No More Estate
Agent Fees
by: Glenn Murray
Follow a few simple guidelines, and marketing
your own home can be easy. And it will save you
thousands.
The recent property boom has a lot of people
thinking of selling. Unfortunately, the costs of
selling can really eat into your profit. There’s
nothing we can do about stamp duty, but one cost we
can avoid is real estate agent fees. By selling your
house yourself rather than paying a real estate
agent, you can save you around $20,000 on a $500,000
sale.
So what’s involved in a do-it-yourself sale? The
two main ingredients are time and advertising. A
quality ad and a couple of hours each week fielding
phone calls and managing inspections can mean the
difference between a healthy profit and
disappointment.
Many people are intimidated by the marketing
aspect of selling their home. But there’s really not
that much to it. You just need to write a
description of your property, organise photography,
and place an ad. Simple!
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when
organising your own sale is you’re not selling a
building - you’re selling a home and a lifestyle.
Here are 10 Tricks of the trade to get you started…
1) Jot down your favourite spots in the house and
what you like to do in them.
2) List your favourite local restaurants, cafes,
and beaches – especially those in walking distance.
3) Note any pleasant fragrances – plants like
jasmine and gardenia, or evening sea breezes.
4) Mention your favourite spot for a morning
coffee, an afternoon snooze, or an evening wine.
5) Write about 150 words.
6) Don’t include cars, garbage bins, or the road
in your photos.
7) Tidy your house and remove any clutter before
taking inside shots.
8) Capture colour both inside and out, but keep
it simple.
9) Take digital photos and save to CD so you
won’t need a bureau for scanning and production.
10) Invest in a prominent newspaper ad and make
use of the Internet.
Even if you don’t feel up to the challenge of
creating a masterpiece ad, you can employ the
services of a professional for far less than the
cost of a real estate agent. A professional
copywriter will write an engaging description for as
little as $250. Professional photographers do real
estate all the time. Neville Prosser can give you
all the captivating photos you need for just $330.
You can get a glossy 1/8 page ad in the Central
Coast Express Advocate for $628 or a ½ page ad
$2514. And to advertise online at Domain.com.au will
only cost you $165 for a full month.
Whether you do all the creative work yourself or
employ a professional, you’ll still save thousands.
What’s more, with great advertising, you’ll interest
more potential buyers and maybe even sell your house
for more.
The most important thing to remember at every
step along the way is… Average advertising conveys a
building. Quality advertising conveys a home. |
