What Are You Really Selling?
By Steve Gillman - 2008
When you are selling a home, what are you really selling?
Will the ad in the paper just say "house for sale?"
Not if you want to sell it. You are always selling more than
just a "house." You are selling a location, perhaps
a school district, and much more.
To market your home well, consider what exactly you have for
sale. Your house may fit many people's criteria, but there will
always be some few things that are most important about your
house for the most potential buyers. Identify these and use them
in your marketing.
Once a buyer comes to see the house, the focus changes. The
important question then becomes "What are they buying?"
As long as your home meets their needs, you should sell them
what they need, want and like, not what you like about the home.
What Are You Selling?
Ask questions to identify what you are really selling. They
may include:
- What type of people buy this style of home, and who buys
in this neighborhood?
- What gets the most positive comments in this house?
- Do young or older people mover here?
- Do they move here for the schools, parks, or proximity to
jobs?
- Why did others move here? Why not ask the most recent arrivals?
- Is your home large for the price? Or is the yard large?
- Is a lifestyle associated with this home? Is it on a lake,
downtown, or on a golf course?
Buyers need details when they read the listing for your home,
or the advertising for it. They also need other reasons why they
should be looking at it. Does it have a view? Show the view in
a photo, instead of the garage or yard. They already know they're
buying a house, so tell them what else they are getting.
What Are They Buying?
Appeal to the most potential buyers in your marketing. However,
in your showing of the home, and talking to specific buyers,
though, you want to focus on what they are looking for. If they
casually say they need space for a playroom for the kids, show
them the convertible basement space. Never mind if they never
see the beautiful deck you built out back!
If you ask a buyer what they are looking for in a home, they'll
usually tell you. This will save you time if there is no way
your home can fit their particular needs. It will tell you how
to sell the house if you can show them how it can fit their needs.
Selling a home is marketing to the masses, but selling to the
individual.
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