So, how did you learn of this property?, I asked the couple. “Did you see it on the MLS? Instagram, Twitter, or one of the many real estate Facebook Pages?”
“No”, they said. We were just driving by and saw the ‘for sale’ sign.
In this age of technology, our real estate agent used all the avenues she had to market our family’s estate. We labored over the photos, the description and every single thing that would go out to the world via social media. And our prospective buyers saw none of it.
Sometimes, when it comes to selling a house, social media is not all its cracked up to be. Not that you shouldn’t use it! But I’m continually surprised by how many people..both young and old..are not on Facebook. And those that are, only sporadically. You see, Alaska is not as fast-paced as the rest of the “Lower 48”. There are still plenty of home buyers that do things the old fashioned way. They hop in the car after church on a lazy Sunday afternoon and go for a drive around the neighborhoods seeing if there are any homes for sale.
So the humble, old-fashioned “For sale” sign is still relevant. Consider this: your neighbor may not see your facebook post, but he or she will for sure see the sign they drive past twice a day on the way to or from work. They might have a friend or relative wanting to buy in the neighborhood. A well placed sign helps those who are just out for a drive to know a home is for sale when they’re looking to buy. And then there’s your postman, UPS delivery guy, school bus driver, contractors and others who are present in your neighborhood on a fairly consistent bases. They’re not on social media while at work, but they will still see your sign.
Prospective buyers should spend time in the surrounding area if it’s one they are not familiar with. Get a sense of how the neighborhood is laid out. What makes it an attractive place where you would want to live? Are other properties generally well kept up? Are the lawns mowed? Are fences in good repair? Is there relatively little trash? What things impact traffic? Sidewalks and/or bike trails?
In the case of our buyers, the wife’s brother lived a few streets over from ours. They were a close knit family, so that was a big plus for her. Another positive was the quality of the nearby schools their children would be attending. She also liked the forested beauty of the neighborhood; it was pretty and quiet, so they decided to tool around the area seeing what was available. Which is not a bad thing to do!
