Most real estate experts agree that your home listing will get the most traffic two to three weeks after it’s first listed. But what happens if those three weeks pass and your Burnaby real estate is still on the market? You don’t want your listing to go stale, or to have information that’s outdated. Here are some ways to keep your real estate listing fresh and intriguing for potential homebuyers.

Keep the Open House Dates Updated

If the date of your first Open House has passed, be sure to delete the information from your listing. Having outdated information will show buyers that you’re not diligently checking your listing. When you decide to have a second or third Open House, be sure to put that information up immediately. This will be very helpful for those buyers who are interested in your home but couldn’t make the first Open House. Deleting outdated information from your listing will show buyers that your home is still on the market and ready to be sold.

Change the Photographs with the Season

Sometimes, it can take a while to sell your home. Maybe you first put your house on the market in January, so you included pictures where it looks like a winter wonderland. But if it’s summer and your photograph still shows your yard covered in snow, it’s time to update the picture. This way, you’ll be able to show your potential buyers your newly landscaped yard and the flowers you planted in spring. You want your buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your house, and they will have a hard time doing that with unseasonable pictures.

Update the Property Description

If you make any improvements or changes to your house, be sure to update your description. You want your buyers to know that you are actively making changes to your home to make it better. You never know what’s going to get a buyer interested, so be sure to include everything you’ve done to improve your house.

Add More Advertisements

One of the reasons you could be having trouble finding a buyer for your home is because it’s not being advertised in enough places. Try purchasing a Facebook ad that will show up on people who live in your area’s sidebar. Or, place your ad in a widely distributed newspaper. If the first round of potential buyers who saw your ad aren’t biting, you just have to widen the pool.

It can be discouraging if your real estate advertisement doesn’t attract buyers immediately, but you shouldn’t give up hope. You never know when your perfect buyer is going to show up, so be sure to do everything you can to make your ad fresh and interesting for them. If you have any questions, please contact me.

When most people find a house on the market they like, the first thing they think about is if they will be able to afford it. And unfortunately, Burnaby real estate can be out of the price range for some people. But how do you determine what your budget is? Here are some of the major factors that go into determining what home you can afford.

Start with a Mortgage Calculator

Your mortgage is almost always going to be your biggest expense, so it makes sense to start with it. You can get a rough estimate of how much you’ll be able to afford by using a mortgage calculator. These can easily be found online in both basic and advanced version. If you use the basic calculator, you put in the price of the home, your down payment and the interest on the mortgage loan. In the more advanced calculators, you also add things like insurance, property taxes and the loan term. The mortgage calculator is an easy way to get an idea of the home you’ll be able to afford.

Add in All of the Other Small Expenses

Once you buy the house, there will be small expenses to take care of. This includes a home inspection and closing costs. Also, as you get ready to move, you’ll begin purchasing furniture and appliances, which can add up. You should make a list of all of these expenses, and add their costs to what you already have for the mortgage. This way, you won’t be surprised by the amount.

Estimate the Cost of Moving In

When you’re ready to move into the house, there will be more expenses waiting for you. The first one will be hiring a moving company to haul your things. After that, you may need to hire a handyman to fix small problems around the house. There could be other small things that need to be done too, like painting or yard work. You’ll probably be aware of the problems that need to be fixed in the house, but there could be a few surprises, so you should budget for a little more than necessary for this aspect of moving.

Buying and moving into a house is a large investment, but if you figure out a budget beforehand and stick to that budget you shouldn’t be in for any surprises. Just be sure to include all of the small expenses in your budget, and always leave yourself some wiggle room. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy your new home without stressing about your finances.

If you’re interested in owning a piece of Burnaby real estate, please check the home listings on my website. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Your real estate ad is often going to be the first thing potential buyers will see. Because of that, you want to make sure that it stands out. You don’t want your buyer to choose some other Burnaby real estate because your ad wasn’t memorable. Here are some ways to make an advertisement that attracts and keeps the attention of potential buyers.

How to Sell your Home Quickly

Hook them in at the Beginning

It’s no secret that smart phones and social media have lowered our attention spans. This means that it’s more important than ever to start your ad with a good hook. Start by saying all of the things that make your home unique and attractive to potential buyers. Don’t bury the best parts of your house deep in your ad. There’s a good chance the reader won’t even get that far. If, for example, your home has a beautiful view of the mountains, be sure to get that in quickly. Save the technical details for farther into the ad, when you’ve already hooked your potential buyer.

Include a Great Photo

The first thing that’s going to grab your potential buyer’s attention is the photo of your house. Make sure the photo is both clear and shows your house in the best possible light. If the buyer likes the picture of your house, there’s a better chance they’ll read your ad closely. 

Don’t get Bogged down in Details

You want to be sure to include all of the important pieces of your house in your ad—how many rooms there are, what the backyard looks like, what the neighbourhood is like, etc. However, you don’t want to bog your readers down with details. Give them enough to keep them intrigued, but not so much that they get lost trying to keep track of everything you said. When they come to see the house, you’ll be able to go into much more detail about all of the things you hinted about in the ad.

Make Sure Your Contact Information is Easy to Find

If the potential buyer made it all the way through the ad and is interested enough to want to see your house, you don’t want missing or hard-to-find contact information to stop them. Make sure your contact information is on its own line in bold letters so it’s easy to see. That way, your buyer won’t have to work hard to contact you about visiting and potentially buying your home.

A real estate ad is an important tool for getting as many people to see your house as possible. These steps will help you start writing an ad that will get people visiting, and one day buying, your Burnaby real estate. If you have any more questions about this, please contact me.