How To Make Your Home Listing Stand Out In A Declining Housing Market

There’s no denying that homes are sitting on the market for longer—and they’re selling for under the asking price.

While this is good news for buyers, what about those who are looking to sell or currently have their house on the market? Here is information to help explain the housing market’s current state and some tips for making your real estate listing stand out.

For the first time in a long time, sellers don’t hold all the cards. There are fewer buyers out there, and those who are left are being choosier.

One needs to be mindful of listing prices and market entry for sellers normally want last year’s prices and that stubbornness has a cost where homes are lingering on the market for longer and not selling in the current market.  

Prices have declined in some metros, flatline in others, and continue to be stable in a handful of popular, still-affordable areas but let's look at what we can do to improve the position of sellers in the current market. 

How to Make Your Real Estate Listing Stand Out

With the current state of the housing market in mind, it’s important to make sure your real estate listing is the best that it can be in order to attract potential buyers. Here are five tips for making your home listing stand out in a down market:

1. Be Honest

While it may seem obvious, one of the best ways to make your home listing stand out and find a prospective buyer quickly is to be as honest as possible. Do not try to lie or cover up any of your home’s flaws or imperfections, because this will mislead viewers and waste your time, and theirs. Being as thorough and genuine as possible with the description and photos of your listing is always the way to go and can even help sell your home faster, as it will ensure that those coming to view your home are actually interested in exactly what your home has to offer. Here at Remax team Fensham we have a non-discloser agreement that we present to the sellers and buyers so that there is transparency through the sale and have sellers disclose all latent defects that the property might have. 

2. Stage It

Having your home staged is a great way to make your home listing stand out among the seemingly endless sea of other homes for sale. A well-staged home can help highlight its best features and really catch the attention of prospective buyers. Not only will this help your listing look clean and professional, but it can also be aspirational and help would-be buyers picture themselves living in the space.

3. Highlight Upgrades and Warranties

Have you made any recent notable upgrades to the home or the major home systems or appliances? If so, this information, in addition to any applicable transferable warranty information regarding these upgrades, should be noted in your listing. For instance, knowing that the HVAC system or refrigerator was recently replaced, and the warranties that go along with those upgrades, can entice potential buyers and help set your listing apart from the rest. This lets buyers know that you’ve made significant investments that they can benefit from.

4. Go With a Pro

When it comes to making your real estate listing stand out, hiring the help of professionals can really help. As previously mentioned, hiring a professional home stager will help your home look its best, but you can also hire a professional photographer to capture the listing photos of your home as well as a professional real estate writer to actually create your listing. Not only will they know what buyers are looking for, but they’ll be able to present your home in an honest, appealing and professional way, while also including all of the key works that potential buyers are looking for.

5. Location, Location, Location

Probably the most important thing that a prospective buyer will want to know about your home is its location. But beyond just the address, a stand-out real estate listing will give as many details as possible about the home’s location including:

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