If you’ve had your home on the market for some time, it can be very frustrating when it doesn’t sell quickly – having to keep the property clean and tidy for any viewings that might happen but worse, having to put your life on hold and the uncertainty of your next steps.
However, it’s important to try to look beyond your personal feelings and upset and try to understand why it hasn’t sold and what you can do to help.
Is your marketing up to scratch?
Don’t underestimate how important the photos, description and floorplan are! If the photos are untidy, messy and dark, it’s not going to attract the best type of viewers along. Make sure the property is clean and tidy and the photos are bright (done in the daytime with a professional camera). But don’t go to the other extreme – don’t use any lens that distorts the images or makes the rooms seem bigger than they are as this will frustrate people who come to view the property.
Do you have the right Estate Agent?
Each estate agent is different and has strengths in different areas and types of properties. Have you checked that your agent has successfully marketed and sold properties of a similar size, price and style in the same are? What type of buyer are you looking for and are the advertising where those buyers are? For example, will your property attract people from Edinburgh who are looking to move out of the city? Therefore do they advertise on Edinburgh platforms? Should you use a local or a more national agency?
Is the Estate Agent doing their job well?
So you feel that the agency you’re with are the best fit, but are you treating your relationship with the agent as a partnership? Are you receiving regular feedback from viewings and taking action on that feedback? Are they proactively suggesting new options if the property isn’t moving or are you having to chase them? Be clear with your expectations and requirements – if you have a deadline to sell then make sure they’re aware and change their strategy to support this.
If you think that the agent isn’t doing their job well, you could ask a friend or family member to act as an interested buyer. They should find arranging the viewing simple and the agent at the viewing informative, but not pushy. If you find or have concerns that the agent isn’t up to the job, you may considering terminating the contract to find another agent. But you much do your research on a new agent very carefully and always best to get local and trusted recommendations.
Is there something else stopping the sale?
Is there something on the Home Report that looks really bad, but could be easily rectified? It’s worth looking at the report before it’s marketed to try to achieve as many 1’s as possible. Having a 3 on your Home Report may stop the purchaser being able to buy the property with a mortgage.
Is the market just quiet at this time of year?
Each area is different and some times of the year affect each area in different ways. Generally, the best time to have your property on the market is between February and June with a small peak in the early Autumn. The Christmas period can be very tricky to sell a property, but in some cases property websites see some of their busiest pageviews between Christmas and New Year. Check with your agent about the local market trends.
You could consider removing the property from the market to re-list at a different time of year, but be aware that this might affect how potential buyers perceive the property and how hard they negotiate on price. If you feel that an agent is putting the asking price on too high, you do have the final choice to put it on the market at what you feel is appropriate. You may wish to look to lower or go to a fixed price if it hasn’t sold within 2-3 months.
Want a FREE valuation on your home?
Or call us on: 07441 39 39 09
