subject: Talk To Other Brokers And Realtors In Your Area When Trying To Sell Your Home [print this page] Whenever I decide to sell my house I start by driving around to make a mental note of other houses for sale in the same neighborhood. Usually I don't look at the inside of them, but I can certainly get a handle on my competition in the area, and sometimes, as it turns out, I also find a buyer, too.
Because I've been investing in houses here for so long, it's only natural that I would know a lot of other people who buy and sell houses. By now I can recognize many of them by their telephone numbers on their various For Sale and For Rent signs, and I'm sure they also recognize my signs as well. Occasionally I call them to talk about houses we have available in the same neighborhood because sometimes we can help each other out. Let's say my house has three bedrooms and a two car garage, and another house has two bedrooms and no garage, but it has a big workshop instead. We could have referrals for each other when interested buyers call us. If somebody is looking for a larger house in the same area the other property owner can give those people my phone number. We can help really each other out when we know about each other's properties.
Speaking of having the right information at the right time, one day I was waiting to get an oil change in a local shop and I happened to hear another customer tell one of the mechanics that he was looking for a house in the area. I walked over and spoke to that customer eventually, but what's more important is that I talked to all the guys in the shop about my house for sale. This sort of thing has worked well for me, meaning as a result of talking to auto mechanics and also hairdressers I've sold more than one house over the years. I make a point to spread the word when I want to sell my house.
I'm sure you already know that taking the time to drive around the neighborhood at various times of day is a good way to see what goes on. You'll notice different people around on weekends than during week days, and of course weekends are usually when you'll notice open houses. When I see an open house going on I try to stop by, or I make note of the agent's phone number. I have paid real estate agents a referral fee for sending me buyers or renters for my home, so I like to keep in touch with them.
