Selling Luxury Homes in a Hesitant Market

Talk to a Realtor today and you will find that most folks in the industry are having a difficult time. This may not be the case with Realtors specializing in the Sacramento Luxury Real Estate market. Agents who work in this price point realize that a home will generally not go pending in a matter of days. Selling a million dollar luxury home in any area takes dedication, a solid know-how, and maybe most of all, creativity.

Realtors and sellers alike are noticing the importance of out-of-the-box thinking. Simply putting the property in the MLS and placing an ad in the newspaper just isn’t going to cut it these days. Industry experts realize that high-end buyers aren’t looking to be “sold,” they are looking to find a property that meets their expectations of a lavish lifestyle. So for the luxury real estate agents whose job it is to market these estates, they must know how to reach out to buyers who are looking for much more than just a place to sleep.

Reaching the right demographic is obviously the key, but it must come along with many other important factors. Even in the most beautiful layout, a home without proper “show” is not going to capture a buyer’s eye.

Staging is the first step. Sacramento Luxury home buyers don’t want to see a cluttered dining room, personal photos on the walls, or mismatched furniture. With hundreds of homes for sale in the luxury market, buyers need to be able to picture themselves living, working, and entertaining in the property. Luxury Realtors are encouraging their sellers to spend the extra time and money to truly get their home ready for show. In this market, everything counts!

Photography. Now, why is this important you ask? Most luxury home buyers don’t simply drive around looking for homes to tour. Buyers will find high gloss publications specializing in luxury homes, browse the internet, and will work with a Realtor who will find them homes to show from the MLS. Say you have two nearly identical homes in the same neighborhood- same approximate square footage, similar upgrades, and same curb appeal. What can make one home stand out above the rest? Beautiful photography. Time of day, the orientation to the sun, and lighting, can make a million dollar home look anywhere from average to amazing. Remember, luxury buyers aren’t all about necessity. Even something as simple as an eye-catching photograph can be enough to give one home a slight lead above the rest. Photography is definitely not the place to cut corners.

So, now you have beautifully staged home, fantastic photos, and a knowledgeable luxury real estate agent. It’s now time to reach out to qualified buyers. Besides the MLS, and the agent’s website, where are those affluent buyers going to come from? When placing an ad in a magazine, Realtors and sellers need to decide which publication is going to reach out to the most qualified buyers for their price point. Is a person looking to spend $1,000,000+ on a home going to find that property from a publication in a box next to the grocery store? Probably not. Realtors today are finding that the most effective print marketing is coming in the form of direct mail. This is when the publication is sent directly into the mailboxes of qualifying homes.
Remember that the goal is to draw in the buyers, not make them seek out the property on their own. This is what marketing is all about, reaching qualified potential consumers.

All in all, even in this hesitant market, luxury homes are going to sell. It may take a bit longer, it may be a bit more work, but with the correct Realtor and the correct marketing plan, people will continue to buy and sell property as they have done for hundreds of years.