Reasons why your home won't sell

Are you keeping buyers away?

If your home has been on the market for several months and haven't seen much activity, chances are that one or more of the reasons below have caused your home sale to fizzle.

Here are common reasons why homes don't sell and what you can do about it.

Your price is too high

The most common reason for a home not selling is the asking price is too high. The reasons for setting the price too high to begin with are many. These range from over enthusiastic real estate agents, unrealistic seller expectations and changes in the economy. Regardless of the reason, if your home is priced too high, you're set for a tough time in the market. To fix this, look at other homes for sale that are similar and as close to yours as possible. If they are going for less money, you may be priced too high and frequently the lower priced home in comparable neighborhoods sells first.

Location, Location, Location

When it comes to real estate, it's all about location. For homes, things like school quality, crime rates, visual appeal of the neighborhood, flood and hurricane zones can all affect the sale of your home sale. Unfortunately, it's not easy to pick up and move your home. If you're in a bad location, I may be able to help minimize some of the impact by suggesting improvements to the house. But the only completely effective solution to a bad location is a lower price.

The condition of your home

There is a lot of competition on the market. Your home has to compete against other similar pre-owned homes for sale, as well as competing against brand new homes. The more you can do to make your home look appealing, the better your chances for a quick sale. Start by a thorough cleaning and de-cluttering. Your home needs to be clean enough to "eat off the floor". Beyond cleanliness, the best and fastest way to improve the condition of your home is paint and flooring. Make sure that all of the paint is in great condition, both inside and out. If needed, you may want to consider putting in new carpet. Finally, check your outdoor landscaping. Your home needs to make a great first impression as the buyer arrives.

Your home isn't easily accessible

To get your home sold quickly, it's important that other agents in the area show it to as many potential buyers as possible. When a busy agent is compiling a list of homes to show a buyer, the agent will naturally tend to show those houses that are easiest to gain access to first. Homes that are listed as being "lock box, no appointment needed" will get shown more often than homes listed as "agent has key, call for appointment".

You have ineffective marketing

Gone are the days when an agent can simply place your home with the local multiple listing service and wait for another agent to bring a buyer. Computers and the Internet have changed the face of real estate. The best real estate agents are computer-savvy. They are not afraid to communicate via e-mail or IM, create virtual tours or develop web pages and they probably know a thing or two about search engine optimization. Suffice it to say that if your real estate agent isn't doing these things, you may not be getting the exposure you need.

The market is slow

You'll hear it described as a slow market or a buyers market. This is where there are too many homes for sale and not enough active buyers. There are several things you can do in this situation and the most effective is to sell at a lower price. Buyers are expecting to find bargains. Another option, if you have time, is to wait out the market. It will turn around.

You have an agent nobody likes

If your listing agent isn't liked or respected by other agents, it could slow down the sales process. When an agent prepares to show properties, the agent begins by talking to the buyer to find out what kind of home they are looking for. They then search the MLS and other sources for homes that fit the buyer. With a good number of matches to choose from, arrogant or otherwise unpopular agents frequently get skipped.

If you want to work with one of St. Augustine's best realtors and sell your home, please call 813-528-3331 or email me.