Should you invest in presentation and marketing in a hot market? Absolutely!

Homes are selling incredibly quickly, so why do I need to spend money on presenting and marketing my home?

It’s a question real estate agents hear regularly, and the REIWA Sales Network Committee says the answer is another question: do you want to get the best possible price or are you happy to leave money on the table?

Yes, the market is extremely buoyant, and you could save some money by cutting back on presentation or marketing. However, selling is about competition: the more buyers you attract to your home, the best price you will get, no matter the market conditions.

The Committee’s advice is to invest in the property’s presentation and a good marketing campaign to achieve the best outcome.

Presentation

People are visual creatures, you want to catch their interest and have them engage with your property. While properties are still coming to the market in reasonable numbers, they are selling extremely quickly so there is usually a limited number available at any one point in time. But even in such a hot market buyers will move onto the next pretty thing if a property doesn’t appeal, so you want yours to stand out and look good.

If your budget allows it, have your property professionally styled, at least for the photos.

If possible, avoid selling a property with photos of empty rooms. If you can’t hire furniture, consider virtual furniture for the photos.

If you are on a budget, speak to your agent about what you can do. This may involve clearing clutter, removing or rearranging some furniture, and mulching the gardens and adding some flowering plants.

It may not be worthwhile investing in major renovations, such as repainting the whole house, but you should address any unfinished projects and maintenance issues like mouldy eaves, leaking taps or stained ceilings.

Marketing

Once your property is ready for sale you want to shout it from the rooftops to reach as many buyers as possible.

Engage a professional photographer to make your home shine. Don’t skimp on photos. On www.reiwa.com you to upload up to 35 photos and you want to take advantage of this.

You want to make things easy for buyers, so also have a floor plan prepared and consider doing a walk-through video. A video is particularly useful for social media promotions as well as showcasing the home to buyers who may not be able to view it in person, such as Eastern States buyers and buyers from other regions.

Advertise on the relevant real estate portals, like www.reiwa.com, and consider using the highest advertising tier to bring your property to the top of your suburb’s list. Your agent can also advertise your listing using Google Search and Display, with clever targeting to reach property hunters on other sites, increasing competition amongst buyers.

Ask your agent about using social media to promote the home. This could include posts on their Facebook and Instagram pages as well as targeted advertising – you never know who might be looking for a home and you want to cast the net as wide as possible.

And while it might not be up for long, don’t forget the good old For Sale sign. It could catch the right buyer’s eye as they drive past.

Then give it time

It sounds great to say “my home sold at the first home open” and it may be tempting to choose from the first crop of offers you get, but remember, it’s about competition.

The Committee advises holding several home opens over at least two weekends to let as many buyers as possible view the property and make their offers. This will allow you to pick the best possible offer, not just the first. 

And why not consider using an auction to sell the home? Auctions create a sense of urgency and emotional connection to a property, and bring the buyers together in a very competitive environment.