Robert Lijs’ REAL ESTATE INSIDER

Spring Edition

Continued on page 2

Your home has languished unsold on the market for months, but you can't fathom why.

Chances are, you've overlooked what buyers really want. Let's take a look in more detail at some of those issues you might have overlooked.

Your price is too high - This is the number one reason your house isn't selling. Sure, you are attached. Your home is where you raised a family and created memories you can't put a price on.

However, today's buyers are more savvy than partial to your emotions. They either won't look at over-priced properties, or when they do, they'll make a low-ball offer, way below mar-

ket value.

If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days, it's time to re-view and adjust your price.

Your house is poorly located or poorly planned - There's not a lot you can do about this: a small yard, a weird hill that makes mowing maddening, a sink hole down the street, neglect that's turned to blight, a busy road nearby.

No matter how magnificent your home may be on the inside, outside factors can keep buyers from crossing the threshold to take a look. The only way to over come these obstacles is to lower the price until a buyer bites.

Your Home Isn't Selling Because...

Written by: Laura N. Oatley

An Open House Can Close The Deal

Written by: Kim Clark

Continued on page 3

Spring is in the air and right now, many homeowners begin to con-sider putting their homes up for sale.

If you are one of those homeown-ers, it's time to prepare your home

for market.

You'll have to examine your fi-nances, hire a real estate agent, begin to de-clutter, clean your home and repair and replace where nec-essary.

Also consider the advantages of an open house.

Here are five reasons common rea-sons an open house might close the deal.

Mortgage Rates

Fixed rates:

Rates provided by Invis Mortgage

as of May1st, 2013

Subject to change without notice

Special rates, depending on closing date.

1 Year: 2.65 %

2 Year: 2.69 %

3 Year: 2.65 %

4 Year: 2.89 %

5 Year: 2.89 %

Inside this issue:

Your Home Isn't Selling Because...

An Open House Can Close The Deal

Brain Teasers

Properties For Sale by EXIT Realty Metro

Robert Lijs’ Real Estate Insider Page 2

Your Home Isn't Selling Because... (Continued from cover)

Your advertising is insufficient - Your real estate agent should do more than just list your home with the local multiple listing ser-vice (MLS), sit back and wait for agents to beat a path to your door.

When you choose a real estate agent, establish what the agent plans for mar-keting. What kind of photos will be used? Smartphone photos of your home aren't smart. How will the agent describe your home in the listing? Are open house events and broker tours planned?

These are all important marketing approaches, but if they aren't part of the plan, the lack of them could be a contributing factor to your home's failure to sell.

You are inflexible - If you are not ready to show your home at a moment's notice, say for a bro-

ker's tour, you are a big reason your home won't sell. If you can't show it, you can't sell it. The more buyers who see your home, the faster it sells. The more buy-ers who see your home, the higher the selling price.

Too much "you" is in the house - Those snaking handrails and electric blue kitchen you love so dearly, are not going to be big selling points. You

want your home staged so that potential buyers can envision it as their home. Neutralize. Don't fill those beautiful, built-in book-

cases with family photos and dog figurines. Move personal items out of the house and paint the rooms a neutral color so you al-low buyers' imagination to help sell your home by seeing them-selves in it.

Your house looks run down - That big water stain under the deer antler chandelier? Fix the source of the stain and the stain itself. Take down he chan-delier. The roof may be new, but potential home buyers will zero in on stains, blemishes and dis-colorations and believe the cause of the damage re-mains. Give the carpets a good cleaning too. You don't want to turn off a po-

tential buyer because he or she thinks they will have to repair or replace something.

If you are keep these points in mind and plan accordingly, you should not have to worry about the reasons your house isn't sell-ing.

Find Me or Follow Me

facebook.com/robertlijs

@RobertLijs

Page 3 SPRING EDITION

Go to www.exitmetro.ca - ‘About Us’ and click on ‘Monthly Newsletter Trivia’ for the answers.

Brain Teasers

An Open House Can Close The Deal (Continued from cover)

Name the most expensive

house ever built.

Word Scramble:

tagrmeog korerb

1. Eyes on the prize - And open house attracts potential buyers who would otherwise be too casual, lax, or unmotivated to book a showing.

The event also has one up on a sim-ple listing.

Your friends and family can mention the event to every potential buyer they know. Neighbors who drop by might be angling to have someone amiable move into the neighborhood. Advertising and signage will catch the eye of both casual lookers and seri-ous buyers.

2. You direct the drama - Some home shoppers give little if any notice if they stop by your home for a tradi-tional showing.

It can be stressful keeping your home show-ready for the entire time it's listed. It's also time consuming to keep wastebaskets emptied, floors routinely swept, vacuumed or mopped and the laundry washed.

Not so with an open house. You de-

cide when the curtain goes up.

You can schedule the event and pre-pare for an event with the potential to bring in throngs of prospective buyers - all in one fell swoop.

It's a lot saner to deep clean and stage when you know exactly when home shoppers will arrive.

A scheduled event also gives you time to sweeten the deal with some fresh-baked goodies and aromatic vases brimming with fresh flowers.

3. Second time's a charm - Typically there's a limit to the number of times even the most interested buyer is will-ing seek for a private tour.

If your house already caught the eye of a potential buyer, he or she might feel less overbearing and be more willing to come back for a second look in a less formal setting.

An open house also gives buyers the opportunity to bring friends or family

for their input. Walking through an open house also provides guests with plenty of time to look around - during open house hours.

4. Buyers compare apples and or-anges - On any given weekend, buy-ers are likely to visit several open houses in the same general location.

This gives buyers looking in your area the opportunity to comparison shop by attending several open houses. That gives you the opportunity to make your home stand out from the crowd.

5. Time is on your side - Many open houses are available some week-ends, others, not so much. Springtime

P. 902.880.8994 | W. WWW.AEHOMESTAGING.COM | E. KLASSEN@EASTLINK.CA

Robert Lijs’ Real Estate Insider

Note: This is not intended to solicit clients currently under contract.

The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

Page 4

Robert Lijs Real Estate Professional

818-5457 robert@exitmetro.ca

facebook.com/robertlijs

More homes listed & sold by EXIT Realty Metro

View these homes & more at: w w w . e x i t m e t r o . c a

unless noted otherwise

List Today

and EXIT Tomorrow!

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