agent
• Decide on a selling plan
• Establish a pricing strategy
• Authorise a listing agreement
• Preparing your home and the marketing process
• Considering offers

Choose an Agent

When selecting your real estate consultant, you need to ensure that you feel comfortable with them and their capabilities.

Your consultant should have a sound knowledge of the market in your area. You can check this by asking about their recent sales in the area, how long they have been selling in the area, and what the market share of their office is.

A sign of a good agent is that they can provide you with testimonials and a resumé and that they should have a high ‘list to sell’ ratio. If asked, they should be able to provide you with sample brochures, adverts and feedback reports from past homes sold.

Decide on your selling plan

Each individual selling situation is different. So, it is important to tailor a selling plan to suit your needs.

There are several different methods for selling your property, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Your sales consultant can help you to determine the best option for you based on their knowledge of the market and potential buyers that it will appeal to. While the majority of sales are by fixed price/private sale treaty, it is often advantageous to consider other sale methods like tender, auction, or price by negotiation.

Your agent will work with you and advise you on the best sale method for your property.

The marketing methods are:

• Auction
• Tender
• For Sale by Negotiation
• Exclusive Agency with an Asking Price
• General Agency
• Private Sale

 For more information about each marketing method visit

Decide on a pricing strategy

The next step is to determine a price for your property. This is one of the most important factors in selling your home. There are many different pricing strategies available to you. 

When setting a fixed price it is vital that your home is priced correctly from the start to maximise your chances of attracting as many buyers as possible. Your Sales Consultant will be able to help guide you in this regard. It is vital to price your home correctly.

Below is a list of some of the factors that may influence the price you receive for your home:

• Location of the property;
• Home size and land area;
• Present buyer demand;
• Prices of comparable, recently-sold properties;
• Prices of comparable properties currently for sale (the competition);
• Condition of the property; and
• The marketing and negotiating skills of your Real Estate Sales Consultant.

Why it's vital to price your home correctly

Many people believe that if they set the price for their home high to begin with, they can always lower it later. Setting the price too high runs the risk of attracting fewer buyers and taking longer to sell. Potential buyers will be scared off by the price and won't even take the time to view your home. Those who can afford a home at your asking price will soon realise they can get better value elsewhere. Eventually the price is likely to come down to the market value, but by that time the home has been on sale too long and has already lost exposure to a large number of buyers.

On the other hand, if you set your price too low, you may achieve a quick sale, but you may also have people wondering if there is something wrong with the property.

Pricing your home correctly ensures that an optimal number of buyers will consider your property. It is the competition between these buyers that produces your premium price. The right market price may also result in a quicker sale time. Therefore to achieve a maximum price for your home in the quickest possible time frame it is important that we set the right market price. 

Market Types

The property market fluctuates frequently so it is always important to know what sort of market you are in at the time of selling your property.

Knowing the current market gives you an indication of what sort of properties are being sold, how quickly, and for how much. Each type of market has its own set of characteristics.

This is where a knowledgeable local agent becomes invaluable, having an expert who understands the intricacies of the local market will make all the difference.

Your agent will be able to talk you through the current property market and explain how this will impact on the sale of your property. A good agent will explain not only the local market and it's intricacies but also how your pricing and marketing strategies can be tailored to get the best results in the current climate.

Authorise a listing agreement

Now that the best Selling Plan for your home has been decided and an accurate market estimate of your property has been determined it's time to form a partnership with your Sales Consultant. By authorising a listing agreement, your agent will start work for you to help achieve the best result for you.

Listing Options

There are

Prepare your home for showing

‘First impressions count' This expression couldn't apply more to the Real Estate industry. That's why it's important that your house looks its best while it's on the market. And, as there's no doubt that presentation adds value to your home, we've included a checklist to help you prepare your home for showing.

Exterior Impressions

• Paint work in good repair - discuss with sales consultant if major work is still to be done.
• Street number and tidy letter box in easy to see position.
• Spouting cleaned and in good repair.
• Garage/carport clean and tidy.
• Rubbish tidy and cleared away.
• Any cracked or broken windows repaired.
• Hedges & shrubs trimmed, edges and lawns cut.
• Ensure the entrance way is clean, tidy and uncluttered.
• Door bell works.

General Interior Impressions

• All chipped paint and cracked plaster repaired. Wallpaper tidy.
• Check all door, window and cupboard latches open and close easily.
• Lights all work - if needed leave some lights on to create atmosphere.
• Heat home if weather is cool.
• Ensure halls/stairways are tidy and free of clutter.
• Curtains should be open, carpets freshly vacuumed.
• If possible, have cut flowers in various rooms.

Bathroom

• All surfaces - mirrors, fixtures, taps cleaned and polished.
• All taps in good order.
• Seals around bath and basin in good repair.
• Floors cleaned, rubbish containers emptied.
• Cupboards and cabinets tidy inside.

Kitchen Sinks and taps cleaned and polished.

• All appliances cleaned.
• Small appliances should be put away to avoid a cluttered look.
• Benches cleaned and polished.
• Cupboards and pantry neat and tidy.

Open Days

• Jewellery and valuables locked away safely or taken with you.
• Valuables, such as art, vases, figurines and mementos are safely situated or locked away.

Creating an Atmosphere

• Make your home as warm and inviting as possible by using some of these tips:
• Have cut flowers in various rooms.
• Make freshly brewed coffee or muffins to fill the room with their aroma.
• Have light music playing in the background.
• If possible, pets should be absent during showing.
• If needed, leave some lights on to create atmosphere

Your Sales Consultant will market your home

It's now up to your Sales Consultant to market your home to potential buyers. Their job is to make your home shout 'Buy Me', particularly during the first 30 days.

The first 30 Days is the time when the largest number of potential buyers will be attracted to your home. Your Sales Consultant will have a pool of buyers and investors who, right now, may be interested in your home. It's during the first 30 days your home is on the market that these people will sit up and take notice of your property. Once these people have viewed your home, the potential buyers left will be those entering the market.

Where buyers may come from

Marketing a home is a complex process which involves attracting buyers from a variety of different sources. Your Sales Consultant will have a pool of buyers and investors from which you could benefit. Your Sales Consultant will keep in regular touch with these people and market your property to them.

They will also make contact with new buyers through open homes - and from clients whose homes they have sold recently. It is the competition created by all these buyers that achieves the best possible price for your property.

Receive regular progress reports
Your Personal Selling Plan is being implemented. What happens now? Your Sales Consultant will keep you informed on the progress towards the sale of your home. It's naturally important that you know what's going on. That's why your Sales Consultant will make a personal commitment to keep you up-to-date every step of the way!

Consider and negotiate offers
Our goal is to bring as many genuine buyers as possible through your property. When an interested buyer is found, they will make an offer in writing on a sale and purchase agreement form. You need to consider all offers and their various components.

Negotiating the offer
Your Sales Consultant will negotiate an offer with potential buyers on your behalf. The Key to getting the best price for your home rests with the negotiating skills of your Sales Consultant. The difference between negotiating well or poorly could amount to thousands of dollars. Once your Sales Consultant has an offer he or she will present it to you. You should assess each part of the offer and either counter-offer, accept or decline.

Price. The buyer will offer a price for the property that, depending on the market and the discretion of the buyer, may differ from your asking price.

Deposit. The deposit shows the buyer's intent or good faith and will be applied against the selling price once the sale is unconditional. Your Sales Consultant can advise you on the suitability of the deposit.

Conditions. These are requirements that must be met before the sale is completed. Conditions are always subject to a stated time and commonly include:

subject to finance being arranged;
subject to sale of the buyer's home; or
subject to completion of certain work on your home.
Your Sales Consultant will explain all the details relating to these conditions.

Chattels. Chattels are the items you will leave behind and can include fixed floor coverings, blinds, curtains, heaters, dishwashers, stoves and television aerials. These are important in any sale and your Sales Consultant will go through all of these carefully.

Crucial Dates in an offer
There are three important dates tied to any offer:

The Date on the Contract - this is when negotiations conclude and the agreement is signed by both parties.

Dates for Satisfaction of Conditions- this is when any special conditions must be satisfied by all parties.

Settlement and Possession Day - the date you will hand the home over to the buyer. It is also the day on which you collect the balance of the money owing - that is, the purchase price less the deposit already paid.

Accept an offer
You've received one - or possibly several - offers. You've considered all the components and you've decided to accept an offer. The next step is for the buyer to ensure that all conditions, if any, are satisfied and pay the deposit.

If the offer is conditional and the buyer finds he cannot satisfy the conditions, then the deposit is returned to the buyer. If the conditions have been satisfied it is unlikely the buyer will cancel the agreement and he/she does not get their deposit returned.

Contract is forwarded to your solicitor
Once you've accepted an Offer to Purchase, your Sales Consultant will forward the sale & purchase contract to your solicitor who will administer and take care of settlement and conveyancing matters.

'Sold' sign goes up and you plan your move
Congratulations on the sale of your home! Your Sales Consultant will now put up the 'Sold' sign … and it will soon be time to move to your new home. To make planning your move easier see our checklist for preparing to move.

Settlement day
Gain confirmation that settlement of the sale has been completed.  Make sure you hand over all the keys you have for the house and any other surrounding buildings, e.g. shed or garage, and you leave the property tidy for the new owners.

Congratulations! We wish you and your family every happiness in the future.