The Real Estate Sign - Lore, Myth, and Legend

Does a for sale sign on your lawn help you sell your house? Of course it does!

The for sale sign is responsible for a few things in the process. Let's first look at what it's use was in the past. In the dark ages (pre-internet) if you wanted to sell your house, the for sale sign was very important. It was one of the only ways to advertise your intention to sell your house. The only other ways were classified ads, bulletin boards, and the well connected real estate agent.

In today's age of the information super highway (do we still use that term?) your online listing is your for sale sign screaming to people zipping by at the speed of a Facebook news feed. But does the old school for sale sign, the one in real life, on your lawn, still offer you value?

To answer that question you have to go around the complete circle. What is the purpose of the sign and what information does it provide to it's intended audience? The main purpose of the sign has not changed. It is to tell people your house is for sale and how to get more info. An agent`s sign usually provides their phone number because they want the buyer. Maybe for your house or for another if your's isn't exactly what they are looking for.

On the PropertyGuys.com sign we have our ContactPro phone number so questions can get answered and appointments can be booked. We also have your Sign ID# to direct people to your online listing. This is where the virtual viewing of your home happens. It all starts with the buyer falling in love with your home and this can all start with an innocent drive through your neighbourhood and seeing that 5 foot tall lollipop sign on your lawn.

Don't underestimate your sign, it says you are selling and should connect people with your house, not someone looking to sell any house!

M

How Do You Minimize Economic Impact When Selling Your House

I assume we have all heard the news from Blackberry by now. More job cuts, pending sale to a private equity firm, another failed software launch. Man that was a week!

I am sure there are plenty of people wondering what will happen, how will this impact the local economy, the local housing market. If even 1/2 of the job losses are here in Waterloo Region it will have to effect things, right?

It is no secret that I am not a fan of the traditional real estate agent model. Taking 5% of someone's equity for the work that needs to be done is darn near criminal in my opinion. It is sometimes justified by "market increases" and excuses like "well you are still ahead by $20,000". What happens when you loose your job, or worse yet you AND your spouse loose your jobs? That $15,000-$20,000 in real estate commissions could be the difference between pulling through and bankruptcy.

Selling the PropertyGuys.com way allows you options, at a time when you may not have too many. You have the option of selling at market value and pocketing the commission for yourself. The other option is if you are in a pinch and need to change things fast you have the ability to lower your price by that commission amount and have a competitive advantage over your agent selling neighbours. Most of our sellers land somewhere in the middle between these two options, with a win for both buyer and seller.

It would be a shame to see any negative impact from Blackberry bolster an already over inflated industry.  Look around at all the square signs in your community and know that $20,000 is more than just hot air, but then again, those balloons don't stay afloat by themselves.

The Biggest Issue Selling Your Home Without a Listing Agent

Have a look in the mirror!

I see people get frustrated when selling their home privately. They blame anything and everything but themselves. They think it's that they are not listed with an agent, that agents are not showing their home because they didn't list with an agent or that they are lacking exposure (even if they are on Realtor.ca) or some other imaginary problem they have dreamed up in their mind.

With PropertyGuys.com they have access to all the information they need. They see how much traffic they are getting on their listing through their listing analytics. A standard conversation with this type of seller goes something like this:

Seller "I think I need to list with an agent."

Me "Well looking at your listing you have had 1,027 people look at your listing. How many showings have you done?"

Seller "That's the thing, no one is calling. *insert concern like agents not showing it here*."

Me "Our experience tells us that if people are choosing not to call you it is usually related to pricing." 

Seller "No we know we are priced right."

Then 3 weeks later they list with an agent and lower their price by $25,000.

This is why our new Pro Approach is designed to bring in the professionals needed to get your home sold from the beginning. From Pricing to Legal to SOLD!

M