We just spent two weeks in Massachusetts, attending a wedding and visiting friends we hadn’t seen in years.
Along the way we visited a home we owned in the early 1990s, curious to see how it’s fared in our absence.
The place was empty and in apparent disrepair. We thought it was abandoned.
How anyone could leave our cute old house to squatters or critters puzzled us. Some quick research showed it’s been on the market for months.
We know the inside, and recognize the price being asked was fair…especially given the recent $10k price cut. So why wasn’t it selling?
Well, the lack of a ‘for sale’ sign was a good place to start. Plus, it was a sad sight! The lawn was overgrown, the mailbox busted up, and discarded mattresses and piles of trash were strewn around the property.
Any real estate agent knows the importance of curb appeal. If you’re selling your home, you want the prospective buyer salivating as they approach the house. Trees and lawn should be neat, paint fresh-looking and windows washed.
Because it’s not just the inside that should scream, “You belong here!” The outside must also be inviting and desirable.
Our old house had none of that going for it. My guess is the owner is selling it themselves, hoping to save the agent’s $35,000 sales commission.
It’s not working.
Admittedly, our economy’s wonky right now, with lots of folks doing things for themselves while trying to cut corners.
Only lots of the stuff they’re doing are outside their areas of expertise.
Thus, you end up with engineers selling their own homes, restaurateurs doing their own marketing and marketers doing their own taxes.
But straying so far from your own lane guarantees two things: You won’t get professional results, and you’ll be distracted from doing what you do best.
In fact, you may end up actually losing money on the deal by doing it yourself.
Which is why, regardless of what you sell, I’d advise that you stick to what you do and hire the pros to handle your other needs. Let a CPA do your taxes and marketing professionals guide your communications.
Because if you hire a knowledgeable real estate agent when you’re ready to sell your house, you’re guaranteed to be much happier!
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
Got marketing questions? www.askmrmarketing.com.
