If you think that the sale process starts at listing, then you aren't alone. Sellers often assume that they should wait for their home to officially hit the market before they begin working on finding a buyer, but why wait that long? The earlier that you can generate interest in your home sale, the better the chances of selling faster and for more money! Luckily, there are a number of strategies which you can use to get your home onto the radar of potential buyers before the listing goes live. Keep reading to learn about four options suggested by realtor.com for effectively building early buzz in a sale.
Use gossip to your advantage
Nothing spreads faster than gossip! Be sure to let everyone know that you are preparing to sell your home. Chances are good that someone in your social network is either thinking about buying or knows someone who is, and putting your home into their head first gives you an advantage over other for-sale properties. Don't stop at just talk! Make sure that you post on social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, with plenty of photos that cast your home in the best possible light!
Speak to local loan officers
You want to sell your home, and loan officers want to lend buyers the money to do it, so who could be a more natural ally to help you generate interest in your sale? Get the word out to local lenders that you are preparing to sell your home. When serious buyers go in to get their loan pre-approval, even a brief mention of "a property that isn't even listed yet" will immediately pique their interest; after all, everyone loves to feel like they are getting a special offer!
"Coming soon"
Ask your agent about a "coming soon" sign in front of your house. Buyers who are already looking in your neighborhood are guaranteed to see the sign and make a mental note to check back in when the house hits the market. In fact, they might even come right up to your front door and ask you about specifics! You can even make a special "coming soon" MLS listing for a few weeks for the same purpose. If you're wondering why you wouldn't just list now, it's because people want what they can't have! The special status often generates more buzz than simply listing right away would have.
Schedule a sneak-peak
Similar to the "coming soon" status, you can also schedule a "preview" open house! It is just like a regular open house, except for the fact that the home isn't officially on the market quite yet. Try to schedule the preview at the same time as other local open houses to help increase foot traffic. Buyers who attend many open houses in a short time frame won't be able to forget the one that was a special preview, so they'll be more likely to make an offer later.
