Insider Marketing Tricks to Sell Your House

Sept. 28, 2006 — -- On Day 3 of the "Sell Your House in a Week" challenge, "Good Morning America" real estate contributor Barbara Corcoran focused on marketing your home.

Corcoran is gearing up for the big open house for the Freund home on Sunday in Toms River, N.J.

For an open house, you have to get potential buyers to the door by creating a buzz and separating yourself in a crowded market.

"The objective is to make a little deal look like a big deal," Corcoran said.

Blanket your area with "For Sale" signs. Corcoran made 75 laminated signs at Kinko's for a total cost of $324.

Make your signs bright and clear. Bright yellow is the most memorable color.

Use clear, big, black lettering so people can read it easily.

About 77 percent of all home buyers say they house hunt online, so Web presentation is extremely important.

The Web is the seller's best friend, but only if your photos look good. If you improve the house, put the latest photos up.

Take pictures on a sunny day, increase wattage of bulbs, use a wide-angle lens -- anything that enhances light and space.

The more pictures you post, the merrier. In the absence of information people think the worst.

Always include the house price. Buyers will move on if they don't see the price.

Start a blog. It's free and is as easy as going on to Blogger.com. You can show more photos of your house than on a Realtor's Web site, and get a little personal. Not too personal, of course, but say something like, "We've had a lot of birthday parties in this backyard."

When people start looking, turn to the newspaper or online real estate listings, but for your typical small American town or suburb, word of mouth is important. How do you get people talking?

Most houses in those areas are bought by local people, so do a mass e-mailing to all your friends and family about the "one day only sale."

Hand out flyers -- ask your kids and kids' friends to hand out flyers. You put a nice high school kid, clean cut, in front of local grocery store, and of course, people will take a flyer when he hands it out.

Corcoran also made up car magnets and a giant billboard in front of the house.

Ask yourself, whom do I know that can help me sell my home?

The Freunds' friend owns a ski shop on the major interstate in town, so Corcoran hung a nine-foot banner across the front of the shop.

Do you know any mortgage brokers? They'd love to come to your house to prequalify buyers.

Hire the local ice-cream man and the high school disk jockey for the day of the open house to create a carnival atmosphere. It also distracts people from little imperfections.