1. Your home doesn’t show well online
90% of homebuyers begin their search for homes online according to the National Association of Realtors statistics. Your home needs professional photography to really shine, yet only a handful of real estate agents invest the money in this absolutely fundamental aspect of selling. You wouldn’t get excited to see a home that looks dark and small and neither will your buyers. It is also imperative that the listing description sells the buyer on how great it is to live in your home. Saying that the home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths isn’t exciting but selling a lifestyle sure is!
2. Your home doesn’t show well in person
Your home needs to look as close to perfect as it can be when a potential buyer makes a showing request. One deep-cleaning and decluttering before the listing hits the MLS sets you up for success; then a nightly 15 minute investment of time will keep your home looking great. Buyers will not want to purchase a home that doesn’t look cared for.
3. Your REALTOR® isn’t actively marketing your property
Those of us that respect this profession will work tirelessly to get your listing in front of buyers’ eyes. Unfortunately, not all will. Many real estate agents will put a listing on the MLS and hope and pray that a buyer will come along. Homes don’t sell themselves. We spend a lot of time on the phone, in person at open houses, and online to show buyers and agents the strengths and benefits of each listing we take.
4. Your price is too high
The number one reason a home sits on the market is due to pricing errors on the part of the agent. Pricing a home too high simply wastes the seller’s and agent’s time. Some real estate agents will do what we call “buy the listing” where they present a high price to the sellers in order to get the listing. Then, the sellers are usually under contract for 6 months while the agent begs them to lower the price. It is a highly unethical practice and casts shame on this industry yet we see it all of the time. Does it sound familiar?
What to do With a Listing That is not Selling
If your home looks great in person and even better in professional photographs, look to your agent for clues. It is absolutely fine (and encouraged) to ask your agent what he or she is doing to sell your home. This question will catch your agent off-guard and you’ll know right away if it is the agent that is at fault. If the agent is truly putting forth the effort, then you can only look at price. Honest mistakes happen when pricing a home—it is an art and not a science. However, did other agents that you interviewed all come in lower than the one you picked? Look at your agent’s other listings and see if they all started high with a number of price changes before selling (or sadly… failing to sell). If this is the case, someone bought your listing.