Marketing Your Home I GarWEB.com real estate & moving network

Yard Signs

The first place you need to start, is with a professional yard sign. A clear and easy-to-read yard sign. If you will be using a realtor, then they will provide a sign for you.

If anyone tells you that you don't need a yard sign, DO NOT listen to them.

Real estate professionals get nearly 50% of their buyers off of yard signs.

Having a professional looking sign will convey to potential buyers that you are serious about selling your home. Do not go to your local hardware store for a sign. Presenting your home in an attractive professional way is very important. You can have a professional looking sign produced for anywhere from $25.00 to $100.

Make sure that the sign clearly states "Home For Sale" if selling it "FSBO" then it should also state "For Sale By Owner" Make sure that you have your phone number prominently displayed on the sign using 2"-3" numbers. If you have a web site or page for your home then the www.URL address should also be displayed clearly too. The sign should also say that the home is shown "by appointment only". There are a few reasons for this, you should always be prepared for a showing and setting appointments is the only way to be prepared for a viewing of your home.

If your using a realtor make sure your agent tries to give you notice when your home will be shown to buyers. So you can prepare your home for a showing.

Also be sure to place a flyer box/tube on the sign. If you place road side signs away from your home then also make you have a flyer box/tube on them as well. If your using a realtor make sure they keep it filled and or leave you extra so when it runs out you can place more flyer / information sheets in it.

Some buyers find their home simply by driving around in a neighborhood where they wish to live. Many homes are sold as a result of the signage alone and the value of a sign should not be underestimated. Your signage will provide 24/7 exposure, and provide information to buyers through flyers/information sheets and or web sites/pages, giving buyers the infomation they need on your home without you needing to be home.

Internet Advertising

Advertising your home on the internet in today's world is not something you need to think about, you just need to do it. Buyer's across the world now start their searches for a home from the internet. Whether they are buying on their own or through the help of a realtor they search for homes and areas where they wish to live. Buyers find it easier to start their search from the net due to their busy schedules. And to help their realtor know the know the type of home they would like, or wish to view and have more information on.

You do need to make a decision where you want to advertise on the internet, to get the most out of your dollar and exposing your home to potential buyers. Just having a web site alone with-out advertising on a real estate site won't do it, your home's web site will simply get lost.

There are tons of web sites that you can advertise your home on. Some charge a nominal fee, while others will be free. When you are looking into advertising on the web look at the quality & information the site will provide to buyers & sellers. Consider the exposure your home will receive within the web site and web sites they will instantly add your home listing to, "Increasing your properties exposure". Why list on one site when your home can instantly be listed & advertised on other sites for free.

RealEstateMoving.com & the GarWEB.com network is convinced that this is the site where your home should be advertised & listed on. When your home is listed on any one of our sites in our network, your home is instantly added to our entire network of sites.

Over 25 real estate web sites, now that's getting maximum exposure. We display homes exceptionally well and provide a lot of assistance to buyers regarding financing, calculations, area information, realtor services and a myriad of other helpful tips & services for both the buyer and seller.

The bottom line is to make sure that you receive maximum exposure for your home. Post flyers on local bulletin boards in grocery stores, at local businesses, and anywhere you can leave your flyers at. "Exposure is the key" List your property on every web site you can find within your budget and have an occasional open house. Be creative and you'll be amazed at the results you will receive.

If your going to be using a realtor, make sure they are advertising your home on web sites like ours where "FSBO" & Realtors come to buy & sell homes.

Let your Realtor know that we offer them unlimited free advertising of there listings, so there is no reason why your home is not listed on our network of sites. They list one home and all future listings are free. If your realtor is serious about selling your home, we are sure they

will see the benefit in advertising and listing your home with us.

Classified advertising is typically the largest expense that you will encounter. So make sure that you get your moneys worth and make it count. In your classified ad, use complete words avoid abbreviations whenever possible. You don't need to advertise everyday because that will get rather expensive. A good time to advertise is thursday through sunday because that's when people like to go out and look around at homes. If you can afford a display ad "with a photo" then do so. But keep in mind it can be very expensive. Make your advertising count, use a www. web address you may have your home listed at to allow buyers the opportunity to receive more information on your home."www.SellHomesOnline.com Ad# 123

Information Sheets/Flyers

Using information sheets will provide buyers with vitial information they need about your home. Attach a flyer box to your yard sign. If you place other road side signs make sure to place a flyer box to them as well, checking them every 3 days or so to make sure they remain full. Your flyers should include a photogragh of the house, your address, community name, price, phone number and www.URL address should be in bold. then the other information on your home should list your homes features. make sure to say shown by appiontment only. Keep in mind buyers will pull several flyers while driving around your flyer will help remind them which house is which.

Open Houses

Marketing this way works well for new home builders within a new subdivision, with existing owner-occupied homes, it may & may not work as well for you. Somtimes potential buyers may prefer to have a private tour of the home. Most of the time buyers want to ask questions & want detailed responses. Plus giving a private showing also allows you to ask questions to the buyer, that you might not ask at an open house. One important thing is you might lose control in an open house. "You want control & feedback" Open houses are viewed differently in different parts of the country in some areas, open houses are expected and other areas they are not expected at all. So you should adjust your marketing strategy for your area.

"FSBO" Publications

"FSBO" publications are broadly distributed in high-traffic locations, like local grocery stores & restaurants. The cost of advertising in these publications are usually less than advertising in your local newspaper for the same period of time.

For Sale By Owner Publications can work well for some homes, though make sure to look at the homes listed in the publication, if your home is selling for $350,000. And if all the homes listed are selling for $100,000. Then those buyers may not be looking for a home in your price range. Some publications may be kinda high in price, So pick publications that will work best for your home. When placing your ad make sure to include your web page listing URL www. com address, so buyers can receive more information on your home & give your home the most exposure.

Multiple Listing Service "MLS"

There are two ways to use the "MLS" service, First is to hire a realtor to sell your home and your home will be listed within the "MLS" You would pay a commision to the realtor regardless of how it is sold. The second way is to pay to have your home listed on the "MLS", with this method you would only pay a realtor if your home is sold through there efforts. If you sell your home without a realtors help then you would pay no commissions. Only the one time fee to have your home listed within the "MLS" service. What is the "MLS"

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is one form of marketing that is often over-looked. Think of how many people

you come in contact with on daily basis, and the number of people they come in contact with.

Just by telling one or two people that you are selling your home and asking them if they know anyone looking to buy a home can increase your homes exposure. Now what if you tell every person you talk to everyday that your home is for sale and give them a small flyer to give the person they may know that is looking for a home or in case the meet someone looking for a home.

What I'm saying is don't keep it a secrete, TELL everyone you meet that your home is for sale.

Real Estate Publications

Every city has real estate publications, many have both fsbo publications and

Realtor real estate publications where realtors & brokers advertise and market their real estate listings, some of these publications will allow "fsbo" advertising. Like the "fsbo" publications these publications are broadly distributed in high-traffic locations, like local grocery stores & restaurants. The cost of advertising in these publications are usually less than advertising in your local newspaper for the same period of time.

These publications can work well for some homes, though make sure to look at the homes listed in the publication, if your home is selling for $350,000. And if all the homes listed are selling for $100,000. Then those buyers may not be looking for a home in your price range.

Some publications may be kinda high in price, So pick publications that will work best for your home. When placing your ad make sure to include your web page listing URL

www. .com address, so buyers can receive more information on your home & give your

home the most exposure.

If your going to be using a realtor find out if & which publications your realtor may be using to sell and market your home, they may be listing & advertising your home on the internet instead. You should know how they intend on marketing your home, your realtor may choose any number of ways to market your home.