You’ve got your fix and flipped all fixed — so what about the flip? With a fix and flip, you want to sell as fast as possible. But that’s the rub, isn’t it? How do you sell fast? You can’t control the market. But you can control a lot of elements of your listing.
1. Price your fix and flip properly.
The worst thing that can kill a fix and flip is pricing it too high. Look at the comparable properties and think about your financial situation. If you’re going to be losing a lot of money holding onto the property for an extra couple of months, it may be better to discount the property now and sell it right away. A lot of fast-talking isn’t going to make up for the fact that you’ve priced yourself out of the market. And even a smooth operator isn’t going to be able to defeat most bank appraisals. Price correctly and fight less.
Of course, there’s always the chance someone will fall in love with a property priced over the market; but that’s a gamble. It’s best used when a property has something very unique about it.
2. Use your media wisely.
Video walkthroughs are practically expected now. Spend the time to get a professional photographer and videographer. Have them do video walkthroughs or even 3D walkthroughs. Stage the property nicely. Many people look online before buying a home. A lot of them aren’t even using a real estate agent; they just want to contact you directly after seeing the home. Don’t bother trying to obscure things about the property, such as making it look bigger with a fish-eye lens; that’s a waste of your time and theirs. You want the property to shine, not be misrepresented.
3. Invest in content marketing.
A blog and social media account is a great way to start reaching out to people. People who are looking to purchase a home in a year might follow you today, but that can secure a sale in a year. The more people you have exposure to, the more likely you already have a buyer watching. And content marketing pays for itself over time; though it may take some time and money to build it up now, it’s going to start bringing you in more people as you scale.
4. Build your following.
The more followers you have, the more exposure you have. A lot of people ignore followers because it’s not likely that they’re going to build a house. But build a following of real estate agents and professionals, and you’ll be in direct contact with people who are looking to buy properties. You can network with real estate professionals in your area and find out more about what their clients are looking for. And that’s only going to help you in future, because it also means that your renovations are going to be more applicable to the desires of the market. The more you can connect with people and interact with them, the more ammunition you’ll have.
What about showings? The truth is that open houses and scheduled showings really don’t matter as much as they once did. Often, people already kind of know what property they want (from all their research online) before they even take a look at it. So, don’t rely on the traditional methods to help you sell your fix and flip. You’ll need to be using the new media and reaching out to a broader audience if you want to sell.