Besides realistic pricing and photos in the MLS, make sure your agent is offering a competitive coop commission and that it is easy to show - preferably "call first, if no answer, use lockbox". I see a lot of listings that require setting appointments because the seller has a dog, works nights, or some other inconvenience, but it needs to be shown in order to sell! Also, make sure your agent has put the correct phone number in the MLS!

Yes the market is that bad right now. We have listings that haven't received one call. This is not out of the ordinary. Buyers are looking for that "great deal" right now. If you want your house to sell in this market right now, you will have to lower it drastically. I know it's rough, but the true.
cameron.fedderman@era.com

Are you pictures on the internet AWESOME?? According to Realtor.com 87% of the buyers are looking on-line first. Make sure your photos truly reflect the great selling features of your place. If you have wall-paper issues or a dog in photos that may be a reason. Were the lights on when pictures were done?? I teach Realtors in Ohio and it is amazing some of the photos I see on the internet. Consider having a Certified professional Stager over to give you an honest assesment.

Maybe every single house is overpriced in your area. Lower your price by 10%, still nothing then another 10%, keep going until you get an offer. This is what they call price discovery. So go and discover what your house is really worth.

Beth,

Don usually has some good idea's .. but just in case, here's some food for thought

you're in Lancaster Ohio, right..?

As in most Yankee area's .. you've had 5 months of cold nights and days, sloppy roads, snow, a few blizzards, rain, windy days and you might hit 50 today ... not the best time to be looking for a house unless you have to.

Most area's between Chicago and Philly don't do much business this time of the year .. north of you in the Cleveland/Medina area, they only do 20% of their business between November and April, you meet most of the agents in Myrtle Beach or Boca ..l.o.l..

In another 6 weeks .. the schools will be letting out, you'll have grass and the tree's will be blooming - most sellers don't even set their stagers or landscapers until May 1st ...

I'm not quite sure I would be in the panic mode yet ... most agents are taking their 5x5 Sony TV's with them to watch the Final Four at the their showings.

Sincerely, good luck.!

Just a hunch here. But you say your house is competitively priced and it has good curb appeal. And it's being effectively advetised. But buyers aren't looking inside. Right?

Question: Have you had a number of scheduled showings that didn't occur? Or an agent saying she'd bring someone by, then calling up to say they were running late and wouldn't be able to get there? Or even open houses, and the only people who came by were the neighbors?

If so, then there may be something about the neighborhood that's turning people off. They may be getting as close as your curb, or at least your block, and then deciding they really don't want to live in your community. And I'm not talking about any of the Fair Housing concerns about the demographic makeup of the community.

Try this. Drive 5 miles away from your house. Then drive the route that most buyers would follow. But go slow, and pay close attention. Are you driving through "bad" neighborhoods? Are there vacant or boarded-up homes on the way? Are there dumpsters in front of homes? Is there a very busy road that makes it hard to turn onto or off of? As you get close to your home, are there any properties that look bad? Overgrown lawns? Fallen trees?

Then drive 5 miles in the other direction and repeat the exercise.

Maybe that's what's turning people off.

True story: There's a community very close to where I live. Very nice, upscale ($800,000) homes. There are two basic ways to drive there. One is by going past other homes that are similar--large lots, nice homes, etc. The other way, from the other direction, goes past much smaller, older homes on little lots. The homes used to have outhouses (now they have County sewer), but many still have chain link fences and cars up on blocks. Now, if someone was driving to this nice $800,000 home, which way do you think they ought to go? Past other nice houses, or past the older homes with the cars on blocks? You can bet the agents who've listed the $800,000 home put in specific driving directions so that potential buyers pass the other nice homes, not the post-outhouse homes.

If the surrounding neighborhood is the problem, plot out the driving directions that will take potential buyers past other nice homes.

And if the problem is your specific neighborhood, I've known investors who have asked the neighbors permission to bring in a landscaper to clean up their homes. To mow the grass, plant a few flowers, etc. It's cost the investors a few hundred dollars, but has vastly improved the appearance of the block. And that investment has paid off a hundred-fold.

Hope that helps.

Hi Beth, all the answers are correct, it does sound like your agent is doing what needs to be done. One other thing you might want to do is get the house appraised, that might help as a selling point. Think about offering consessions to the buyers like helping with closing costs or maybe first time buyer assistance in your area. Your agent can help you with that information. But, this is just the way the market is, a ton of houses on the market, alot of short sales and foreclosures and not enough buyers. You would be a great buyer if only you could sell your house, and alot of people are in that situation. If nothing in the neighborhood is selling, they all might be over priced in this market. Home prices have dropped in some markets up to 40%. I have had homes on the market for over a year and I scratch my head trying to think out of the box to get buyers to look at the house. Eventually they sell, only much lower then the seller thought it would originally sell for. It is a shock, but in these times it is reality.
I am a licensed Realtor in Michigan and Florida.

I wish you much luck selling your home.
Pam

Beth:

If you are priced well and have great curb appeal, try offering a Buyer concession or Realtor bonus. Ask your Realtor if the co-op commission being offered is suitable for your market area. Realtors do not pick the homes that a Buyer will purchase, but they can determine which homes a Buyer may see. When an Agent is trying to determine which one home in the neighborhood they are going to show, it could make a difference. (Reward them.....they work hard!) With the change in the lending institutions, consider doing a Buyer concession to pay some of the Buyers closing cost. The VHA Ameridream is extremely popular, check with your Realtor to determine if this is something that you would like to offer the Buyer right up front. Hope this gives you a few things to ponder and hopefully get your home sold! Make sure that your property has multiple photo's and hopefully a virtual tour. It is always important to know your competition as well........go view your competition with your Realtor and see if your competitors are offering any of these concessions. Enjoy your day!

Cora Hunt
REALTOR

Beth-
I know it is frustrating to feel like you are doing all the right things and that activity is not bringing buyers to the table. Some questions you can work though with your agent:

Are other houses in the area selling? If so, how are they different than yours?
Has the agent spoken with other agents and asked if they are getting showings?
Does your agent follow-up on anyone that has shown the property and asked for feedback?
Does your area have "broker tours" where agents from your agent's office or local agents pass through the home and offer feedback?
Is your home in a price range that is simply out of reach for buyers? Can you offer help with monies down instead of lowering the price?

I had a listing not too long that was a great house, presented well, priced right and had lots of traffic but no offers. I talked with agents who showed it and they were equally shocked their buyers did not want to make an offer. There are so many choices for buyers that some are simply in a state of perpetual "looking for the perfect house" mode. As interest rates start creeping up, serious buyers will have to make a decision.

Good luck.

CJ

Beth,

regretably, it is that slow. I hold open houses all the time where nobody comes through.....even on well underpriced homes.

In many areas it is a great time to buy a deal, and there are many factors. One of which,IMHO, is the national media beating the drum of bad news.

My area is starting to recover, local news is covering that. Then the national news comes on 1/2 hour later and tells our local residents another story.

Consumers in my area are getting a mixed message, and then don't act at all.

Thanks Leanne. We are actually in Lancaster, Ohio.

Beth, I am unsure if you are in Ca or Pa, But the bottom line is price right now. Every seller is competeing against REO's (bank owned properties) and distress sales, where people are trying todo short sales etc. The bottom line is right now you have to stay ahead of the pack. Meaning you must be the best priced home in the area with a price that is as close as possible 10% below all the competition. if you stay ahead of them you will have a great chance to get it sold. it sounds like you are getting great counsel from your agent, and that you are being agressive, just look again at your comp, and adjust even more if needed. Also, do open houses yourself if they are common in your area, just ask your agent for the signs etc and have it. Sellers have to be pro active 100% to get their properties sold....
talk with your agent...
good luck
Leanne Smith - agent