It’s unfortunate, but most home sellers have to deal with a lot of potential buyers who turn out to be nothing but mere tire kickers. They aren’t really serious about buying and so wind up wasting a big chunk of your time and energy that could be directed instead to buyers who are in fact serious. To avoid this situation, you need to market to and attract only serious and motivated buyers. With that in mind, we offer these 3 ways to target motivated home buyers in Baltimore.
1. Understand the Signs of Home Buyers Who Aren’t Motivated
If you really want to target only motivated home buyers in Baltimore, you’ll need to know how to cull the unmotivated buyers and lookie-loos. And that begins, of course with an understanding of the signs of home buyers who aren’t motivated so that you can quickly recognize them.
Here are some of the tell-tale signs . . .
Not Pre-approved for a Mortgage Loan
“One giant red flag is if the interested buyer doesn’t have a pre-approval letter from a lender. The buyer needs to prove that they have the funds to pay for the home and without pre-approval, there’s no way to know if the buyer has the finances. If it seems the buyer has any financial issues, it’s likely the deal will fall through.”
If a buyer hasn’t taken the time to get pre-approved, then she’s probably not serious.
Displays Evasiveness or Hesitation
“if a buyer isn’t very transparent or seems to hesitate and avoids answering your questions, it can be a bad sign. For instance, if a buyer dodges questions about their finances, what specifics they’re looking for in a home, or their timeline for buying, they may not be a legitimate, serious buyer.”
Rushes Through the Home Tour
“Just like a bad date where you skip dessert and ask for the check immediately, a buyer that’s not interested will whip through your home fast. They might seem less than enthusiastic and may also not ask many questions about the home.”
Isn’t Working With an Agent
A potential buyer who isn’t working with an agent and is going solo probably isn’t a serious and motivated buyer. “Because a buyer’s agent commission is usually covered by the seller, a buyer can work with an agent and receive advice and guidance at no cost.”
There’s not much reason a buyer wouldn’t work with a real estate agent. If they don’t have an agent, it’s a telltale sign that the buyer isn’t too serious.
2. Prepare Your Home and Create a Compelling Listing
Now when it comes to actually targeting motivated home buyers, you should begin by preparing your home and then creating a compelling listing.
The appearance of your home will matter immensely to serious/motivated buyers, so you need to do everything you can to make it look its best. Begin by deep cleaning and de-cluttering and then make necessary repairs and updates. “For instance, you could update your bathroom or kitchen with custom cabinetry, new tile, new countertops, refinished floors, and even new appliances. . . . Other important areas to look at include plumbing, roof, heating and cooling, automation, ventilation, and foundation upgrades.”
And don’t forget the outside of your home (including landscaping), that is, curb appeal to create a great first impression. The outside of your home is the first thing buyers will see, and you don’t want to put off a motivated buyer with an exterior that isn’t in tip-top shape.
When your home is ready, you’ll then need to create an impressive listing that will appeal to and bring in motivated home buyers. Remember: over 90% of home buyers go online when searching for properties. So you’ll need compelling copy in your listing along with plenty of professional-quality listing photos that present your home in its best light. And then you’ll need to promote that listing effectively.
Your best bet when it comes to creating a compelling listing is to work closely with a Baltimore who has ample experience in creating such listings. To discover more about this, just call (443) 834-4499.
3. Work With an Experienced Agent
As we just indicated, in order to effectively target motivated home buyers in Baltimore you should work closely with a Baltimore agent.
A good local agent will specialize “in your property type or neighborhood is crucial. From legal issues to marketing and promotion, the agent will guide you through the home selling process and save you lots of money and time.”
Perhaps the greatest benefit of working with a local Baltimore agent is that the agent will have an intimate knowledge of the area where you want to buy, possessing “key information and knowledge about your area. Through their networks, they can help you identify serious buyers only, key selling points, demographics, and price points in the area. The agent will also advise you on what improvements could make your property more attractive to serious buyers only compared to similar homes in the area.”
Where to Find a Great Baltimore Agent
But then you have to find that great agent you need. You could, of course, spend many hours researching and interviewing prospective agents – or you could just go to a premier agency known for its quality real estate agents. If you’re ready to sell and want to target motivated home buyers in Baltimore, then contact us today at (443) 834-4499.