FSBO View homes for sale by owner, list your home for sale

5 Tips On Developing An Effective Advertising Strategy

Use A Quality Yard Sign

The most strategic and cost effective advertising you can do is placing a "For Sale" sign in your yard. The use of yard signs presents a number of advantages. First, they are relatively inexpensive. Secondly, they let your neighbors know you are selling your home. Your neighbors will be a good source of referrals as they tell others about your house. Thirdly, they reach dozens of people who drive by visiting friends or looking for homes for sale in the neighborhood.

A quality sign communicates care and concern about your property. An effective sign is one whose colors are eye appealing, is visible against the landscape, is easy to read and can be read from a car moving in both directions along your street. If you live on a corner, it will be effective to place a sign parallel to each street.

Your yard sign must clearly have the words "For Sale by Owner" printed on it as well as your phone number. The most effective sign is one that gives the potential buyer an online web address so they can take a virtual tour of your home online.

View an example of our yard sign here. We sell yard signs and flyer boxes. Click here to view our pricing.
Curb Appeal A Must

The first impression of your house will usually be the lasting impression in the mind of the potential buyer. Therefore, make the outside of your house as attractive as you can. Keep your lawn mowed and edged and shrubs trimmed. Fresh mulch and bright flowers will give the house a warm and bright look.

Paint or wash the outside of your house. This will give your house a newer look. Also, power wash your driveway and sidewalks. Give your front door a fresh coat of paint or stain and varnish.

With a little bit of effort and a few dollars, you can make the outside of your house very inviting to the potential home buyer.
Local Newspaper Strategy

"General circulation dailies" are the most cost effective newspapers in which to advertise. They reach the most people at the lowest rate per person.

Choose the classified section of the newspaper in which to place your ad. For greatest effectivenes, use several small ads emphasizing different advantages and features of your home. Using this strategy, you'll reach more types of people than just a single ad.

The composition of your ad will make a difference in whether people call or not. Use large, specific headlines and capital letters. Change up the headline for each ad you write. Place the property features at the begining of the ad using words with attractive descriptions. Emphasize your home's benefits. Surround your ad with white space to make it easier to read and to stand out from the other ads.
Online Strategy

Advertising your home online is becoming one of the most effective and powerful ways to get the word out about your home. It is very cost effective for the amount of content you can display about your home.

It's a good strategy to choose a couple of different listing services in order to obtain the broadest exposure possible. When choosing an online listing service it's important to check out several areas. First, they must be easily found in the search engines. If they aren't, then your listing will never be found by potential buyers. Second, they should have a good number of listings from your location, unless they are a new service. Third, look for services that only charge a one time fee to list your home online. Fourth, choose a service that is easy to use and provides a simple way to update your listing.

Showtime Strategy

If you have completed all of the above tasks, then it time to show your house. There are a number of important items to do in order to show your house well and close the deal.

•	Create a warm and inviting entrance. You may need to paint the inside of your house to give it a fresh look. Decorate with plants and inexpensive knick-knacks.
•	Know all about your area. You should be able to provide the potential buyer with a wealth of knowledge about the local school system, seasonal climate, utility costs, shopping, churches, property taxes and many other areas.
•	Know your property. Be prepared to answer questions about your property. A thorough knowledge about your property lends credibility and raises confidence in you as a seller. You should have a thorough knowledge about the builder of your home, the age of your home, previous owners and major repair. You should be able to talk intelligently about the brand names and capabilities of your various appliances. Also, most buyers will want to know monthly utility costs and yearly property taxes.
•	Be polite and friendly but reserved. Be relaxed and confident. Never argue with the potential buyers. Answers questions in a friendly, non-defensive manner. Do not exaggerate nor be overly aggressive.
•	Close the Deal. Ask buyers whether they are interested in submitting an offer. If they do, then have them submit an offer to you in writing. Have appropriate contract documents available for the potential buyer to use. Ask the buyers if they are comfortable using the closing company you have chosen. Give the buyers copies of your disclosure statement and all inspection reports. Request that buyers contact a lender and be prequalified for a home loan. Once you receive the offer, negotiate a final agreement and begin to fulfill the various responsibilites and tasks as detailed in the signed contract.