How to Sell your St. Thomas Real Estate in a Buyer's Market

What do you do when you need to sell, but the buyer's seem to have all of the control over the market? This is not always an easy topic to discuss, as many owners do not wish to hear what is necessary to sell their home, condo, land, or business. But the truth is, you must stand out amongst your competition in some manner.

Price:

The most common factor utilized in making a property more attractive for sale is the PRICE. There is almost always a lower price that will immediately attract attention regardless of the condition of the home. Unfortunately, that can also mean you need to sell the home for much less than you have anticipated, and this is often difficult to swallow. But remember, if you do not have your property attractively priced, it will not even get the showings necessary to showcase the other qualities that may be able to initiate a sale. This is not the time to reach for a really high price, you are better simply keeping your property off the market until a recovery is proven.

Condition and Features:

The number of homes I have shown over the years that are in poor condition cannot be counted. it is almost like owners finally fell so far behind on their maintenance that they decide to sell it instead of fix things. This is not conducive to a quick sale, unless the buyer is paying real bottom of the barrel prices. If you are thinking about selling your home, I suggest you give the home a really good once over and make a list of the various projects that are needed to get it back to perfect condition. You may not be able to carry out all of these projects, but the more that can be done the better. Nobody wants to purchase an instant headache, and that is what a buyer is inheriting with a poorly treated residence. Specifically, the salt water environment of St. Thomas, and the Virgin Islands in general, will really beat down a home quickly. These homes need love and care.

Additionally, if your home has some sort of special feature, you really want to showcase that. Whether it be the view, landscaping, koi pond, generator, huge master bedroom, remodeled bathrooms- these are all things that need to be brought to the forefront as a positive quality.

The Right Realtor:

It does you no good to have a realtor that does not make your house readily available for showings. If other realtors have to run around trying to get keys, or they can never get into the home because your realtor is too busy with other clients, you will never sell your property regardless or condition. Real Solutions is different from other Real Estate Companies in that we work as a team. There are three of us, all who are willing to help each other at the drop of a dime. If one of us is busy, the other will get things done. You never have to worry about whether your real estate will be shown.

Just as important is how it is shown. Real Solutions prefers to be at every single showing. We know the home better than the other realtors, so we would like to showcase it for you as the owner. You risk misinformation by not having your own realtor show your home every time. This also allows for instant feedback from the customer without worrying about whether the other agent will share information with you.

Lastly, make sure your property is seen by the public. It should not only be on MLS, but also displayed in local magazines and the internet. Make it easy to find, and the customers will find your property. Even after all of the years of growth, the internet is still a growing marketing tool.

There are other ways you can sell your St. Thomas home during a buyer's market, but focus on these three issues and you will already be ahead of the game. St. Thomas Real Estate is competitive, and as a seller, you need all of the advantages you can get.

If you would like to read more on this topic, check out this article via CBS News:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/22/earlyshow/contributors/raymart...

or see the following tips from Bankrate.com:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/5-tips-selling-a-house-in-a-...