Step 1 Make Your Home Easy to Show At a minimum, your MLS listing should read "call first, lockbox." The "call first" is to let you know that a buyer or agent is coming over. If you request appointments hang a "by appointment only" sign on your sign post or ask that agents / buyers tour only during certain hours, agents will likely show another listing that isn't so restrictive. Don't require that your own agent be present to show because your agent cannot possibly be available 24 hours a day.
Step 2 Use a Lockbox Lockboxes allow agents to show your home if you are not home. If you do not answer your phone, the agent should leave a message and go directly to show. If you live in a gated complex, put the lockbox on or near the outside gate with the gate code inside.
Step 3 Offer a Competitive Buyer's Agent Commission Check your listing agreement to determine if your listing agent is splitting the commission you are paying at least 50/50 with the buyer's agent. It's your money. You can direct how much of that fee goes to the buyer's agent. Or consider increasing the commission to pay the buyer's agent more than other buyer's agents receive in your area.
For example, Joe listed a hard-to-sell condo that was on the market almost 90 days. In an area where the traditional fees were 6%, with 2.5% going to the selling agent, we raised the commission to 7% and offered the buyer's agent 4%. I reduced my listing commission a little and we gave the buyer's agent more. It sold within days after the increase.
Step 4 Increase Traffic Through Market Exposure
Think about your target audience. Bump up marketing. Send direct-mail postcards to all surrounding homes and to areas that attract buyers to your neighborhood.
Advertise in local weekly newspapers.
Advertise in several sections of your daily newspaper on the weekends. It's not enough to advertise solely under the neighborhood classification. Look at directories and photo galleries.
Advertise online at Craig's List, Google,Trulia and other free online subscriptions.
If you have enough time to meet publication deadlines, consider home magazines. Take a home video and put it on You Tube
Step 5 Cater Lunch for Broker's Tour and Offer Drawing It is common for listing agents to pick up the cost of a catered lunch. Instead of zipping through a home on tour, agents will generally linger in the home, noticing details a fast tour would miss. Offer a drawing for a free gift certificate or game tickets.
Step 6 Host an Open House Extravaganza Organize other sellers in your neighborhood to work together on advertising a neighborhood open house or ask your agent to blitz the area. Publicize the event everywhere.
Step 7 Hire a sign waiver, somebody to stand on a prominent street corner with an open house sign arrow and spin it, waive it toward your home. It might cost $20 an hour, but it gets attention.
Serve hot dogs and soft drinks.
Buy brightly colored helium balloons and hang up streamers.
Step 7 Hold a Drawing Offer every home buyer who tours your home a free book or prize. Enter their name into a drawing for a weekend getaway or big sporting event. Do the drawing 30 to 60 days out. Advertise the incentive in the newspaper, online and in your listing.
Step 8 Send Out E-Flyers It's relatively easy and inexpensive to create an e-flyer. V-flyers is one online source that is free. Then e-mail this flyer to every person in your e-mail address book. Ask your agent to send e-flyers to every agent who works in your area.
Step 9 Make a Limited-Time Offer Advertise a limited-time offer that buyers can snatch up if they act quickly. Everybody wants a deal, and buyers are more motivated if that offer is going to soon vanish. For example, offer to:
Pay down the buyer's mortgage interest rate for several years.
Credit a percentage of the sales price toward the buyer's closing costs.
Prepay taxes or insurance for a year.
Step 10 Co-Op Your Advertising Check with real estate affiliates such as mortgage brokers, property inspectors, appraisers, insurance brokers -- anybody who stands to make money as a result of your sale. Ask if they would be willing to co-op advertising with you by helping to pay for some or all of your marketing by including their information in the efforts. Everybody needs to market, and real estate vendors might already have a pipeline to the buying public that you can tap.
Maybe you've been dating for a while and you just need to spice things up a bit. Every relationship needs a boost every now and then, but not everyone knows just how to do this so that both partners are happy again. Some relationships die because the partners believe that there is no way to revitalize their relationship ? but that's incorrect thinking. There are plenty of ways to put the spark back into your relationship.
#1 Try something different
It's seems a little simple, but trying something different in your relationship is the best way to overcome a ?boring? time and start anew. Try a new activity or go on a vacation together. Talk with each other and find out what you've always wanted to do ? and then do it. Take a class together or try a new restaurant. It doesn't have to be complicated.
#2 Take time away
Go off and try your own activities for a weekend or a week. When you take the time to re-find yourself in the relationship, you can bring a new vigor and life to the staleness. Too often couples want to share everything with each other, but this doesn't always increase the fun in a relationship. You get into ruts and habits and you forget that you both have your own interests. And when you're off exploring your own ?things,? you've got more to talk about and to share.
#3 Change your look
As superficial as it sounds, there is something to the phrase, ?Fake it ?til you make it.? Why not try to be the more exiting couple that you want to be by dressing the part as well? Try a new look or a new hairstyle in order to change the way that you look to your partner. We always seem to get into ruts when we're in a couple because we think that once we ?have? someone, we don't need to impress them anymore. Surprise them!
#4 Do something out of the ordinary
Bringing a woman flowers might see clich'd, but it still works to create romance in a relationship. And don't do it on an anniversary or some other expected occasion ? do it for no reason at all. If you can, send them to her workplace so that she gets a lot of attention. She'll love it.
#5 Make dinner
Again, it seems like the oldest ?trick? in the book, but making a meal for your partner or spouse is a great way to create a sense of newness to a relationship ? especially when you don't normally do it. When you simply take the time to think about what someone wants to eat as well as creating an atmosphere that supports a loving environment, it's more than just a meal; it's an expression of your love.
#6 Get out of town
Something as simple as heading to a flea market is a great way to rejuvenate a relationship ? especially if it's something that you haven't done before. When you get away from your normal surroundings, you aren't able to sink into your normal habits. Try to get away from your home or apartments at least once a month to keep your relationship strong and healthy.
#7 Hang out with your friends ? apart
Just like spending time alone, you still need to keep in contact with your circle of friends. When you start to lose contact of the people that you knew before your partner, you can feel like your entire life is devoted to your partner ? and that can be stifling. You want to hang out with the guys a few times a week because it reminds you of the person that you are. Your friends won't let you change for your partner ? and your partner doesn't want you to either.
#8 Travel in a car
Some people will say that traveling together is the biggest test of a relationship, but it's actually a great way to rebuild a faltering one. When you have to direct yourselves to a new place, you will have arguments, but in the end, you're accomplishing a goal together ? and that makes anyone feel good.
#9 Take a class for couples
Most community centers have classes that involve couples. Think about dancing or trying a new sport together. Not only will you have to work together as a couple, but you will also be learning something new.
#10 Show that the person is important to you
Too often we let our lives get in the way of our relationships, when it should be the other way around. No matter what, be sure that you show your partner every day that they are important to you ? that step alone can keep your relationship healthy and you both happy.
Both John D. Mangano & Cucan Pemo are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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