When Buying or Selling Real Estate Are you a "Rabbit" or "Turtle"??
Buyers: In the fast paced Real Estate market you have to be quick like a rabbit in order to aquire the property you want. In many areas of the country, homes and land hit the market and are snapped up by saavy buyers on the first day. These "Rabbits" know what they are looking for and don't procrastinate when they find it. "Turtles" may procrastinate on a property that meets all their criteria eventhough they have been looking for months because they think the next best thing may come on the market soon. These "Turtles" may lose their dream property because "Rabbits" have already set themselves up to get new listings emailed to them by a Realtor as soon as they become available. If the Realtor has listened to their desires and criteria, he/she already has an idea of what they are looking for and will provide them with these listings as soon as they hit the market even before a sign may go up on the property or ad placed in the newspaper or magazine.
Sellers: If you are selling your home, you definitely want to be a "Rabbit". Rabbits take advantage of all types of marketing. Many Turtles settle for a sign in the yard, an ad in the local paper and a key at the listing office and demand 24 hrs or even worse 48 hours notice for showing their home. Rabbits demand more by using a Realtor who specializes in the type of property they are selling and get the most exposure to buyers who are interested in what they have to sell. Some of the tools that can be utilized to help your home sell faster are listed below. While these tools cannot guarantee that your home will sell fast, they can improve your odds tremendously.
1. Have your Realtor use a lock box instead of a key held at the listing office - this will ensure that other Realtors can show your home on short notice to out of town buyers or people who want to see your home on short notice. Lock Boxes create a huge advantage for the seller over holding keys in an office. You may be wary of having a lock box but there are electronic lock boxes that are opened by an agent's own personal code. The lock box will record all types of information, like the day, time, the agent who was there and the company that Agent works for. If a Realtor quits the business, that Realtor's code is canceled that very day. You can request that your home be shown by appointment only so that you would be notified before any showing would take place.
2. Have your Realtor create a personal website for your home only. They can put these website addresses on every ad so that a potential buyer can find out all the details on your property without looking at your competition. These websites can also have direct email to your Realtor as well as forms that can be used to contact the Realtor. The Realtor can also show you information on how many people have viewed this personal website. The web address can be listed on all marketing material including the sign on your property. In addition, a multitude of photos can be added as well as a virtual tour. Potential buyers are hungry for information and can access this information 24 hours a day via internet. You can see an example of a properties personal website at www.1002Sunsetway.info
3. Using a Realtor who specializes in your type of property - For instance, if you are selling a vacation home, most buyers live within a 3 hour driving distance of where they want to vacation. If you use a Realtor who specializes in this type of property, they may already have a database of potential buyers and their website should be easily found by search engines when buyers are searching the local area. Buyers also like to use an expert in the type of property that they are searching for. To see an example of a Realtor website specializing in vacation property click here
So ...... "Rabbit" & "Turtle" Let the Race begin...................