Listing been on the market long? Here are some tips

Even though the market remains pretty hot right now, every Realtor® has a house or two on the market that just isn’t selling.

What can you do to entice some more interest in it? PAR’s leadership team offered their best advice. “The first thing to figure out is what is making it stale? I have had success with a simple painting of the offending room and the use of a home stager has been very helpful,” said PAR President Bill McFalls Jr.

“It is amazing what moving the furniture around in a room can do,” he added. “Also, believe it or not, raising the sale price of a property that hasn’t sold has been helpful as the real estate community and buying public all wonder what made this property ‘better.'”

PAR President-elect Bill Festa agreed that some sprucing up may help. “Fix anything that gives a negative impression, like a leaky faucet, missing or loose doors or cabinet hardware, cracked windows, etc.,” he said. “Also, a fresh coat of paint is a great investment. It gives a fresher look.”

He also said to make sure the whole house both looks and smells good. “If there are any offensive odors whatsoever, they need to be eliminated. Also, is the home straightened up prior to showings? Or are there dirty towels on the bathroom floor, dishes in the sink, mail on the coffee table? Get rid of clutter and some furnishings if it’s over-furnished. This is probably the least expensive way to get more meaningful showings,” said Festa.

PAR Vice President Chris Raad said, “If the listing isn’t selling, it’s likely for a reason. In most markets, there is still a lack of inventory, so typically price is a factor, which obviously no seller wants to hear. A few ways to hopefully make the phone ring are to have new photos taken, change up the marketing remarks and after that, boost the listing post to your social media networks. Another idea would be to shoot a video at the house to showcase some of the finer points of the property.”