Your home isn't generating any interest, what to do next......
We often have lofty ideas for our properties when they are up for sale and while this is not such a bad thing, these ideas might not pan out as we planned.
According to reports concluded in the past year, it takes an average of about 100 days to sell a property in the UK. What could be the cause, as at Gibson Honey, our average timeframe to place a property under offer is 2 – 4 weeks? Several factors may contribute to the slow movement of your property off the market and it may be any of the following issues: super high pricing to gain your initial instructions, an inefficient/inexperienced agent or purely the wrong strategy.
We all dream of having the most stress-free and fast sale but what do you do if your home is not generating interest at all or you only have a trickle of people who seem luke warm about your home? We may have some answers…
• List on the right platforms - not listing on the right platforms feels like going to shop for shoes in a store that exclusively sells clothes. You won’t receive any interest if no one can find your property. Make sure that your property is listed online – whether that’s on portals such as Rightmove, the estate agent’s website, or social media sites.
• Change your marketing strategy - if your property isn’t generating interest then your agent could be marketing it incorrectly. While traditional marketing is great, sometimes you have to look outside the box for some creative ideas for certain properties. Video tours, 3D rendering, great descriptions, boosted listings on property portals and more can help sell your home to the right people.
• Change your photos - People are often moved to act by what they see. It isn't rocket science, sometimes you are swayed to go for the better-looking option and this is purely psychological. Imagine walking into a dessert shop to buy a specific cake but you had no design in mind; the most appealing design is probably what you will be leaving the store with. Your house is the cake and if you are not generating interest, it might be because your pictures aren’t showing it in the best light. Engage the services of a professional and watch interest soar.
• You have a lackadaisical agent - no one would show interest in your property if your agent isn’t putting the work in. Have you been signed into a long contract and then just forgotten about whilst the agent moves onto newer properties? If you feel this way, then speak to your agent and find out what they are doing to generate interest in your property. Do periodic checks, you can ask a friend to pretend to be an interested buyer so you can properly evaluate how your agent treats practical situations. If you are not satisfied, chances are that many others won’t be either!
• The market – if the current housing market isn’t buoyant, you need a fantastic, proactive agent to make up for it. A great agent can generate interest when there’s not much about, by using the correct marketing and working hard. Your agent should be helping you navigate a difficult period and if you haven’t heard from them, then maybe it’s time for a change!
Other factors that you may need to work on to help heighten interest in your property includes: decluttering before taking pictures, presenting your property in the best light using staging techniques and possibly redecorating.