| Tip 1:
Before anything else, grab a powerhouse of knowledge.
If you've decided to dispense with a real estate
agent to
avoid paying those ridiculous commissions, then
start
thinking like one.
How? Three to six months before your target
sale, bone up
on home selling strategies. If you have friends
or colleagues
who've worked in real estate, talk to them,
but don't tell
them you're thinking of your selling your house
so they
won't try to convince you to do otherwise.
Ask them about mistakes they've made or mistakes
that
their relatives and friends have made. Survey
the entire
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landscape. Personal experiences are always an
excellent
source of knowledge and strategies.
Tip 2: Be a listener, and be a GOOD one
Hold casual conversations with at least 3 real
estate agents
who work in the area where your house is located.
Be
attentive to what they say about location. It's
helpful to
know how much your civic address is worth.
While location is the predominant argument
in real estate,
this rule may not always apply. Perhaps location
is the least
of your potential buyer's worries. Don't overlook
the fact
that buyers have typical and unusual reasons
for buying a
house. Many have jumped into the arena of investment
property.
While most people buy houses so they can live
in it, there
are those who like to play the market and want
to make a
killing. Sell your house with an open mind.
Don't let the
factor of location discourage you, or encourage
you too
much.
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Tip 3: Basic rule: don't get locked out of the
market because
you've overpriced your house!
Continue building up on that knowledge base:
make it a
daily habit of reading real estate ads everyday.
Get the
average selling price of a house identical to
yours.
If you have the luxury of time, you may even
want to drive
around these houses for sale and judge for yourself
whether
or not the price they're asking is justified.
Some homeowners have illusions as to what their
houses
cost. Is the price they ask reasonable, or way
out of
proportion to the looks and location of the
property?
Tip 4: What are the ads saying?
Get a feel of how real estate ads are worded.
· What are the key words and phrases?
· What ads caught your attention?
· Why?
· Does the ad sound credible?
· Does the ad provide adequate information
to provoke
interest, or does it leave the reader indifferent?
Use these ads as a model for your own.
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