Tampa Real Estate

The effective marketing of homes for sale has changed dramatically! Years ago homes were advertised in real estate magazines and in newspapers. That was BEFORE the internet!

Today, studies show that consumers are FIVE times more likely to buy a home they found on the internet than in the newspaper! Additionally, they are TWENTY FOUR times more likely to buy a home they found online than in a real estate magazine!

The overwhelming majority of homebuyers begin their search on the internet! Not checking the newspapers! This is one reason why newspapers are losing advertising dollars.

Studies also show that most homes are sold because a REALTOR® showed them the house (and most likely found it for the Buyers using our MLS software which is much more sophisticated than what the consumer gets to use!).

So, why are there still one or two real estate brokerages that still advertise in the newspapers? ---BECAUSE many home sellers think it is important! Not because it is effective, just because it is “perceived” to be effective by home sellers! With the thousands of homes on the market in Tampa right now, how often do you think your home will be advertised in the newspaper?

Most real estate agents will tell you that newspaper ads and open houses have little success in selling homes. These are techniques used by agents to find BUYERS—but not necessarily a buyer for your house. The odds are if they pick up a buyer at a open house, they won’t buy THAT house, but the agent can find them another house that may be more suitable.

So, where should your realtor’s advertising efforts and dollars be spent? All Tampa realtors have their listings placed on Realtor.com. Big deal! Many think that’s all that needs to be done to have an internet presence. It isn’t.

I submit my listings to over 25 websites and include virtual tours at no additional charge to my selling customers. The internet allows prospective buyers access to your home being marketed 24/7! One ad in the newspaper shows up for a day.  The number of people who view it can't compare to the internet. 

Remember when you list your home for sale, think and study what’s been proven effective in the marketing of homes for sale in the age of the internet. Marketing in the print media was a technique used in the last millennium when the internet didn’t exist!

Think of this too. You are reading this via the internet and NOT in the newspaper

Russ Perlowski: Residential Real Estate Agent:  (813) 494-2124

A typical contract for purchase of a home here in Florida has a clause that allows the home buyer to have a professional inspection of the property.  Included in the clause is language that obligates the seller to correct defects that are mechanical or structural in nature up to 1.5% of the agreed upon sales price.  (A wood destroying organism defect clause of an additional 1.5% is also typical.)

Many homeowners who are selling think they can save money and hassles by listing their home AS IS with the right to inspections.

Now here's the rub.  When I am dealing with buyers, one of the first questions I ask them is:  Do you want to consider homes that are listed "AS IS"?  When I explain that the seller will not be responsible for correcting any defects identified in the inspection the Buyer pays for, they almost always reply:  "NO"!

So, when showing them homes, I automatically rule out ALL "as is" homes.

With the thousands of homes on the market, sellers are limiting their showings by "saving money" and listing their homes "AS IS".

Interestingly, the same sellers that want to sell "AS IS", don't want to buy an "AS IS" either!

This time of year, sellers typically ask us if they should keep their home on the market during the holidays, or if they should take it off the market and put it back on after the first of the year.

According to our MLS, in Tampa there are 5,832 single family homes listed for sale.  For the entire month of October, our MLS system reflects 303 single family homes sold in Tampa.  Similarly, Wesley Chapel, currently has 817 single family homes on the market, with 58 sold in the month of October.  Of course, these stats do not include all the new homes for sale with builders, or FSBO's (For Sale By Owners). 

So, clearly the statistics are pretty grim, even when it isn't the holiday season.  This is what I say to sellers.  "The competition is fierce because inventories are extremely high.  During the holiday period, we typically see a decline in the number of homes that go under contract, BUT the Buyers who are out there, and looking are usually pretty motivated."

Taking your home off the market has no advantages in terms of freshness to Buyers, in my opinion.  Now, with our MLS system, if a home is taken off the market for a short period of time, and then goes back on, we realtors see something referred to as CDOM (Consecutive Days On The Market).  So, we automatically know that the home has been on the market a while.  A new listing doesn't "reset the odometer" on a home that has been on the market.  Not too long ago, if a home was taken off the market and then re-entered, we did not have the visibility of CDOM.  We now do.

My recommendation is to keep your home on the market during the holidays. In this market sellers need EVERY showing that they can get!   NEVER turn down a request for a showing!  It only takes ONE buyer, and the showing you don't allow could be THAT buyer for your home.