As a real estate agent you might dread the fact that winter is just around the corner. In fact the colder season has just begun and already there is snow on the ground. If you are a real estate agent who lives in an area where the climate gets cold and frigid you might need to make adjustments to your business. What this means is that the sales tools and tactics that you might use during the warm months will probably not work during the colder months and you will need to change things around. Here are several good tips that will help you to gear your business towards the colder weather.
Have Current Market Data
When you are trying to convince a seller that the cold winter weather is just as good of a time to sell as the warmer weather you will need to have current market data to show them. You will need to have a set of local market statistics that are detailed and will show the sellers that the housing market during the winter is not what people say it is. There are many buyers that want to purchase during the winter as well. People will take you much more serious if you are prepared to show them that buyers are serious throughout anytime of the year.
Upgrade Your Photos
If you are selling a home during the summer months you might have your pictures of the home focus on such things as the great yard. However the picture of a snow-covered yard will not do you any favors. Therefore when you are dealing with cold temperatures and snow you will need to work a different angle to attract buyers. This is when you should hire a professional photographer to take the pictures for you. There are different packages that you can purchase. If I were you I would purchase the more expensive package. This will give you the option of having many more pictures and some may even include the measurements of the room. The more features you have in photos the more of a chance you will have to convince people to tour the home.
Offer To Stage The Home
If you have the home staged this will do wonders for not only the actual tours of the home but your photos as well. You can consult with and hire a professional stager. Once the stager has been hired you will find that anything from furniture to artwork can be added and will do wonders for the way the inside of the homes shows to prospective buyers.
Make The Price Realistic
It is important to do a market analysis and stick with the price that you find competitive. If your seller wants to sell the house for way above the market price you will soon find out that it is a bad idea. During the wintertime the key to selling a home and selling it quickly is to have the right price attached to it. If you are setting the price too high the home will not sell. If you find that the sellers do not want to lower the price you might soon find out that when spring rolls around the sellers will probably be looking into finding a new real estate agent.
As a real estate agent selling homes in the wintertime takes a lot of hard work and patience. These are just a few of the ways to be innovative when it comes to winterizing your business. However it is important that you be realistic as well.
Image via Flickr by Jim Larrison
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