Breckenridge Real Estate Blog

There are usually good reasons why a house does not sell quickly.

• Internet Marketing.

According to the National Association of Realtors, people use the Internet 79% of the time to locate homes they want to buy. When interviewing a realtor ask them if they have a website, second and most importantly ask them how does it rank in Google, MSN and Yahoo. If their website is not ranked in the top 5 in the most popular organic search term, results, most likely to attract a buyer. DON”T HIRE THEM! For example if your home is located in and around Breckenridge, Colorado. Try searching “Breckenridge Colorado Homes”. That will give you the best place to start interviewing an agent.

Know where your buyers come from. For example over 40% of the buyers live in the Colorado Front Range. Does the Broker your interviewing only market locally? Or do they also market properties in Summit County in the Front Range? This can make a significant difference leading to a successful sale. One such company is Summit Counties Top Keller Williams Executives agent Jeffery McClintock who owns and operates http://www.realestatecolorado.net. Which receives over 27,000,000 hits annually. The site has held a number of # 1 Google rankings for Denver Colorado Real Estate and Denver Colorado Homes for several years. They also host a local Breckenridge Mortgage Site http://www.coloradomortgagegroup.com and http://www.summitcountymountainproperty.com Both holding a number of #1 rankings in Google, MSN and Yahoo. They know how to market homes on the Internet. Each out ranks the popular Realtor.com in their respective markets.

Using feedback from showings may not be pinpointing where the issues really lie. Potential buyers sometimes give misleading feedback. The real estate agent may blame the housing market. Market conditions do affect the sale-ability of a home, but if a home is priced right and is in “top show condition”, it will sell, whatever hurdles the market is presenting. If a home is in the right price range, why isn’t it selling? The answer is in its “show condition”. This is especially true if other comparable houses are selling and selling quickly. It becomes a glaring reality when a home is not selling in a hot market. Aside from the obvious reasons a home fails to sell; Price and Exposure How your home shows once you get the buyer in the door can make a huge difference.

Common additional reasons for a slow property sale:

• The home is in need of repairs.

Once a home is put on the market, it becomes a product for sale. Would you pay top dollar, or even consider buying a car that had soiled upholstery, wore tires and a cracked windshield? Soiled walls, broken tile and worn carpeting are in the same category! Unless you’re getting a real deal on that car, you’re not going to say, “Sure, I’ll buy this car for top dollar and then spend more money fixing all these issues! Not a problem!”

• The home lacks style and freshness.

Being aware of trends and style preferences in the marketplace are key in defining your home ( product ) for sale. Trying to sell a home that has orange shag carpeting and dark paneling is like trying to sell a car that has a throttle and an AM-only radio.

• The furnishings and layout make the property appear small.

When selling a home, the potential buyer should be impressed by the amount of square footage that they’re getting for their money. Open up rooms and wall spaces by getting rid of excess furniture and wall décor. The emphasis should be on the product for sale, not its decoration.

• The kitchen and bathrooms are dated.

Time and again, surveys done on the cost of remodeling have shown that money invested in kitchen and bathroom remodels are a worthwhile investment. Wouldn’t it be easier to sell that car after having spent some money getting the upholstery cleaned, a new set of tires and replacing the cracked windshield?

• The home has a design scheme too personal to the homeowner.

For the most part, potential buyers are better able to see themselves living in a home that has appeal to the general public. A homeowner may love a nautical theme, but mountain homebuyers are usually looking for something more mainstream or mountain rustic. A home should appeal to the most buyers’ possible. In this way, the market for potential buyers is not artificially narrowed by the home’s design.

• The house is cluttered and appears untidy and unappealing.

When getting a car ready for sale, aren’t the first things you do is to wash and wax it, put a great shine on the tires and clean it out? The same applies to putting a house on the market! You have to get that home in the best “show condition” to get it sold and sold quickly!

• The home has great features that are lost in the decor.

It may be a gorgeous fireplace, a window wall with a fantastic view, or some architectural detail. Emphasize the positive. Get that potential buyer to see all that square footage, and all those wonderful features.

• The home doesn’t have curb appeal.

First impressions are critical. If you don’t wow the potential buyer right from the get-go, they may not even want to enter your home. You have to make the outside of your property grab their attention and make them eager to see what’s inside. How do you feel when you look at a car that is dented, scratched and looks like it’s been neglected? Doesn’t this immediately create a feeling of disappointment, and even turn you completely off to looking any further?

• The home lacks visual appeal.

Visual appeal is greatly enhanced with a few artificial plants and natural light. A home literally comes to life when greenery is added and sunlight is allowed to shine in.