Today the vast majority of buyers start their home search online through one, or several, of the large websites where they know they will be able to see a large proportion of the available listings in a given area. Realtor.com remains very popular nationwide and has strong brand name recognition. Large brokers which have strong ties to a community will draw vistors from the local area to their website and search component. It seems that newspapers, and even newspaper websites, continue to play less of a role in real estate marketing and are no longer thought of as a primary resource for home listings. Some for sale by owner websites are getting more and more traffic, like forsalebyowner.com, owners.com, as well as some general interest real estate websites like zillow.com and trulia.com.

So, back to the yard sign issue. With most buyers simply looking online to do their searching, does it matter if you have a yard sign?
The answer, like the answer to so many questions, is maybe. I think if you are selling by owner it pays to have a nice professional sign out in front. An attactive sign with useful information like a web address for the listing, can go a long way toward creating a good first impression and may make it easier for a buyer to approach the seller. One major issue with homes that are “for sale by owner” if the natural caution a potential buyer may feel about contacting a home seller directly to see or make an offer on their house. A nice sign and least gives the impression that you are serious about your sale and that you have some common sense (always a good thing). However, no sign is much better than a home made or otherwise unattractive sign. Recently I saw a beautiful large home in suburban Chicago with small hardware store sign stapled onto a wooden stake and stuck in the front yard. It did not look right and potential buyers may question whether they want to approach a seller who has priced their house at $1.5 million but only spent $2 on their “marketing”. Its a poor first impression that may work against the seller.

The main exterior photo is the one that is most widely distributed and often the only one that initially displays on a listing.
Although flat fee mls companies may send someone out to take pictures and get your listing set up, make sure you have the ability to add or change photos at anytime without charge.

An ideal exterior photo is one that has sunlight on the house with the sun either above or behind the photographer. If the sun is in front of the photographer or behind the house, it is likely that the front exterior will be in the shade and will not show much detail.

If your house has been marketed on a flat fee mls or for sale by owner website through a change of seasons, make sure you submit a new and seasonally appropriate photo. Buyers in the midwest who see a nice summer photo in the middle of January may feel a negative impression of the listing and may automatically wonder “how long has this home been listed?”

Interior shots should be well thought out and staged. Only large and well lighted living space should be photographed. The best spaces are usually living rooms, great rooms, kitchens, family rooms, master bedrooms, and master bathrooms. Other possibilities would be a large foyer, sunroom or porch, or large dining room. Rooms with dark paint or wallpaper should not be used.

Like the outside shot, take the sun into consideration and shoot at a time when you have the most natural light in the room. The best interior shots are those that do not require a flash and which give are bright and clear.

More is not better

Many flat fee mls and for sale by owner companies will talk up the number of photos that you can use on your listing.
You are better off focusing on 6- 12 high quality photos rather than using the 20 or 25 maximum allowed.
Although no buyer may decide to buy your house based on the photos, there is a strong chance that they will not even consider it if the photos leave a bad impression.

The concept of the open house is from a completely different era in real estate marketing. Before the advent of high quality digital photography, the internet, and other technologies, the best way for a local real estate agent to present a property was to have an open house. During this bygone era, buyers would discover houses for sale by simply driving through neighborhoods they were interested in. It was a perfect mix.

Today, buyers are doing virtually all of their house hunting online and are getting a good feel for the available properties through the photos, virtual tours, and other media which have become so prevalent in the last decade. When they have narrowed their search to a few finalists, they typically want to have a private showing and would usually not wait for the owner to have an open house.

Open houses do tend to attract people, but it is often the wrong people, like your nosy neighbors or the very mildly prospective home buyers who have no idea what they can afford and who ask too many questions as to why you are moving. Although agents no longer view open houses as a primary marketing method for selling a house, they do look at it as a good opportunity to market themselves.
Every person who walks in, whether they are a nosy neighbor or unqualified buyer leaves with the agents card and hopefully a positive impression of him or her that they will share with their friends, relatives, or colleagues. It is simply a networking opportunity for the agent.

My usual advice for home sellers thinking about having an open house is to give it a try and see how it goes. If your property is in a newer subdivision that is getting lots of weekend traffic, you may have a good shot at getting an actual buyer in to see your home.
If a developer or builder is advertising in the local paper you can benefit from the advertising and increased subdivision traffic by simply putting a professional looking open house sign out in front with a directional sign off the closest main street.

Given the changing nature of the market and how buyers search for homes, the open house is no longer as valuable as a marketing tool as it once was. Resist the temptation to place print ads that can add up to real money over the course of a few weeks or months. If your home is in an area that gets lots of weekend traffic and interest then you may want to give it a try if you can do so with just the cost of a couple of nice looking signs. An “open house” sign is included if you purchase the sign kit with your listing on For Sale By Owner.com. Also be aware of other events that may distract potential visitors. In Chicagoland, for instance, “Bear Sundays” tend to be very quiet at open houses.