So you’ve finally put your house on the market…and it’s not selling. What’s going wrong? There is usually an easy answer to that question and most likely it’s one of the four things listed below.

1. Price

Of course you feel your home is worth the moon and the stars—it’s your home, and it’s sentimental for you. However, the number you have in your head might not actually match your home’s true value. A good realtor will look into all the comps for an area and guide you to the perfect price for your home. But if you come up with a price and aren’t willing to allow that experienced realtor to help, chances are your home is going to stay put. Today’s buyers are savvy and can sense when a home is priced too high for what it is or the area it’s in. Your unwillingness to negotiate could be the reason why your home is staying on the market. You have to be willing to give a little in order to sell your home, and a good realtor will know just how much give is necessary to make the sale. 

2. Condition

Although every pre-owned home comes with its set of issues, if there are big ticket issues in your home, it’s going to set most buyers running. Buyers want updated kitchens with stainless steel appliances and updated bathrooms that don’t have pink tile from the 70s. There may be a buyer willing to overlook that, but if you have serious issues that aren't cosmetic like a broken HVAC, leaky roof, etc., you will most likely need to address those before the home sells. Before you list your home, tackle any major repairs you know must be made. The more updates you have made and the more move-in ready you make your home, the easier it is to sell. 

3. Bad Quality or Not Enough Photos 

One easy tip off to see if your realtor is doing their job well is your home’s photos. According to a recent Forbes article, ’90% of buyers start their search online and make a decision about whether to come see your house based on a quick skim of your listing photos. If there are few or no photos, or if the photos look bad because they weren’t professionally taken or because the house is cluttered (which shows in the photos), many buyers will move on to the next listing.’ That’s just the bare minimum your realtor should be doing to promote your home, which brings us to #4. 

4. Marketing

With the advent of new technology, the ways to market your home are endless. Your realtor’s marketing plan shouldn’t stop at just putting a sign in the yard and putting your listing on the MLS. Our proven 14-step marketing plan includes a buyer capture system where buyers can text a number placed on your “For Sale” sign to gain information about your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their phone number will be sent to us so we can follow up with them. We develop a dedicated property website for your home with mobile capabilities, distribute a  “Just Listed” postcard to the surrounding area and neighborhoods and target other real estate agents by sending an email blast to all licensed agents in the Greater Chattanooga and North Georgia area. To make your home more searchable online, we produce a virtual tour of your home and place it on multiple websites to attract local and out-of-town buyers. We also advertise your home on over 350 search engines and over 76,000 websites to make sure your home has the best chance of being seen. If your home isn’t selling, it may be time to ask your realtor what kind of marketing they have done for your home. There is a buyer out there for your home—but they’ll never know about it if your agent doesn’t find a way to tell them.  

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