Putting the house in the market

Please note that I describe the process as though you are selling the house on your own. If you choose to accept the help of a real estate professional like me, I will take care of most of these things and guide you through the things that you need to do.

Put up a 'For Sale' sign in the yard

Although 'For Sale' signs are rarely seen by the eventual buyer, it helps potential buyers locate the house on your street. And who knows, you will be lucky; an interested buyer might see the sign and knock on your door.

Advertise in the local newspaper

The 'Home Life' section of Kalamazoo Gazette is a very common place where people advertise their homes. Real estate brokerages advertise their homes in 'Home', a bi-weekly publication that is distributed free of charge all across the area. Many potential buyers pick up copies of the 'Home' magazine to start up their house hunting process.

Post flyers in places with people-traffic

This is a cheaper way of advertising. Sellers place flyers in public places where people tend to congregate.

Conduct a mailing campaign

Select an area where potential buyers of a home similar to yours are expected to live. For instance apartment complexes. Mail flyers out to the people of an area or pay mailing companies to do the campaign for you.

Get listed in the MLS

This is perhaps the most important tool in marketing a home. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a database of all the houses in the market. It is maintained and paid for by the brokerages and therefore only properties listed by the brokerages are listed there.

What is the big deal about a computer database, you might ask? It is indeed a big deal. Getting listed in the MLS is the most important reason for hiring the services of a realtor to sell your home.

That is because most realtors depend almost exclusively on MLS to locate properties to show their clients. They don't drive around looking for 'For Sale by Owner' signs. They just search for properties in the MLS that fit the specifications of their buyers. Increasingly, potential buyers are also using MLS to locate properties that fit their needs.

Get a good picture for your MLS listing

First impressions are very important. Potential buyers search MLS for homes. Before they read all the fine details about the house, they look at the picture of the house. If the picture looks lousy (or if there isn't a picture), the next listing is just a click away. Hence, make sure that the picture you agent posts in the MLS is a good one.

Additional pictures

Prominent brokerages such as Keller William Realty post additional pictures of each room and view on their website to give the buyers a 'virtual tour' of the home via their computer. These pictures are taken when the listing agent is preparing to put the house in the market. The photographers from the brokerage will schedule a photo session with you. It is your job to prepare your home to 'showcase'. If the pictures show clutter and disarray, the 'virtual tour' can do more harm than good.