A 2017 survey by the National Association of Realtors® reported 51% of buyers found their homes on the internet. Listing your home online is key to finding the right buyers.
The most popular platforms to list and sell your home online are Zillow and Realtor.com, although there are others as well. Listing your home on multiple sites is advisable so you can reach more potential buyers.
When preparing to list your home online, it’s important to gather all of the information about your home including specifications such as total finished square feet, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms. Be sure to include any features that would appeal to potential buyers, including granite countertops, new carpet, hardwood floors, and updated bathrooms. You'll want to have a written description of the home that you'll use in your listing.
Take photos of the house and upload them to your listing making sure that the photos are clear and of good quality. You may want to hire a photographer to take professional photos so buyers can see your home in its best light.
You'll also need to determine if you want to hold open houses and how you will arrange for showings. Any potential home buyers would contact you directly to set up a showing so you'll want to have a method in place to schedule them efficiently.
Potential buyers working with a real estate agent would have their agent contact you to set up a walkthrough of the property. Home buyers do not normally purchase a home sight unseen, so showings are an important part of the process.
Once you have all of this in place, you can promote your listing on other channels such as social media. You will need to be prepared to invest time and possibly money to ensure potential buyers will learn about your home.
There are advantages to listing with an agent. Real estate agents have many more channels where they are able to market properties that aren’t necessarily available to people looking to sell their home by owner. Your agent would then have the responsibility to list your home, market your home online, schedule showings, and hold open houses.
Real estate agents will list your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), an online platform that syndicates out to hundreds of third party websites. With one MLS listing, your home will be visible on major sites like Zillow and Realtor.com but also any other website that is pulling in MLS listings. The MLS is also where agents working with buyers will look for homes that are a good fit.
Here at FlashHouse, we offer a third option -- selling 100% online. Instead of listing your home yourself or with an agent, we will make a competitive cash offer on your home and enable you to close in as little as 14 days. You'll also avoid the hassles of showings or repairs, saving you valuable time and money.
To get started, simply type in your address and tell us a bit about your home, and you'll receive an offer in 24 hours.
Whether you decide to sell your home yourself or list with an agent, marketing your home online is an important channel to get your home sold.