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Advertising the Availability of Your Home

The two most obvious marketing tools (open houses and classified ads) are only minimally effective in securing a buyer who is qualified to purchase your home in Bellingham/Whatcom County. Fewer than 1% of homes are sold at an open house. Agents use them for two purposes: to meet home buyers and potential home sellers, and to obtain feedback for the sellers of the home they are hosting!

Advertising studies show that fewer than 3% of people purchased their home after they called on an ad. And if a machine answers the phone, callers simply hang up without leaving a message. Most calls come in during business hours when sellers are away from home, and most home showings are between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday. Unless you plan to be home during these hours, you may miss potential buyers.

Advertising takes time and money. Think carefully about how you will advertise your home in order to get the most out of your advertising dollars. Ask these questions:

1. Where will I advertise? For how long? With black and white only, or with color? With interior as well as exterior pictures, on-line or print or both, and who will take these pictures? Should I use a “Virtual Tour?” If I have a view, how will I show it to best advantage?
2. How much am I willing to spend on advertising?
3. Will I put a sign in the yard, created by me or professionally printed, and how large should it be for maximum visibility?
4. Will I offer “Open House” opportunities? To whom? How often?
5. How can buyers reach me if no one is home during the day?
6. When will I conclude that my advertising methods are not working? How should they be changed for greater effectiveness?

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