How To Sell Well in Any Market

I've recently been asked what works to sell listings in today's market. For me, it comes down to a few simple but powerful practices:

1. Start by giving - make it easy for anyone to get information. This means that my web site allows any visitor to search all listings - not just mine - without having to give personal information first. Buyers can see what's available in the areas they are interested in. But savvy sellers also use this to see what's going on in their neighborhood. And then I make it easy for a visitor to get in touch with me by email or phone.

2. Be available - having the listing agent available to take every phone call saves time and aggravation for everyone. The person who knows the property best can ask a potential buyer the questions like "What is the most important thing you're looking for in a house?" Of course the listing has all the features of the property, but only the personal conversation can find out what matters to each buyer. And this can only happen if the agent is available to answer questions and book appointments.

3. Use technology - a computer cannot list or sell a house, but it can streamline the process in many ways. Have a welcoming web site that is easy to navigate and keep it up to date. Give people useful tools that will make the process easy for them. I've created these:

• Buyers4YourHome - this page on my site allows people to tell the world what they are looking for in a home. People email me what they want, I put it on the site, and potential sellers can scan for a match. This has been very successful.
• My Listings - every one of my listings has a separate page that a buyer can download, print, and carry with them.
• My Blog - here I talk about what's happening in the Baltimore market but also have conversation-starters like my recent contest. To help raise interest in a unique property, I ran a contest asking for visitors to come up with ideas of creative uses for the building, an historic church that had been used as a gallery. The response was great!

With these and other techniques, I consistently sell well in any market.