Periodic tips and reminders to help focus your by-owner marketing and win your commission-free sale - from Canada’s by-owner web-site, www.privatelist.com.

THIS ISSUE:      Seller’s Agenda / Find Buyers By Email

ARCHIVES:     www.privatelist.com/newsletter.htm

SELLER’S AGENDA

Spring is coming, housing right across the country is more affordable than it’s been in quite a while (see the Royal Bank’s Affordability Index) and buyers are ready to deal NOW!

Here’s an outline of how you, as a PRIVATE seller, can make the most of an active market:

• start off on the right foot:
   
  • clean, clear and neutralize: help prospective buyers visualize THEIR stuff in the house!
     
  • establish/review your asking price: make sure your asking-price doesn’t help sell someone ELSE’S property!
     
• spread the word:
   
  • check our WANT ADS page: if you see YOUR property described, call us for the buyer’s contact information!
     
  • place free or inexpensive classifieds in publications or on web-sites across the country - and include references to your full-colour PrivateList display!
     
  • make full use of email (see below);
     
  • if you don’t already have your property displayed with PrivateList, review our services page, our prices, our traffic stats and comments from past clients, then phone toll-free 1-888-747-4054 or print out our enrollment form to get the ball rolling!
     
  • make sure your highlight sheets are posted around your area - they won’t do you any good gathering dust at home!
     
• help buyers ACT:
   
  • CMHC’s Buyers’ Guide can help dispel buyer uncertainties that may be stalling your sale!
     
  • run current interest rates through a mortgage calculator: do YOU know how much it would cost per month to purchase your home?
     
  • familiarize yourself with the standard Offer To Purchase so you can help buyers understand what they’re getting into legally.
     
• welcome realtors:
   
  • invite the participation of realtors - but on YOUR terms!
     
• review your progress:
   
  • use free software to schedule open houses, advertising and regular reviews of your progress;
  • be prepared to regroup if your early marketing is ineffective.
     

It can be nerve-wracking waiting for the right offer to come in, but selling real estate is not rocket science: just make sure you have a realistic asking-price, do everything you can to get the word out, and be prepared to smooth the path to a sale once buyers express genuine interest in your property.

FIND BUYERS BY EMAIL

The (Feb 01/01) issue of PROACTIVE suggested sending all your friends emails with links back to your PrivateList display. And we’ll soon be adding "Tell A Friend" links to our displays to make the job a little easier.

But what if you don’t yet have an online display?

You can still send out your emails, but instead of a link, just include one or more photo-attachments:

• compose the email as you would a classified ad, indicating the property’s asking-price, general location, style, number of bedrooms and one or two outstanding features;
   
• include a request that the recipient forward your notice to anyone they know who might be interested, and offer them an incentive (say, a $25-100 finder’s fee for any eventual purchaser introduced to the property through their email);
   
• make sure your scanned or digital-camera photos are in .jpg format and sized to less than 400x600 pixels: this will make them quicker to load (and viewable on most computer screens without scrolling);
   
• click the "Attach" button in your email program, then Browse to the location of each photo file you wish to include, and attach it to the email;
   
• don't overdo it: one or two outside shots plus the living-room, dining-room, kitchen and perhaps a rec room or master bedroom should be enough;
   
• test the email either by saving it as a draft or by sending it to yourself (you want to make sure it displays properly and doesn't take too long to download);
   
• once everything works, send it to as many friends - near or far - as you have email addresses for;
   
• consider creating a mailing list of these same friends, so that the next time you notify them about the property (regarding a price change, open house, sale, etc.), you won't have to type in all their addresses again.

Remember: real estate is a numbers game. Take full advantage of email and get the numbers working for YOU!

FRIENDLY REMINDERS . . .

Are the thousands of dollars you'll save by selling privately worth, say, an hour each week-end, spent reviewing your progress to date and mapping out your continuing campaign?

It's important to maintain an active marketing focus until your property is sold. Therefore, each e-mail version of this newsletter links to a series of reminders, tips and tools that lead to a sale!

To access these resources, press here.

©2001 PrivateList