How To Use The Internet to Sell Your Home in Sacramento

Now, more than ever, homeowners are finding success selling their homes online with and without real estate agents. Each market, however, is getting crowded and everyone is vying for a top position. Portals are popping up and offering sellers direct access to their buyers through premium listings and other flat fee based premium services. It is not easy to be noticed, but with the burgeoning online marketplace changing so rapidly, you are likely to grab a lot of eyeballs and face some stiff competition!

Real estate has always been about the marketing. In the old days it was about controlling the the database that comprised the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The most effective real estate agents tapped into that technology and monopolized its power and reach.

Today, that power has been enhanced and the reach is 100 times that of just 10 years ago. It is no wonder that most sellers are just not able to accomplish this on their own, but the tech savvy can compete very effectively if they follow the basic tenants of selling online. We have put together some of our favorite tips to help you stand out and sell your house fast in Sacramento!

Tip # 1: Go Where The Buyers Are

It make no sense to just put a sign in the front yard and hope that the buying public is going to drive by and notice. Today, that would be analogous to trying to sell your car and putting a for sale sign on the windshield in the middle of your garage and closing the door.

Like I said, selling houses is all about the marketing. It is what you do to bring the buyers to the house that matters. There are many online listing portals to choose from. Look up some listings in your area. What sites show up first in the search results? Many times, the tops sites are Zillow, Trulia and Redfin. Regardless of your opinion about them or their accuracy, they have a great grasp on creating traffic by capturing eyeballs and real estate traffic. When you list something on the MLS, it is directly linked to these major sites through syndication agreements. Whether or not you are advertising with them, you’ll want to make sure your properties are showcased there as well.

Make sure to check your listing on all sites in which it was syndicated. Automation can sometimes lead to the data being jumbled.

Tip # 2 Consider Paid Listings:

Even sellers that are “For Sale By Owners” can get their house on the Multiple Listing Service. There are many flat fee real estate agents that will charge between $150 and $600 to do this for you. The MLS is still the most powerful real estate database in the world, but others are keeping pace. If you are saying Sell My House in Sacramento and you want it visible to everyone including the entire universe of Sacramento real estate agents you need to pay for this service.

Like wise if you perform a property search on any of the other major real estate websites, you will likely see specific properties occupying the top spot over and over. That is not by happenstance, they paid to get that top spot. Just as the Agents you see over and over again paid to put their name first. If you want to give your property instant traction, it can be worth the extra cost to put your listing at the top.

Tip # 3 Create a Property Specific Website:

Another creative way to sell your home using the internet would be to create a property specific website. A basic website and domain won’t cost you much to get started. With a little copy writing some, SEO, content, and imagery, you can quickly build a site to showcase your house!

Tip # 4 Hire a Professional Photographer:

Hire a professional photographer. For roughly $150 to $250 you can get some amazing photographs. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then professional pictures are a great way to get immediate traffic to your front doorstep. Make sure the words used to describe your house are “Stunning, spacious and immaculate!” not “Dated, cramped and dingy!” When buyers see a photo of your home, it tells them whether or not they want to pursue it further. For many buyers, it is not easy to picture themselves in the home if they are seeing your personal belongings. Get a head start on packing by putting your knick-knacks and decorative items away. Get rid of all the clutter, then hire a professional photographer to take photos of your home. Look through a few listings. Notice who paid for a professional job, and who took cell phone photos from the street.

Tip # 5 Use an Accurate Description of the Property:

Be as detailed and as accurate about the property as possible. Disclose any defects but also make sure not to overlook the details that may be a selling point for a certain buyer. If you have recently re-done the roof, mention it. If there is a large and bright kitchen, you should mention it.

Tip # 6 Create Great Copy:

When people are house hunting, the listings can all begin sounding alike and running together. A lack of adjectives will cause every property to be “beautiful” and “cozy.” Don’t blend in with the crowd! Use colorful language to make your listing stand out from the rest. Don’t just gloss over the ad, using generic words to describe your property.

Tip # 7 Know the Market You are Selling To:

If you need to sell your house fast in Sacramento, knowing and understanding the market is the key. That means that you need to harness anyone that can help you. Look at the fliers at open houses in the neighborhood, gather as much information as possible and them use that data to engineer a quick sale. Using data, you will be able to:

Locate and contact the best agents in town. Online reviews will ensure you find the agent that is best for you!
Get comparable sales data detailing the recently sold properties in the area.
- Real Estate Agents love to run their comparative market analysis for prospective sellers. Interview three.
- Call a title company and ask them to run a comparable sales report for the past 90 days within a 1/4 or 1/2 mile of your house address.
- Call a few real estate investors in Sacramento (cash home buyers) and ask them for an all cash offer. Know your numbers.
Set Your Pricing so that you are positioned to sell. Determine what part of the market you want to attract but understand that your price point is important if you want a fast sale. Don’t be afraid to adjust that price if you see no activity within the first 5 days. and again until you start to see traffic through the door. Your price is a baseline and the interested parties are the reality check for that price. The market will always be honest.
Study market trends for real estate in your area. Ask questions such as: when is the best time of year to sell my Sacramento house? What are the current buyer demographics?
Make your house the best product on the market. Fix everything. Update everything and then you will be ready.