Category: selling real estate

Target buyers where they are: at home

This is the longest period of time most of us ever spent at home non-stop. The risk of COVID-19 has grounded about 1.5 billion people worldwide, meaning people are engaging with their homes more than ever before.

Regarding real estate this means that many people have time to think about their living arrangements. They may see things they like to improve in the house or they might shop around for a new house that suits their needs even better.

Whatever the reason why someone may shop around for a new home, it’s simply amazing to see how realtors have already adapted to the new circumstances. I saw that many newsletters were send out by them to keep their clients informed and engaged.

Target buyers who are at home

Also, they started to offer some great new services to buyers, for example to make a house viewing via video conference. While the agent would walk through the house for sale the client can follow along while sitting at home. The agent would explain while doing the walk-through and answer any questions that arise.

Another less personal but equally effective way to target buyers is the virtual tour, where the real estate agent made a video recording of a house viewing and puts this video online. It might surprise how many people will actually look at it who otherwise would have never asked for a house viewing.

My absolute favourite is the 3D tour. As far as I know, the real estate agent needs some special equipment to make a 3D tour for a house but from all options this is probably the best. The 3D model that is created allows anyone to “walk” through the house. It is similar to Google Street maps just indoors.

What about private seller?

Well, nobody can stop you from doing your own video where you walk through your house for sale. This is something everybody can do.

This is definitely some positive side effect of the COVID-19 and I hope this new digital strategy for real estate is here to stay. It saves a lot of time for buyer and seller – house hunting can be very time consuming – as this already helps to get a good overview of a property.

Make working from home your success story

The cat is sitting on your lap, your kids are screaming and running around you, here you are finding yourself with your laptop at the dining table trying to cope with this new challenge of working from home.

This is a sudden and new circumstance for all of us. Because of the coronavirus pandemic many employees are finding themselves in this new situation of working from home. It has its advantages but also comes with its very own challenges.

How to make your home office successful

Here are a few tips how you can stay motivated and effective at your new workplace within your own home.

# 1 – Keep the routine

Even if you are working from home now there is no need to get floppy. Stick to the morning routine you had before, wash, get dressed, look professional. This gets you into the right working mood and you don’t need to fear the video conference with your boss or clients.

# 2 – Sit at the table – dedicate a space just for your work

Although it might be very tempting to work from the sofa or even laying in bed, but there are more advantages to have a dedicated spot just for your work. This will help you to don’t mix your leisure time with work and keep things separate. Keep everything you need for your work close at hand. Like this it will be easier to focus on your job.

# 3 – Stay concentrated

That’s probably the most challenging of all. There may be kids, pets or your partner that are moving around in the same space distracting you with all sorts of things. If you can’t have your own room to work in peace, it might be good to speak with them and arrange a quiet time so you can stay focused on your work. The less distractions possible the better.

# 4 – Make small regular breaks

Don’t forget to make small breaks just as you would get before at the office. Get a tea or coffee, walk around a bit, stretch, call a friend… whatever you like to do in your little break.

Always remember, working from home is no vacation. It is very easy to get distracted and sometimes difficult to stay focused but with a good routine and planning it will be no problem.

You might get so good at it that you don’t want it to stop. ?

If you are a real estate agent and wondering how you can find more clients online, list your real estate ads for free on https://www.listproperty4free.com

Does your house stinks?


There are certain smells that sometimes are unavoidable in an empty old house but some are so bad that they can ruin your real estate business altogether. If your house stinks it can be a big problem.

Have you ever been at a house viewing and the first thing you noticed when entering was a musty mouldy smell?

Well, it’s not very pleasant to say the least. It immediately gives a bad impression. Nobody wants to live like that. But if you see it from a business point of view it might be a different story. If a house stinks, you might be able to see what the problem is and be confident in how to remove it.

It happened to me when viewing a house in Germany.  I was visiting an old house together with my family and when that musty smell hit us at the time of entering our immediate reaction was “no way!”. After a couple of months though we had to admit, there was no other house available anywhere near our budget.

That’s why we came back to it and actually looked at the problem. It turned out that the problem was some humidity in the basement. The basement was all panelled up with wood which also didn’t help much. After a long family meeting we decided, we go for it.

It definitely paid off.

We removed the mouldy wood and did some treatment to the basement walls. The smell was gone and never came back. And best of all, we were able to get our family home within our budget.

That’s the advantage when buying, you are able to get a house with a bad smell cheaper. Of course, you have to be confident that you are able to remove the problem causing this smell.

When selling, it would be wise to spend some money in solving the problem before. Or, maybe there isn’t even a severe problem. Sometimes it just needs a bit of care, like opening the windows regularly in an empty house. Especially before a viewing.

Bad smell that is really harmful

There are certain smells though that are really harmful for your business. It’s those that can’t be solved on a low budget or maybe they can’t be solved at all. Therefore, it is advised to make some counts before jumping into a “smelly” business. One example of a smell problem that can’t be solved would be a nearby pig farm.

Bad smell that can ruin your real estate business

I recently came across a neighbourhood in Portugal located near a paper factory. On photographs all the houses look lovely and it seems to be a really nice place to live. Unfortunately, visiting and smelling the place ruled out any real estate business in this area. Unless you have clients that lost their sense of smell. ?



UK house prices rise in early 2020 despite Brexit

It seems optimism returned among buyers and sellers – house prices rise across the UK as a result.

After 10 quiet months, property prices rose in November and December 2019.

The average price for a home in December was £215,282, according to Nationwide building society, one of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders. Property prices go up by 0.1% every month.

In January they said property values were 1.9% higher than a year earlier – up from 1.4% in December and the fastest yearly growth since November 2018. The average price for a home now stands at £215,897 – up £615, or 0.5% higher than in December.

In further evidence that the housing market is picking up, inquiries from would-be buyers, agreed sales and the number of real estate coming on to the market all rose in January.

Some surveys have also suggested a price bounce in the housing market since the general election in mid-December, although much will depend on how the Brexit after effects develop.

No doubt, we’re seeing a lot of enthusiasm among buyers since the beginning of this year but we cannot yet tell how sustained this optimistic mood will be.

By the way, price growth in London has fallen to 0.6% since the referendum. This will be welcome news for many people who are interested in becoming homeowners in London. Although it still remains far from affordable for most of us.

One challenge remains though

Raising a deposit to get on the property ladder is still difficult for many. Even in the north of England and in Scotland, where property appears to be cheaper, it’ll take someone earning the average wage more than five years to save up for a 20% deposit.

Are you looking for a property bargain or – as house prices rise – you think it’s a good time now to put your real estate on the market? Visit www.propertyunder100k.com



How to get rich with real estate – or poor

Isn’t that what we all want to know? I always wanted to get rich with real estate. It seems like a simple enough equation but what appears to be a simple method in theory is very often not found in reality.

First and foremost: A property must generate cash flow

Here you can see the basic components that decide the income and therefore the regular income from a rented real estate. Generally, the property has to make profit. The income from your property has to be higher than what you spend. This is a simple and most important rule if you want to make money from renting.

Cashflow is the “key” so to say – just with this income we increase our available capital, which we can spend as we like. We have to take all costs for the property in consideration though, everything – running cost, repairs, maintenance… etc. – to be able to calculate the expected cashflow.

Our goal should also always be to invest as little, if possible, no equity at all. Because on the one hand we can maximize our return on equity and on the other hand we keep our own money with us. In other words: we are looking for bank offers that finance 100% of a real estate for us. To do this, of course, as borrowers, we have to meet the banks requirements. Those costs for a credit also have to be taken into consideration.

How to get rich with real estate – cashflow is the most important

After considering all costs our cash flow should still be positive. Some may now think: there is no such property available by any means. But they do exist! Granted, you may need some time to find them. But why not have a look at our real estate listings? Surely you will find some interesting properties.

The same of course is valid if you are trading with real estate instead of renting it. The only problem is that it will take longer time to generate cashflow as you don’t get money on a weekly/monthly basis. It might be a bit more difficult to get by until you make a sale. You can list your real estate for free on www.listproperty4free.com

Make your homework

Also, if you are buying and selling properties for a living make sure you check with your revenue office beforehand to know how much of you profit will need to be paid in tax. This is also an important figure to keep in mind, in some countries this tax is very high.

Also, you might need to register yourself as a business depending on your local laws, this is always good to investigate before you start as it can be a real game changer.

Conclusion

I did not get rich with real estate but I’m able to make a living without needing to go to a job every day. That was my goal and I’m happy that I reached it. I had to start small though and I’m glad I did as I learned a lot with my smaller projects bringing me to where I am today.



Work as a real estate agent while still in University

Is it actually possible to work as a real estate agent while still in University?

Being a realtor or even just a sub agent may be a very easy work which can be done on a part time basis while studying at the university. All you’ll need may be a realtor license or a friend with a real estate business. Sounds easy enough, right?

That’s why above question crossed my mind. It would really be a cool way to get enough money to support your busy life as a student. Here is what I found out.

I came across many agents who got their Real Estate Agent’s license while they were still in College. And it seems, if you are passionate about real estate and good with people this is definitely the way to go. Maybe you were planning to go in this direction anyway so this is a fantastic way to start getting some experience.

You are probably very limited regarding your time

That’s why the best would be to only start as a part timer. Ideally, you can set your own hours and pick up listings between classes. You can start doing open houses on weekends – that’s when most of the clients are around anyway.

Some who started doing this loved it so much that they left college all together and concentrated on their real estate business. That’s not what we like to encourage! Everybody has to make their own decision regarding their career.

If you like to try it yourself with little money – maybe you have a friend or relative who wants to sell a house – why not try some websites where you can list real estate for free. This will keep your costs down until you made your first money that you can reinvest into your little venture. Here at https://www.listproperty4free.com/ you can list your real estate ad with no strings attached. Interested buyers will contact you directly.

Even if you fail…

Even if you try to work as a real estate agent while still in University and fail, don’t see this as a waste of time. At least then you know it’s not for you and the experience you made in this time will always be helpful for you in the future – maybe when you get your own home.

Some even found out that they rather buy properties themselves, do some work or staging on it and resell it for more money. That’s what I ended up doing. It’s great because you have full control over your time and project.

Some even work their way up this way. This is called the property ladder. With the money you got from selling your first home you buy the next slightly more expensive as you have a bigger budget now. This you repeat several times until you are at the top. You might discover that this is something you really enjoy doing as it usually involves handy work or decorating. For many this is far more interesting than to work in a real estate office.

If you are looking for a first project that you can buy with a small budget

Check out this website: https://www.propertyunder20k.com/. It only lists real estate below 20,000 Euros.

Conclusion

It’s definitely worth a try to work as a real estate agent while still in University. Maybe even helps you to find out what kind of work you like to do in the future.



How the Internet has revolutionized the Real Estate market


The arrival of the Internet has changed the real estate market for ever. Until 1998, the hunt for a suitable home to buy or sell took place through the advertising in the local newspaper or a big sign in the front of the house.

And these approaches are still used today. With the arrival of online property portals, the significance of the newspaper for many real estate agents has dropped radically: both buyers and sellers create their choice to purchase a property and locating an agent largely online. Obviously, personal recommendation can be still a large thing which shouldn’t be underestimated.

Consequently, the objective of any real estate agent needs to be that potential buyers encounter his real estate offers before everybody else, be it on some real estate portal or straight on his own website. But how can you do this?

Real Estate Market: Listing alone is no longer enough

The competition on the sector is fierce. New thinking is necessary, because listing an ad alone, is no longer sufficient.

Real estate hunt online

When it comes to the real estate market, it’s important to put yourself into the buyer’s shoes.

Fundamentally, the earlier the agent manages to get the buyer to his website or on the portal, etc., the greater the chance to get a deal!

The buyer is on the lookout for advice: he’s at the research phase. He’s now considering selling his own property. That’s the reason why he is searching with Google for advice about his or her concerns. It would be great if this possible client would land on your website at this phase.

For you, this means making services and information about the sale and purchase of property – obviously with reference to a region.

Some potential topics could be: Advice about energy efficiency, market cost determination, house staging, aftercare for clients and a whole lot more.

SEO-optimized composing: Little interventions make a huge impact

But every individual text must also be aligned in this manner that it matches the research requirements of your target group. The intention is that Google shows your text up in the results listing. Possible buyers may find your content before anybody else. Including search engine optimized composing, for that there are a few principles. The simplest & main guideline is: The preview which the searcher enters in his Google search should, if possible, look in the heading and at the very first paragraph of your text!

Where’s the real estate agent’s digital home in 2020?

The most fundamental place for many is your own homepage. This ought to be so intuitive that the consumer can find all of the important information and various methods to get in touch with you. But several websites are distinguished by the fact that they feature mostly static, i.e. virtually classic content that’s rarely changed (like contact, imprint, about us).

Your home can also be on a real estate platform where your available properties are featured along your contact information. This can be at https://www.listproperty4free.com/

Social networking is standard now

At the era of Social Networking, you will find tons of places online where you can also present content.

Most successful agents are on Facebook – the business page is currently standard.

Another great place is youtube. It has been a part Of the Google family and also shows up high in the results listing. It is possible to learn how specialists use real estate videos. Naturally, videos are a great deal and more chances to find you.

For all activities on the Internet, you should produce as many connections to your content as you can.

The searcher’s first experience with the Broker or his property occurs from the results listing.

It is important to be visible on top of the results listings and to look better than the offers of your competition.

With bump-up (to be on top) and spotlight displays, your visibility is increased. Like that possible buyers actually click on your ad and possibly contact you. That of course requires a good quality of pictures and text.

Find some great offers on the real estate market on www.all-real-estate.com



Selling your house – best first impression by using the right accessories

A good first impression of a property is always the most important thing. To achieve this when selling your house, the use of nice accessories, such as a fancy letter box, a cute house number sign or some flower pots beside the entrance door is essential.

Small things like this not only improve the overall feel of a house but are also an indicator of who lives here.

It should express your personal character and taste. There are numerous ways to display a house number, for example. There is the right design for every taste. I noticed that vintage signs have been very popular recently. Those good old fashion white numbers on a blue enamel sign.

Every house has a mailbox, of course.

It is not just for receiving letters and advertisements. It also expresses the individual character and taste of the person behind the mailbox. Often, the letter box is integrated into the front door in the form of a letter flap.

There is nothing more beautiful than nature’s beauty. A well-arranged flower pot at the entrance is an eye-catcher. Flowers in lovely fresh colors are always triggering good emotions – and that is very important when selling your house.

Besides using the right accessories for the best first impression, a well-kept garden and clean house complete the impression. You will be seeling your real estate in no time.

Since the potential buyer does not only want to see the outside area, it is clear that you also have to present the inside of your property in an appealing way. You don’t have to offer a sterile atmosphere.

Well-chosen decoration ensures that the prospective buyer feels welcome and comfortable.

One of the most important preparations for an on-site visit with potential buyers is to put the interior in a tidy condition and to repair any defects in the house:

    Are all rooms tidy and clean?

    Are repairs required?

    Would parquet or tiles need to be restored?

    Could the walls use some paint or a new wallpaper?

    What items can you remove now?

    How can you decorate and create a good atmosphere?

Are you selling your house? List it with us on https://www.listproperty4free.com/



Stop getting Spam


Say hello to our anti-spam feature.

Tired of getting spam? We too. Let’s put the crooks out of business.

There’s nothing worse than finding out that your promising looking leads were indeed just fake messages, what a huge waste of time. Much worst is, that it takes not only time but also your attention away from qualified leads and those who genuinely need to get in touch with you.

Selling real estate ourselves, we understand how frustrating and stressful dealing with this form of spam can be.

It is called manual spamming and happens when people manually fill out web forms. It is the most difficult to beat because human spammers can get through many anti-spam measures that websites put in place.

Luckily there is a way to combat it and make your life a little easier.

We are happy to let you know that from now on you can block spammers. Simply mark them as spam in your query. This will allow us to keep them away from you.

How does it work?

When you receive a query by email, you can simply click the link at the bottom to mark it as spam. You can also mark it by going to your query list of your ad and flag it.

Log in and try it out.



Land for sale – 5 practical tips to sell your Real Estate


You have a land for sale? In this guide we have 5 practical tips for a successful real estate sale.

If your property is a designated building land and is located in a city or close to town, then the sales opportunities are excellent. Naturally, urban locations have only limited land available, there are hardly any gaps. At the same time, demand is usually high.

There are basically two target groups for the sale of a property; private individuals who want to realize their dream of owning a home, or property developers and project developers who want to realize their own construction projects in order to subsequently market them.

Most important for the buyer is to know how he can use the land.

1. Land for sale – Which marketing strategy to choose?

When marketing a plot of land prospective buyers should be informed about the details of building feasibility and different project perspectives to be developed (for example, building a detached house vs. erecting two semi-detached houses). If the size of the plot allows for only one or two units, both individuals and developers should be addressed in the marketing as both groups qualify as buyers. A real estate agent can develop the marketing concept.

If the plot is very attractive, the best-selling price can be obtained through a bidding process that sets a minimum bid and asks the bidder to bid higher. Bidding procedures should normally be carried out by market intermediaries. It is traditionally carried out by real estate agents who have already sold land more frequently and know the most important property developers in the region.

2. Developability of a property as an indicator of recoverable sales price

At what price a property can be sold, can be deduced most likely from the buildability of the property. In principle, the more living space it can have, the higher the sales price.

It might be a good idea to contact an architect to develop a possible building concept. Please keep in mind your target groups. If the land is good for both, the best is to show a sketch for each possibility (for example, a detached house as well as an apartment block). Probably, the architect is able to advice you on how much density can be build on your land.

3. Make a pre-application before selling the property?

In the event that the building feasibility is unclear because there is no qualified development plan and the buildability does not clearly result from the surrounding buildings, it may be useful for the seller of a plot to make a pre-application before marketing the property.

In the case of a pre-application to the planning department, the requesting party submits proposals for development to the building authority and then receives an official notification, which gives legally binding information on the buildability. Although the pre-application is costly and may take a few weeks, it facilitates the sale of a property.

4. Have all the legal documents in order

Before marketing your land for sale, you should put together all necessary documents. Usually, they are made available to the real estate agent and when it comes to the sale they will be given to the notary. As a result a buyer who decides to go ahead with the purchase will not need to wait. Unfortunately, it happens often that a buyer gives up because of the long waiting time to get all the needed documents in order.

5. How much is my land worth? – How to come up with the right price

There are different procedures to determine the value of a land. The method used depends on the type of property.

First of all, the comparative value method: The comparative value method sets the property in relation to similar properties that were sold in the same location. This procedure usually applies to privately used residential land.

In contrast, the earnings value method: This method is used primarily for land in which the future yields achievable by the land are taken into account for the value of the land. Examples of this are residential properties that are for rent or commercial properties.

Where can I buy and sell my land for Sale? That you already know.

Find land for sale on  https://www.all-real-estate.com/