Tag archive for "tips" | Blog.PropertiesOnline.com

Pending Recession Makes Selling Real Estate Now Very Attractive

A recession is generally viewed in a negative light in terms of the housing market overall. However, there might be a silver lining when it comes to real estate selling, especially for those who want to sell sooner rather than later. Could a possible recession in 2020 mean that homeowners should be eager to sell this year?

Upcoming Recession?

A recent Zillow report shows that real estate professionals, as well as economists, are expecting a recession to hit the economy at some point this year. While the effects of this recession aren’t predicted to be as dire as the one that hit the housing market in 2008, buyers and sellers should both stay alert.

Effects of Recessions on Sellers and Buyers

A recession that starts happening early in the year could motivate sellers to put their home on the market in the near future instead of waiting. Higher interest rates that could occur with a recession might mean having fewer buyers around at that time. This can make it harder for sellers to sell their home at an ideal price, and it could take longer to find the right buyer. Listing a home now or in the near future might be a better option for those who want or need to sell quickly or those looking to get as much as they can for their home.

Those who are thinking of selling a home this year might want to consider listingearlier rather than later in case interest rates do rise considerably. In the meantime, those who are looking into buying a home should keep a potential recession and increasing interest rates in mind when deciding when to purchase this year.

If you’re looking for real estate selling tools that can help you gain more leads, contact Properties Online today.

How to Advertise Your Listings and Services on Facebook

Facebook (FB) ads can give you access to many different audiences, with more than 1.4 billion users and 900 million visits daily. With the average user having 130 friends, and the possibility of super-targeting users by demographic, location, language, age, gender, relationship status, education, interest, workplace connections, and more, it is a great real estate promotion tool. But what’s the best way to advertise on it?

How can you best use Facebook for real estate promotion?

Don’t
- Use your personal page.
  It is unprofessional, and violates FB’s user agreement against using the platform for personal or commercial gain.
- Post listings directly on your business page’s wall.
  Your page will be viewed as spam. If you can’t help yourself, you can get away with a few each week (that means 2-3!) with a single, eye-catching photo. But there are more professional ways to handle it. (See below.)
Do…
- Use applications.
  Such as Listing Unlimited’s App or Realtor.com’s Social Connections for real estate promotion. They won’t crowd your fan’s timelines with multiple listings.
- Get your clients involved.
  While you cannot post a listing on your FB page, your sellers can. It’s a great way to get word out, since single listings won’t be misconstrued as spam. Better yet, your client’s friends will view it as a call for help – and spread the word! More word-of-mouth, less work! Bonus!
- Try pay-per-click (PPC) ads.
  With this platform, you pay for your ads – which link to your website or FB page – when they are clicked. (Don’t worry. You can put a max amount on expenditures. Your ad is pulled when you reach it.) Super-targeting is used to ensure display to relevant populations and real results. (P.S. Research shows ads linked to FB pages work better than outside links.)

Have a handle on real estate promotion? Properties Online can help. Contact us today!

Home Staging for Sale – Top Tips

It’s New Year’s Eve, a day synonymous with new beginnings. Every listing you take on will be a new home beginning for the buyer – out with the old home owner and in with the new. First impressions count, for houses as much as for people. Giving the right impression – of livability, class and comfort – right from the get-go is really important when it comes to home sales. Home staging is no secret. Do you know how to do it right? What to recommend to your home owner clients? Read on for some top tips on home staging for sale.

CLEAN

Be sure to clear away all bathroom and kitchen surface mold by spraying with a 1:1 mix of bleach and water. Wipe down any resistant stains and allow to dry.

Replace shower curtain liners with fresh, white liners. If you have shower doors, instead of curtains, clean these with a mixture of one part muriatic acid to 10 parts water and scrub with steel wool.

Clean carpets thoroughly – nothing beats a professional grade steam clean.

REMODEL

Give your kitchen a major update and refresh at a very low cost. Start by cleaning and staining cabinets and replacing any hardware. Modernize kitchen appliances by cleaning and resurfacing with stainless-steel stick-on coverings. If you can afford it, replacing kitchen appliances with brand-new stainless steel appliances is a great return on investment. Studies show that new kitchen appliances bring high returns from sellers, so the cost is usually justified and pays itself back.

Touch up dingy walls with a fresh coat of paint. In bathrooms, even tile can be painted, which is a great and cost effective solution to dated tile. Simply coat the tiles with a high-adhesion primer and then follow with a ceramic epoxy covering.

Don’t skip your dated brick fireplace. Start by giving it an all-over clean. Then paint bricks carefully using a rag or brush is a color that complements the décor and color of the room or use a stone polish enhancer to polish the bricks.

While you’re working on bricks, don’t forget an outdoor patio. A light coat of paint, sprayed gently with water and patted dry leaves you with a great outdoor look. If you have a wooden deck, make sure all boards are secure, and give it a fresh coat of paint or a new stain.

DECORATE

Take care in bedrooms to not go overboard catering to one gender or age. Master bedrooms, for instance, should appeal to both genders. And additional bedrooms should work for any age child or extended family member. You want potential buyers to be able to comfortably imagine themselves living there, regardless of their family makeup. Stick to neutral colors and themes.

Another great tip is to be sure rooms have a clear purpose. Clean out clutter and personal items. A room that looks like the equivalent of a junk drawer is a huge turnoff. Furthermore, an overcrowded room tells home viewers that your home lacks storage space.

Check your outside, too. Make sure lawns are kept mowed, weeds are pulled, and leaves aren’t spread around. If you have any unkempt areas, some fresh bark chip looks tidy at a very reasonable cost.

Oh, and Happy New Year!