selling strategy Archives - Real Estate News and Commentary

June 5, 2025June 5, 2025

Home Selling Strategies to Stand Out in a Crowded Market

Home Selling Strategies to Make Your Home Shine in a Crowded Market

Real Estate Deep Dive Podcast – Standout Home Selling Strategies

As the sun climbs higher into the summer sky, so too does the number of homes hitting the market. It’s the season of “For Sale” signs and weekend open house, and if you’re a homeowner preparing to sell, you may be feeling the pressure of rising competition and in search of standout Home Selling Strategies.

But here’s the truth: in a crowded market, standing out isn’t optional, it’s essential.

Here’s the good news: You can transform your listing from just another address to a home buyers remember with a few smart, strategic touches. Whether you’re in a hot neighborhood or a sleepy cul-de-sac, these 7 inspired ideas will help your home steal the spotlight.

1. Tell a Story, Don’t Just Sell a House

Every home has a soul. Maybe it’s the oak tree planted when your child was born or the sunlit breakfast nook where mornings feel slow and sacred. Don’t just list square footage, share moments. Create a short narrative in your listing that paints a lifestyle. Buyers aren’t just looking for walls and a roof. They’re searching for a feeling.

Example: “Sip morning coffee as sunlight pours across the reclaimed wood counters. Evenings invite candlelit dinners under twinkle lights on the back patio.”

2. Photograph Like a Magazine Spread

Smartphones have turned us all into amateur photographers, but for your home’s debut? Go pro. A skilled real estate photographer understands light, composition, and how to make a 10×12 bedroom look airy instead of cramped.

Better yet, consider lifestyle photos, a throw draped casually on a reading chair, a garden table set for brunch, soft lamplight glowing in a cozy den. These human touches make a home feel lived-in and loved.

3. Turn Curb Appeal Into Instant Chemistry

First impressions aren’t made at the front door. They’re made from the street. Trimmed hedges, a fresh coat of paint on the door, modern house numbers, and vibrant planters can do wonders. Want to go further? A fragrant potted herb garden or an elegant path light installation turns your walk-up into a moment of arrival.

4. Set the Stage, Literally

Professional staging isn’t about pretending, it’s about clarity. A well-staged home helps buyers visualize the scale of a room and how they might live in it. It emphasizes flow, functionality, and mood.

Don’t have the budget for full-home staging? Focus on key areas: the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen. These spaces carry the emotional weight of the sale.

5. Create a Sensory Experience During Showings

Buying a home is as much emotional as it is logical. Appeal to all five senses:

Sight: Clean, decluttered spaces with warm, balanced lighting.
Smell: Subtle scents like vanilla, cedar, or citrus (skip the plug-ins, they’re perceived as artificial).
Touch: Textural moments, a plush throw, a linen runner, smooth wood grain.
Sound: Soft instrumental music or birdsong from a backyard speaker.
Taste: Freshly baked cookies or a bowl of chilled bottled water near the door, it feels like hospitality, not a sales pitch.

6. Highlight Flex Spaces (and Give Them Purpose)

Post-2020, buyers crave versatility. A corner that could be an office, a nook that becomes a yoga retreat, a garage workshop ready for a creative mind. Don’t let extra space feel like an afterthought. Stage it with intention.

Use signs or framed notes: “Perfect Zoom Background”, “Quiet Homework Zone”, or “Art Studio with Morning Light.”

7. Market Beyond the MLS

Finally, your agent should do more than press “publish” on your listing. Today’s best marketing includes:

A property website with video walk-through
Social media teasers with aerial drone shots
A letter to the neighbors (who might know someone looking!)
Email campaigns targeted to agents with buyers

Pair that with savvy pricing, and you create something rare: momentum.

Final Thoughts: Be Memorable, Not Just Marketable

More homes on the market can feel like noise, but it’s also an opportunity for those in search of standout Home Selling Strategies. If your home sings a clearer, more emotionally resonant tune, buyers will hear it. Because at the end of the day, buyers don’t fall in love with houses – They fall in love with homes. And the best homes are the ones that tell a story only you could have written.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2025

Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

What’s your home worth?

September 5, 2023September 5, 2023

Home sale gimmicks?

Over the past fifteen or so years I’ve written a few articles about home sale gimmicks. And not surprisingly, it’s another year with a new real estate gimmick. In the past I’ve explained and debunked the effects on a home sale of various ploys such as under-pricing, creating buzz, throwing the block party open house, etc, etc, etc. And yet it just doesn’t seem to end. Instead of being honest and straight forward with a solid common-sense strategy, some real estate agents are just good at devising ploys to entice unsuspecting home sellers to list with them.

This year’s shiny item is a nationwide “auction” site that is marketed to sell a home fast for more money. It is used in tandem with the MLS. This is how it works…

The home is listed as usual in the MLS with descriptions, photos and all the accoutrements. The home is simultaneously listed on the “auction” site. The MLS listing has the “list price.” Buyers and agents are redirected to the “auction” site for price and terms that are acceptable to the home seller. This gimmick strategy is sold as encouraging multiple offers on the home. Agents make their offers on the site. The seller chooses an offer and goes under contract.

This sounds like the old tried and true MLS home sale listing with extra steps!

I get it though. The old tried and true home sales model is boring. Post the listing in the MLS with your price and terms. Post terrific photos. Maybe even add a floorplan and a video. Possibly have an open house. And this year (2023), with the average days on market being seven, select one of the multiple offers you’ve received and ratify the contract.

Do gimmicks get your attention? Do you utter some oohs and aahs? But does it really make sense?

In my experience, most home sellers want to sell their home quick and for top dollar. Research into some home sale gimmicks have concluded that it could actually harm your sale by either getting a lower net price, longer time on market, or worse – a lower net price and a long time on market!

For a solid result, stick with the tried-and-true home sale experience. Don’t rely on gimmicks that promise activity on your listing, higher sale prices, etc. Work with an experienced licensed real estate agent who can present a comprehensive and coherent home sale marketing plan.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2023

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November 30, 2022November 30, 2022

Home Selling during the Holidays

Home sales have been in a slump for several months. But the lackluster volume of homes being sold isn’t what most people are making of it. Of course, rising interest rates have curtailed some home buyers’ plans, but the historically low supply of homes for sale continues to drive the market. If you’re home selling during the holidays, consider that supply will continue to dwindle as many homes will be removed from market.

What does that mean if you’re a motivated home seller? Although the housing market normally slows down during the holiday season, it’s not entirely closed. Motivated home buyers are always looking for the perfect home. And with limited home seller competition, you could potentially do well with your sale. The only obstacle to your sale would be severe winter weather.

Things to consider when selling a home during the holiday season:

If you’re selling your primary residence, consider how and when your home will be available for home buyer visits. Be proactive with your communication to your listing agent so there is no confusion about showing times. The idiom “strike while the iron is hot” holds true. If you make your home available to show, stick to the schedule. Buyers will get frustrated and turned off when their scheduled appointment is canceled at the last minute.

If you’re selling a vacant home, it will be easy to show. However, you should plan to visit the home regularly for cleaning and maintenance. Maintenance is especially important during the colder winter weather.

If your home is already on the market, maintaining a show quality home is still a must. However, if your home will be listed for sale during the holiday season, you have to take care in preparing your home for buyer visits during colder weather. Decluttering, repairs, and staging are the main staples of home preparation.

If you ask real estate agents about holiday decorations, you’ll get a variety of advice. Keep in mind how home buyers will see your home. If you decorate your home, keep it tasteful and uncluttered.

Keep in mind that selling a home means having strangers traipsing through your home. Plan ahead with a showing schedule if you’re having holiday celebrations and hosting family and other guests in your home.

Home Selling during the Holidays is not for everyone. If the holiday season is a hectic, then adding the stress of selling your home is probably not a good idea. Consult with your real estate agent about home selling during the holidays and if it is an appropriate choice for you.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2022

March 9, 2021March 9, 2021

Home Selling Strategy

There is an idiom that says that the “Map is not the territory.” One interpretation is that you shouldn’t confuse theory with reality. And in real estate, that means you shouldn’t confuse the strategy with the market cycle. And as this seller market cycle continue, some home sellers are confusing it as the implementation of a brilliant home selling strategy.

Low home sale inventory seems to be the new normal since the Great Recession. Home owners are staying in their homes longer, and first-time home buyers are putting off buying a home to save money. And the current market cycle highlights how pent-up home buyer demand can drive home prices. In this market, appropriately priced homes sell fast, usually within a week. Many times, homes will get multiple offers and sell over list price. The truth is that current conditions are a manifestation of the market. However, home sellers come to expect homes to sell in a week for over list price, even when the market changes. The answer to a successful sale in any market is to create a home selling strategy.

Regardless of the housing market conditions, you need a home selling strategy (also known as a marketing strategy) to sell your home. The marketing strategy will determine the best way to position your home to get your home sold in an expedient way at the best price. It’s a map that you create to get you to a successful closing.

Your home selling strategy research should be focused on your neighborhood, as well as competing neighborhoods. Many begin with a comparative market analysis (or CMA). A CMA is a process of determining a potential home sale price by evaluating neighborhood sales of similar homes in style, size, and age. In a buyer’s market, when homes are taking longer to sell, you should get a 30-60-90 day analysis to determine the trend of sale price and days on market. In a seller’s market, the trend is usually where homes sell relatively quickly. However, the CMA can assist in understanding pricing trends.

One of the interesting aspects of a detailed CMA is the comparisons of characteristics and features between your home and other homes that recently sold. From the analysis you can begin to see what makes your home stand out from the others. You may discover your home has more or less amenities than other neighborhood homes, which should be considered in your pricing strategy.

List price is everything. Your home sale strategy hinges on pricing your home correctly. Regardless of market conditions, if the house is prices too high it will likely take longer to sell (relative to the average time on market). Homes that are prices correctly tend to sell faster than over priced homes. Many home sellers trying to reap “top dollar” have made the mistake of setting the list price too high expecting a home buyer to make an offer. The truth is that buyers are savvy and will likely skip the over priced homes. Your strategy, no matter how clever, can’t overcome overpricing.

Preparing your home should also be part of your strategy. Decluttering and deep cleaning is a must for all home sales. Whether or not you live in the home, you should consider staging. “Home staging” is a term that is used to describe the process of making your home as appealing as possible to potential home buyers to sell the house quickly. This may include rearranging and/or removing furniture. Some home sellers rent trendy furniture to replace their own items.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2021

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February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

Short Sale Home Selling

As you probably know, it’s been a sellers’ market with many listings getting multiple offers. With such a strong housing market, it would seem unthinkable that some home owners would be underwater on their mortgages when selling their homes. But the fact remains that there are many home owners who have to go through the short sale home selling process to sell their homes.

On the face of it, the January 14th press release from ATTOM Data Solutions (attomdata.com) seems to add credence to the housing market’s strength, touting that foreclosure activity is the lowest in sixteen years. The report stated that default notices, auctions, and repossessions decreased 57 percent from the previous year, and decreased 93 percent from 2010’s peak would seem to be terrific news. But the low foreclosure activity stats are actually a manifestation of a government moratoria on foreclosure activities that was imposed due to the pandemic emergency.

Rick Sharga, Executive Vice President of RealtyTrac, an ATTOM Data Solutions company, stated “The government’s moratoria have effectively stopped foreclosure activity on everything but vacant and abandoned properties. There is a backlog of foreclosures building up – loans that were in foreclosure prior to the moratoria; loans that would have defaulted under normal circumstances; and loans whose borrowers are in financial distress due to the pandemic.” Further commenting on the foreclosure backlog, Sharga believes that the foreclosure wave won’t be as bad as what occurred prior and during the Great Recession. But he cautioned that we won’t know how large the foreclosure wave will be until the moratoria expires.

So, in the face of a strong housing market, there are many home owners who need to sell (due to job loss, job relocation, divorce, etc.) but can’t because the proposed sale price is short of the amount needed to cover the costs of selling (which typically includes mortgage, closing costs, realtor & title fees, etc.). This is where a short sale can be considered.

A short sale is basically when your sales net isn’t enough to pay the mortgage(s) on the property. In many cases, short selling home owners don’t have the funds to make up the shortage needed at settlement. Instead, they seek lender approval to allow a lower mortgage payoff in order for the transaction to close. Because short sales have become a common form of transaction in the real estate landscape, the process has become more standardized since the Great Recession. Although the typical time to complete a short sale can take three to six months, short sales can take as little as forty-five days. However, it’s important to note short sale approval can also take more than six months.

Although the core process is the same, lenders have different requirements when collecting information and conducting their due diligence. Having a professional negotiator helps facilitate your short sale. Seasoned short sale listing agents typically work with experienced attorneys to negotiate and handle the process.

If you are thinking of short sale home selling, interview several experienced and local short sale agents. Ask about their track record for successful short sales and how they work on your behalf to get the job done. Also talk to their negotiator, and ask about their track record in successfully negotiating short sales.

When considering a short sale, consider all your other options as well and get professional advice from an attorney and CPA to determine your best solution.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2021

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