As a real estate agent, you’ve likely encountered plenty of stale listings in your time. A stale listing is a listing that has been on the market for quite a long time and hasn’t seen any movement. Maybe you’re getting showings but not getting offers and you are at a loss on what to do because you feel the home is priced correctly. Again, we have all been there.
As with many other listings real estate agents may face, a stale listing is a big challenge. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to move a stale listing and get people interested in the home again AND make an offer on it so you can finally sell it.
1. Try Reducing the Price
If you reduce the price on your listing just enough to put it into a different price range, you may see some good movement. Sometimes people are waiting just below a certain pricing threshold and will gobble up a listing you thought was dead.
Remember how home buyers typically look for homes. They are asked by Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, etc. for a price range they are willing to look within (e.g. you might have priced a home at $500,000 and the future buyer has a max search range of $500,000. You just missed having your listing shown to the future buyer).
2. Take New Photos
There are times when the photos on a home just aren’t selling it. Maybe the lighting is bad or the wrong rooms are emphasized. If your listing is stale, be sure that you have professional photos taken–your cell phone is NOT enough.
Even if you had professional photos taken already, remember that not all professionals are the same. So hiring another professional is not out of the question. You also need to change the primary image on the MLS, because home buyers are very visual and will likely give it a second look even if they’ve seen it before, thinking it’s a new listing.
3. Stage The Property (If Vacant)
If your property is vacant, you will want to set up a good home staging. You don’t want it to look desolate and lonely–no one wants to live in an empty home. You need to showcase for potential buyers how great the home can look with a few personal touches.
Remember, home buyers are visual and just not that creative…they can’t truly envision how the couch will look next to the coffee table and how much room they have to play with. Show them that!
4. Rewrite The Property Description
Sometimes people just need to see a place from a new angle. If your property description is feeling old and stale, try updating it with some fresh language. Add more details, focusing on the benefits of the home and any particularly lovely features. Include all the details people need to know–bathrooms, yard, kitchen, appliances, etc. And make sure to throw in plenty of descriptive language about “sunny bedrooms” or “cozy dining areas.”
If you are struggling with writing a property description, use Agently’s artificial intelligence tool that writes property descriptions using AI technology.
5. Address Any Cosmetic Issues
If the house just isn’t looking great, try to give it a little help. A little fresh paint can go a long way towards making a house into a home. Try to fix the low hanging fruit that doesn’t cost your seller too much money. Offer to connect your seller to a handyperson that can fix loose door knobs, mend leaking faucets, patch small holes on drywalls, etc.
The key here is to focus on the minor things which will give the buyers a sense of comfort that if the homeowner took care of the minor things, they most likely took care of the major things.
6. Host Open Houses
You can host these yourselves or offer local agents the opportunity to host them instead. The key here is to get as many people’s eyes on the home as possible. The more people, the more likely it is that the right offer will show up. Remember, not all ready, willing, and able home buyers are working with real estate agents. So they NEED open houses to get into homes!
Get the word out that you’re having an open house everywhere you can, especially on social media!
7. Relist The Property
Try removing and relisting the property. This will get it to show up as a brand new property and excite new buyers looking to jump on a first lead. Be sure to follow your MLS, association, and real estate broker’s policies on this though.
8. Scope Out The Competition
This home is probably unique, but there’s sure to be something in the area that provides a similar amount of benefits. Can buyers find a house nearby that offers the same utility at a slightly lower price? The other options may not be as big or as nice, but if they offer the same exact benefits, buyers may go for cheaper. Try to enhance your property as much as possible above the competition.
9. Reverse Prospect Buyers
Use your MLS to search for buyers for your home. Look for people who have a saved search that matches your listing. You can reach out to their agents with information about the house and see if they bite. They might have just missed seeing your great property.
10. Contact Agents
If you can, find agents who have sold similar properties in the area. Go to the “sold” section on the MLS and find properties like yours that have been recently sold. Then reach out to the agents (both on the listing and selling side) to see if they have any buyers or prospects who might be interested in your property.
11. Post The Listing On More Platforms
Sometimes you just need to reach beyond the local MLS. Try posting your property on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, local Facebook real estate groups, etc. Potential buyers may just not be looking at the MLS where your property is waiting. Sometimes you need to reach into a different circle to find the people in need.
It can be hard to move a stale listing, but it’s certainly not impossible. Just follow the few simple steps above and you’ll be well on your way to getting that stale listing moving and into the eyes of the buyers who need it.