Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

 As the cyclical real estate market takes a turn, and conditions in most parts of the country now favor the buyer. Often referred to as a “buyer’s market,” this means that the inventory of homes for sale exceeds the consumer demand. As a result, buyers can be more selective, and more conservative, with their offers. If you are trying to sell a property in a slower market sector, you might want to try some of the following advice to help your home go from “For Sale” to “Sold.”

Price your Home Right - The number one thing you can do to help your home sell in a buyer’s market is to price it right. A knowledgeable buyer, and an experienced real estate agent, will know value when they see it. If you price the property too high, you are unlikely to receive offers, since buyers know there are plenty of properties to choose from. Also, if you are forced to reduce the price bit by bit, buyers will not always revisit an old listing, especially if new offerings are continually being added to the MLS. If you are priced right, you can expect an offer within 10-15 showings from qualified buyers. Real estate agents that are just previewing your property don’t count.

Make it Show Ready - Make your property stand out from the rest. Do the required prep work, both inside and out, to give it the curb appeal, and charm, that will pique buyer interest. Follow the advice of your real estate agent, to help the home “show well.” Clean the clutter, shampoo the carpets, refinish the floors, paint the walls, etc. You, or your Realtor, should stage your home before each showing by turning on lights, opening blinds, clearing sidewalks of snow, and having heat on at a comfortable temperature. In a buyer’s market, you have to do everything you can to make your property rise above the rest.

Choose Wisely - Hire a real estate professional who has the experience, and network, to get your home sold. In a buyer’s market it is critical to have a professional who is working non-stop to set your home apart, and bring in potential buyers. A good Realtor will help you set the right price, tell you how to stage the home, market your property aggressively, and guide you through negotiations.

Marketing - Many Realtors you interview will tell you they have a real estate website. What you need to ask as a consumer is “How do you rank in Google, MSN and Yahoo”? If the real estate agents website your considering is not organically ranked in the first couple of pages, only consider one who does. Paid placement here today and gone tomorrow. Those sites may appear in the sponsored link section of your search results but can disappear latter that same day once the Realtor’s daily marketing budget has been met. 80% of the public uses the Internet to research and locate potential homes to buy. You need a top full time on-line marketing program not a part time one. People generally search by geographical location and the terms real estate, homes or homes for sale. 

BellinghamWAHomes.com is ranked consistently in organic search term results for Bellingham Real Estate, Bellingham WA Homes, Bellingham homes for sale, and Bellingham WA neighborhoods on Google. They also hold over 3 dozen top 5 positions in similar search terms in Google, MSN and Yahoo. Over an estimated 83% of the public uses Google as their search solution of choice. BellinghamWAHomes.com out ranks Realtor.com, trulia.com, Craigslist, and even most brokerage company’s in the Bellingham WA Market.

Bellingham Real Estate Agent

If you would like more information about the Bellingham Real Estate market as well as anywhere else in the Whatcom County Area contact us at 360-739-7779 today.

Jerry Campbell, is a full time real estate agent in Bellingham WA and prides himself on providing clients with professional guidance in all phases of residential sales, and especially in residential new construction, including market research, product development, consulting, marketing and advertising. His personal mission is to bring to you a level of knowledge, experience, commitment, high standards and results to answer your real estate needs. He believes, the most effective way to provide superior service is to build a strong working relationship with you. His system includes regular consultations and feedback, which is the best tool for identifying and clarifying your real estate objectives and help define strategic solutions.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Bellingham Real Estate