Creative ways to market your flip to buyers (retail)? Ideas?

Question

I am a RE Agent and have a flip that I recently completed.  I am wondering what are some creative ideas others have used to sell a home.  I have done the traditional: list on MLS, Craigslist, send listing to other agents with recent sales, the home is staged and really nice in nice neighborhood,  have not had many showings.  Any ideas or strategies that have worked to sell your home fast?  :cool:

Stephanie Anson · Answer

Thanks everyone for all of your recommendations!!  I have some ideas now on what I can do to get some more showings.  Ophelia-Thanks so much for your response!!!  I am going to implement alot of the changes you suggested.  I have a friend that has a better camera that I am going to borrow and I went and got some pictures and additional pillows, etc to change around some of the staging items.  I really appreciate your help!!

Gilbert Ryan · Answer

You might need to use a trigger mechanism. Simply means you offer something free and include the cost in the selling price.

I once saw an open house offering a FREE specific new car to the successful buyer.

You need a way to separate your property for sale from others. You can offer free washer and dryer to the successful buyer.

We humans like the word free, even if we are paying for it unknowingly.

Ophelia Nicholson · Answer

I think you may need to work on the wording to your listing- J Scott gave a really great one at one point- cant remember what it is right now.

But try something like "Amazing renovation, stunning home with granite countertops, renovated bathrooms, hardwood floors- tell me all the great features. Your tag line is Georgeous 3bedroom  2bath on .3 lot with stainless appliances. How about renovated masterpiece 3bed, 2 bath granite countertops blah blah.

If its okay Id like to make some notes about what I see- please feel free to use whatever is useful to you and leave whatever is not- Its not a judgement just notes about what I would change.

I'm not a fan of your pictures- Looks like a great rehab and pretty nice staging but I cant really see any of it pictures are very dark for the most part and most don't really focus on what I want to see which is how great your house is- WOW ME!
 The 2nd picture kitchen one I can't really see the kitchen just the kitchen from the living room but the pictures don't scream granite counter and stainless steal- I can barely see most of them.
Maybe move the couch a little bit away from the window and add some window trimmings- maybe red to match your pillows - move the black chair from where it is and center that living room table- put a flower arrangement on living room table- maybe clear glass with red flowers to match pillow cases again- doesn't have to be flowers- could be just some little nick nacks on that table- just something intresting- normally if you dont go with flower you can try nick nacks in odd numbers like 3.
 Take away the green pillow on black chair you've got too much going on with the red, green and purple.
Take the two black chairs and put them where the kitchen wall/island on the opposite end of the sink-maybe two plates right there- hard for me to tell if the chairs are too low for that space but I think it should work.
Bedroom- put a nice painting above bed- add that second red pillow that you took off the black chair and tuck the sheet under looks very slept in- like someone got out of bed. Maybe add one or two more pillows

Second bedroom looks much nicer like a bed I'd want to sleep in- but I'd move it away from the window and put on the wall closest the window with a purple painting above bed.
Bathroom- remove the shower curtain or pull it back-noone wants to walk into a bathroom and touch a shower curtain- who knows who showered there.
If you choose to take some of the notes I have written down and then retake some pictures and have a open house on sunday-resend out the pictures- ask people to come back and relook if they saw it before.
Also dropping the price a little might spark new intrest.

Manny Cirino · Answer

Offer a 4% commission(unless you already are)then create text message with pictures and sound of you describing the house in an up beat voice(see youtube.com for how to instruction or pm me)then send out a big blast to all other real estate professionals brokers, agents, investors, mortgage brokers, etc...

This is a marketing trick I learned in NYC during my times as a party promoters. We used this to market night club events and drink specials. We used interactive options like text the number 1 to join the exclusive V.I.P. List or text 2 for a free champagne bottle. In year case it would be for a showing or open house dates(whatever comes to mind).

The trick here is to market but make it feel personal not like junk mail almost as if the person receiving this message was your first choice to get dibbs on it first, and since they are your friend you will pay them 4%.

I promise you will want to thank me after trying this.

Stephanie Anson · Answer

http://www.postlets.com/repb/6238146

This is it, we have granite in bath and stainless in kitchen.  It has only been listed two weeks with 3 showings.  One buyer did say it was on their list to revisit.  I might be somewhat impatient...better to be proactive vs reactive :)  Feedback welcome

Kris Haskins · Answer

We have sold most of our homes in under 30days.  I recommend, if you haven't already, Add an agent bonus.  We are doing up to $5k agent bonus to the buying agent.  Only if the offer closes in 30days.  We also do granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances and hdwd floors.   seems to sell faster...  Staging is a must....

Ophelia Nicholson · Answer

I don't really have any other creative way than whats already mentioned but you may want to post a picture of the house or the MLS so we can all take a look- If its a nice house in a nice neighborhood and priced right then you should have traffic and offers. Try posting the mls lets look at it.

Jason Davis · Answer

Mailings to neighbors, local churches etc

I donated two folding tables I found in the shed to two neighbors who were both ministers.  They took them to their churches and talked about my house.  I got showings from that.  One guy was ready to go but can't qualify.

Best if luck.

Joshua Houchins · Answer

Make a few contacts at banks around town who are willing to loan using some of these fha programs and other that except a lower credit score to get approval and possible 100% fin.  Post some ads on places like craigslist, or classified ads, that say 3br 2ba home 
Rent to own
Call 22939933993
Some of these people can buy homes and just don't know it.  If the lender requires a little down payment take some or your profit to help them and just move the property. I have found some buyers this way, and if the property doesn't work for them maybe they will buy another one from you. Hope this helps.

Laura Rzadkowski · Answer

We recently sold our condo and decided to ask our real estate agent to indicate that we weren't going to consider offers for the first week of the listing.  We ended up with 4 offers at the end of the week and we were able to choose the offer that was best for us.  I'm not sure if this will help but it's one idea!

Best of luck,
Laura