The decision to sell is made, but how do you ensure potential buyers know your house could be their dream home? Here are five top marketing tools to help you get the best possible result for your sale.
Online presence
More than 80 per cent of  Kiwis look online to find properties for sale[*], so it’s essential your property has a presence on the worldwide web. Consider how to get the most exposure, and include plenty of details so potential buyers can put serious thought in. Your real estate agent can run through the sites that will give the best bang for your buck and advise on how best to describe your property.
Great images
Make sure your home looks pretty as a picture to attract the maximum number of buyers to come and view it in person. The first encounter many will have with your property is by viewing photographs online, in real estate magazines or agency windows, or in the property section of the local paper, so it is crucial they make a good first impression. It is worth paying for a professional photographer who can ensure images are taken from the right angle, get the lighting right and show your home at its very best, as those pictures (and video, if you want to go a step further) may just prompt a future buyer to fall in love.
Street signage
A ‘For Sale’ sign outside your home may feel a little old-fashioned in our virtual world, but it’s important to catch the attention of those who may not actively be looking for a new property, or those who always have an eye on your street or neighbourhood for the dream home. People hunting for property use up to four extra resources on top of online research, including sale signage, magazines and brochures, and agency window displays, so the more places you shout ‘For Sale’, the better.
Open homes
The actual look and feel of a property is something that can’t be construed through photos alone, so holding open homes and private viewings is key to marketing your property. Giving prospective buyers the chance to walk through your home, imagine themselves in it, and get a feel for the surrounding neighbourhood will ensure you have some serious buyers in the mix when it comes time to sell.
A great agent
Word of mouth and personal recommendations count for a lot when it comes to making a major purchase such as a new home. A committed and enthusiastic real estate agent will be able to tell people about your property, put the word out to other agents who might have interested buyers, and follow up with potential buyers about their intentions. An approach like this will make sure you have reached as many people as possible, and make you feel secure that, in turn, you get the best price possible.

When it comes to selling your house, we know getting the very best price with the least stress is your top priority. Auctions are often the best way to achieve this, as well as offering several other benefits for sellers too. Read on to find out why going under the hammer will likely work for you.

• Short and sweet

Auctions get maximum exposure for your property in a short period of time with a structured, intensive marketing campaign over a few key weeks. This approach not only creates a sense of urgency for buyers, but has the added advantage of meaning you won’t have to keep your house clean for months of open homes or agent visits, and you have a defined timeline to plan around.

• The market decides the price

Rather than guessing at the value of your home, and potentially placing a ceiling on what people will pay for it, auctions allow buyers to decide for themselves what a property is worth. This means you get a true market value for your home if it sells at auction.

• Competition is maximised

A property is worth what any one party is prepared to pay for it, so creating fair competition for your home can push buyers to truly consider their top price come auction day, and may result in you getting more than expected when the hammer finally comes down.

• Signed, sealed, delivered

An auction sale is an unconditional sale, which means that once your home passes the reserve (set by you) and the auctioneer declares it sold, you can sign the paperwork and know the deal is done. This eliminates drawn-out contract negotiations, and is often the best option for anyone needing quick settlement terms for another purchase.

• Passed in, but not passed on

If your home is ‘passed in’, meaning it doesn’t sell at auction, the intense interest and buyer activity generated in the lead-up to the auction means you usually have an increased chance of selling the home at a negotiated price to interested parties. Your real estate agent will already know who is genuinely interested in the property and can deal direct with them to see if an agreement can be reached.