Sorry folks, my last post was directed to Rich. Spacier today than usual. lol

I actually was looking for some creative ideas on what else we can use for advertising. I did research our realtor and am pleased with her involvement. We understand there are some obstacles but who doesnt??

I like the idea about making a youtube video. I will talk to our realtor about that.

I think that some criticism is ok with regards to if our pics need to be modified or if we need to move something or whatnot but we take pride in a clean home and consider it to be quite tidy. We actually had the nook in the corner built custom for coffee syrups and supplies for making espresso, hot cocoa etc.

Does anyone have any other creative marketing ideas? We have used those signs that stick in the road a long time ago but the kids pull them out. I know alot of people follow signs though when they are driving around. Any way around them being stolen?

Maybe I was a little hard in my appraisal of your post. However, I always thought if an agent's client asked for consultation from another agent, it was a no harm, no foul situation. On the other hand, if an agent approached another agent's client without any sort of solicitation from that client, it's a breech of ethics. I probably need some education on that. That being said, I get what your position is about real estate being local, and those are the agents that should respond to local market questions, but to me general questions are fair game,

I lived on Bainbridge Island for many years, my mother still lives there, I know Kitsap county fairly well.

Still have property there. The current Market may have something to do with things.

As far as advice, who gives it, and the she already has an Agent stuff.

I think sometimes people come here to confirm what their agent have told them or possibly get a fresh look at things and then they can share that with their agent. I'm assuming a client who has HIRED the services of an agent is allowed to do that.
It's not going behind the agents back or a slight of the Agents abilities but the right of someone paying for services to confirm or help improve those services affecting a large financial decision making process.

ESPECIALLY in this Market/Economy when all homes being sold are NOT flying off the shelves. Especially when not all Agents are Great Agents. (The public has heard rumors of that fact)
It's the smart thing to do and I fail to understand what difference it makes where the feedback comes from.

We aren't talking local laws, permit procedures, contracts or building codes here, we are talking about Photos...Marketing....


Confirmation of receiving good services, being able to hear more/new opinions on what is being done or should be, I like this..I don't like that about photos ect.. is a good thing IMHO and one of the main contributions Trulia offers to the consumer.

Just my silly opinion..

Good luck with the sale of your home Tryinthis2,
Dunes

Rockinblu: Not trying to be overly critical here. I just don't think it's a good practice to answer questions outside of your market area, even if the question seems basic or general in nature. And, if a client is under contract with another agent, we are bound by real estate agency law NOT to enter into a counseling relationship with them. There are way too many people offering up answers here just so they can rank higher in their Trulia scores, much to the detriment of consumers seeking viable locally-based answers.

Hey Rich,

I don't get your criticism of the other agents at all. To me it doesn't have any merit whatsoever. The OP clearly asked for suggestions and Allison gave one that probably hasn't been tried. A TU from me. You give three reasons why a house doesn't sell, two of which are directly agent related. The OP has already stated "Priced at the low end of the spectrum. We followed the advice of our realtor." The other one implies that the agent could be marketing ineffectively. To me your post is like patting someone on the back with one hand, and picking their pocket with the other. I've followed both Sean and Patrick's posts for a while now and they always seem honest and helpful. However I may be mistaken, but I think Sean took a shot at me once. lol

It bothers me when agents from out of State offer up advice/counsel to clients who are clearly under contract with another agent. Wendy Crenshaw is a highly respected agent in Kitsap County and has an established track record of success. I would trust her instincts and guidance. There are only 3 reasons why a home doesn't sell - 1) overpriced compared to current market value; 2) Ineffective Marketing & Exposure; 3) Some glaring material defect or less than desirable location. What is Wendy saying is the problem?

The kitchen is terrific, but with the open shelving the counters really look like too much stuff on them. I'm counting something like 12 or 13 items on them. I would try to cut that amount at least by half. In the master bath you have a curling iron and cord hanging with the towels. All kinds of bottles and stuff on the shelves, too many towels, and yes I would take the bath mat and hang it over the tub behind the shower curtain. I wasn't referring to the master bedroom. I was referring to the one with the blue covering. I would remove whatever that is on the right side of the chest and for that matter the same for the other side. If a room is small, obviously too much stuff just makes it look even smaller, especially in photos.

Really? clutter? hmmmm

The fan...that may be a good point but it is stored there so maybe we need to either crop it or have a new pic.

The bath is not large. It only has towels and a storage above the toilet. How could we declutter that? Do you mean like remove the bath mat?

The counters are completely clean except for storage jars. Do you think we need to wipe our counters 100% off from everything?

The bed in the room is quite large. It's not the best for that room but it's our bed. Not much we can do about that.

I just looked at the house tour. I really have a problem with some of the clutter. The master bath is really bad,and the first bedroom shown has too much stuff in it. The second shot of the kitchen has way too much on the counters, and also the fan in the family room might be sending the wrong kind of message.

Try making a video of your home and neighborhood and uploading it to YouTube, Yahoo Video, Facebook, anywhere people can see it. People and search engines love videos. Make sure the title is your home's address or X Town Real Estate Home for Sale in X Neighborhood and have a link to your website for more info and contact information.

Tryinthis2,

Like the screen name. I think you are absolutely doing the right thing in being proactive with the marketing. The link below is to my FSBO blog. In it you might find a thing or two that you might not be doing that could help. However, if you find something you would like to try, advise your agent of your plans first. Good luck.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/08/thinking_about_…

We havent been on for a long time....about a month. I'm seeing alot of views on the internet site info that comes from the realtor but noone is actually coming to see the house...noone at all. we had one person so far..... I was hoping to find some creative ideas on what else we can try. I think our home shows well and is priced well. We just need to get people to actually see the house and they will love it.

The listing is at http://www.1963advantage.com/

What's happening in your neighborhood? Are things moving or are things on the market for awhile? It seems like your agent is doing everything they can. Exposure on the internet is the best thing you can do. Most buyers start their search there. Condition and price seem to be where they are suppose to be as well. Sometimes it's just the market and not much more can be done. Have you been on the market long?

Can you send me an ad for it? Email me at sean.dawes@longandfoster.com

I am in PA so I am not trying to get a listing. Just trying to help ya :)

What is the days on market? And how many showings? Feedback from those showings?

Having trouble selling your home and you have a realtor? If that is the case I have two questions:

1) Does it show well? Yes, it is fully remodeled - Bosch appliances, travertine floors, new birch custom cabinets, new flooring throughout. We have so little clutter... everything has a place. Interior & exterior repainted within the last year.

2) Is it truely priced right? Priced at the low end of the spectrum. We followed the advice of our realtor. Our home was priced that way based on neighborhood, sq footage and style of home but it didnt take into account the 30K plus in remodel that was done so that's basically a loss because she said it should be priced based on the sq footage/neighborhood more than on the quality of our remodel.

Having trouble selling your home and you have a realtor? If that is the case I have two questions:

1) Does it show well? No clutter laying around. Paint in good shape etc.

2) Is it truely priced right?


Because if you are marketing it as you mention above and have a realtor. One or two of those questions have answers of No.

Best of luck with your sale.


Sean Dawes