Ways to Advertise and Show your home for sale

Advertising with ABetterWay.com
In order to get your house sold, you have to get the word out to potential buyers that your home is on the market. It is very important that you advertise your home in different ways. We are constantly marketing the homes listed on our site to new Buyers directly and through Real estate Agents who may have a potential Buyer. Many of our listings are also uploaded to GoogleBase as a free service to our home sellers. We include additional methods such as yard signs, newspaper ads and provide guidance with an Open House. While we strive to offer the best in local advertising to bring Buyers and Sellers directly together, we also recognize the benefits of Real Estate Agents. Our program is "agent friendly". It is our primary goal to help you sell your home. At some point, it may be to your advantage to list it with a Real Estate Agency. They will be able to give you the additional exposure needed in the event that your home does not sell through our network in your desired timeframe. Agents have access to a database known as the "multiple listing service" (MLS) to get the word out to all other Agents that your home is for sale. As mentioned before however, the problem with using an agent is the big commission you pay when your house sells (typically 6-7% of the total sale price - resulting in thousands of dollars of your hard-earned equity!). As a member of ABetterWay.com, you will have access to a professional real estate agent to answer your questions and provide information at no charge. Our affiliated agency also offers a number of additional discounted traditional real estate services from Contract/Closing Assistance for as little as 1% to full service listings on the MLS at a substantial discount. Depending upon the speed in which you need to sell your home, these options could be money well spent in your effort to advertise your home.

Newspaper Ads
An excellent marketing resource is to advertise in newspapers. Occasionally, we will run ads in the newspaper to increase visibility to all of our Sellers. You can also place a classified ad for yourself as a way to advertise your home for sale. You will have to write a brief advertisement blurb to send to the newspaper. The best models for you to look at will be in existing advertisements. Include your asking price, number of rooms and any special features (whirlpool, pool, game room, gourmet kitchen, etc.) that make your home attractive. If your home is near nice schools, or has been recently built, include that information. Include the address of your home and a number at which you can be reached. Invite readers to call or set up an appointment for a visit.

Yard Signs and Flyers
In addition to marketing your home on the ABetterWay.com website, we provide you with a printable flyer and marketing tips when you login to ABetterWay.com. Sturdy, attractive yard signs are also an exceptional way to attract potential buyers. Your sign should also provide a clear container in which to place your property flyers. Place a sufficient number of copies in the info-tube attached to the yard sign. Check to see that there is plenty of flyers remaining each day, and refill as needed. If your house is on an out-of-the-way street, you may need to put up some directional signs pointing the way through the neighborhood to your house.

Hold an Open House.
A good way to advertise your home for sale is to hold an "Open House". Advertise the open house in the real estate section of your local paper, and put an "Open House" sign in your front yard and at a nearby intersection showing the date and time of the open house. Make sure your signs are up ahead of time. Your main goal in holding the open house is to broadcast the fact that the house is for sale. The people who attend the open house will spread the word to people that they know as well. Make sure plenty of flyers are available and try to hand them out to people as they leave. Weekends are obviously the best time to hold an open house. You might get lucky and find a buyer, but the main objective of your open house is to inform your neighbors and enlist them to tell others and participate in your sales campaign.

Showing Your Home.
A special effort should be made to ensure the house is clean when you know a potential buyer is coming for a look. If you have pets, make sure they are on a very short leash and kept in a storage area or outside in their pen-- pets, especially dogs, should not have the run of the house (or yard) while you are showing the house. Answer questions about the home truthfully ("I don’t know" is always acceptable if you really don’t know an answer). Always get the name, number and e-mail address of the person to whom you showed the house, in order to inform and update them with information such as when and if you decide to lower your asking price for your home.

Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval.
When considering showing your home, it is important for you to know and understand what the difference is between a Buyer who has a Pre-Approved status and one who is Pre-Qualified. If you are concerned with home security and do not want to put forth the effort to show your home to Buyers who may not qualify to purchase your home, indicate this in your advertisement in the contact information. Pre-qualification consists of the Buyer answering a short series of questions regarding their income, assets and debts, and the lender giving them a ballpark figure of what loan amount they would qualify for. This is not a commitment from the lender, but it is a good starting point for Buyers to know "how much house" they can afford. Pre-approval is the lender’s conditional commitment for a loan of a certain amount at a certain rate. This commitment has a time limit and usually a few conditions such as an acceptable appraisal and final underwriting to ensure there are no changes or hidden problems.