Getting More Buyers Through the Door

Getting More Buyers Through the Door

The other day while eating my lunch, I flipped on the TV. The HGTV show, Selling New York was on. This was my first occasion to watch this show.

I was immediately struck by the differences you see among listing agents in different parts of the country.

In that particular episode the listing agent had a $1.775M apartment he was looking to sell. The very first difference I noticed was that the listing agent had to be present for every showing. As a matter of fact, I never even saw a Buyer's Agent with any of the prospective buyers. Most buyers in Tennessee are working with a Buyer's Agent who will show them prospective homes.

The second thing I noticed was the agent was trying to sell the apartment to the buyer. It was quite obvious he was working on the seller's behalf. It was very reminiscent of a car salesman. He was really applying the pressure to get the buyer to purchase this apartment. Because a Buyer's Agent is showing the home here, the listing agent isn't present giving a sales pitch.

Thirdly, when asked if the seller would consider a lower offer, the agent stated the seller was firm on her asking price and there would be no negotiating. Really? I can't sell a home if no one ever writes an offer. As the listing agent, I always encourage an offer be put into writing. You never know what a seller might do when presented with a written offer.

As a result of this show, I started thinking about my responsibility as a listing agent. And I know what I'm going to say may be controversial but here goes.

Ultimately, my goal as a Franklin TN listing agent is to get the seller's home sold. However, I really look at my job as a marketer than a salesman. Here's how I see it.

The best way for me to sell a Franklin TN home is by getting more buyers through the door. Increasing the number of buyers who come through the door, increases my chances of selling your home.

There are a variety of ways for me to do this including:

1. Price - I prepare a very thorough Competitive Market Analysis. I use information from active listings, recent closed sales and even expired listings to determine the price that will get the greatest number of buyers through the door.
2. Presentation - A growing number of buyers are looking for turnkey homes--homes that are move-in ready. The best way to compete is to make sure your home is properly de-cluttered, cleaned, painted and staged. I work closely with sellers to assist them in preparing their home to compete with the many homes already on the market. This is a key component to getting more buyers through the door.
3. Photography - After we have priced a home properly and prepared it to be show ready. I have professional photographs taken. Ninety percent of buyers begin their search on the Internet. You want to make sure your home stands out. One of the ways to do that, is to provide clear, well-lit photos showcasing the features of your home. My photographer takes approximately 60 -70 photos. Then we use the best photos to put in the MLS (multiple listing service). However, the MLS only allows 20 photographs so I also provide a virtual tour with 50 or more photographs of your home. Who is going to visit a home with dark, blurry photographs? This increases your chance of getting more buyers through the door.
4. Proactive Marketing - This is where I really set myself apart from the competition. I use a combination of custom signage, Internet marketing, single property websites, open houses and direct mail to get your home the exposure it needs. The Internet has become the first showing. If you have a combination of price, presentation, photography and proactive marketing, you will get showings. The more showings you have the better chance you have of selling your home.

This approach is very different from the approach the agent used in Selling New York. He applied a lot of pressure to the buyer to sell the home at the showing. That's not my style. Nor, do I view that as my job as a listing agent.

My job is get your home as much exposure as possible to buyers. As a result, your home will get a greater number of showings and has a better chance of selling.

My job is getting more buyers through the door.

P. S. If you are looking for a Franklin TN REALTOR® who will market your home to get the most exposure, contact Tammie White today for your FREE Competitive Market Analysis at (615) 495-0752.