9 out of 10 times I meet with a seller to discuss the marketing of their Boston Ma home I'm asked: How often will I hold an open house? Unfortunately this is a bit of a loaded question and must be put into the context for the Seller. Depending on when and how they found the home they are now contemplating on selling will set their expectations.

However seasoned agents, especially those who excel at using the internet, will agree that the "traditional" 1st open house and the means in which they were announced are no longer valid. And what I mean by this is taking out advertisements in the local paper, kicking the seller out of their home mid day Sunday and praying buyers will come.

So how do I answer this question? Simply this. While I am am avid believer in the power of the Open House, the 1st one I'll hold will not be anything like that of "traditional" agents! Instead, I will hold a "Virtual online Open House". And rather than an open house every few Sundays, my "open houses" are held each and every minute of every hour of every day until your home is sold! Plus, I'll do this through hundreds of co-operating broker and agent's websites.

You see, today's buyer is not your typical buyer of 10-15, maybe even 5 years ago. They are empowered with technology that's beyond the stuff of yesterday's science fiction comic book writers. Our cellphones which fit nicely in a shirt pocket also do double duty as mobile hand held computers. They have multi-touch color screens and are constantly connected to the internet. Buyers can install Mobile apps on their phones, some will even alert them the moment your home meets their search parameters such as price. Once a buyer open's the link to your listing, their first Open House tour of your home begins. If they like what they see, they will then call me or their agent for a personal tour. This is why I say your first open house is the one that takes place online.

As real estate professionals, our goal is two fold, to showcase your home at it's very best and to maximize the conversion of a looker into an appointment. I'll be taking professional quality photos (upwards of 6 for each finished photo) of your home or condo, like these for 243 W Newton St in Boston, MA. I'll then share these with every member broker of our MLS, who will then share with their buyers.

When interviewing agents, ask them for the addresses of their current listings and Google them. If their photos are dark, dingy, taken without the use of a wide angle lens and you know could have been better, I encourage you to either find another agent or be willing to share the cost of a professional photographer.

The market is hot in Boston, now is the time to move up or into town. Call me to discuss an On-Line marketing plan custom tailored to your home and needs.

 

Tags: Open House Selling Tips , Boston Open House , Tips for FSBO
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Sales of mid sized condos in Boston's ever so popular South End neighborhood are heating up with buyers becoming much more active than in years past. Perhaps the cause is the mild winter, the warmest that I can remember or record low interest rates... Perhaps its the result of many sellers electing to rent out rather than selling their condos. What ever the cause, the effect is that almost half of all sales are taking place in 30 days or less with about 1/3 of these sales going for well over asking. Compared to just 6 months prior when just 1/3 sold in under 30 days, this is truly the sign of a significant shift in the market dynamics.

Buyer's who thought they would wait for prices to drop in the South End found just the opposite was the case as prices over the past 2-3 years actually increased by upwards of 5%.

The biggest winners in the pricing game were those sellers who prices to sell quickly fetching over $12/sq.ft more than those who priced high and later made price corrections. If you're ready to sell, I highly recommend going for the emotional price that causes buyers to come in droves vs over pricing and having to negotiate down. Consider having your property professional appraised. In the end you'll be glad you did and richer in the end.

Tags: South End Condo Sales , Boston MA Market
Comments: 0