Attracting buyers when selling your home

With interest rates still far higher than they were in 2020, sellers might need to work a little harder to make sure that their home sells timeously.

This is according to Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, who elaborated by saying affordability is likely to be one of the top concerns among buyers in the year ahead.

“Consumers have been feeling the pinch from high inflation matched with high interest rate levels for quite some time now; and this won’t improve overnight.

Dropping to 5.1% in December, inflation is only just starting to near the midpoint of the MPC’s target range of 4.5%.

“With inflation eating into households’ disposable incomes, buyers are likely to be looking for a bargain in the year ahead, which means that over-priced homes are unlikely to sell,” said Goslett.

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Goslett explained the key to attracting buyers is to price the home correctly from the start.

To make sure you home attracts a buyer, RE/MAX of Southern Africa shared the following tips:

• Consider desirable features
Each suburb will have its own unique trends. Find out what buyers are searching for in your area and see if you are able to include any in your home.

Some general trends that are emerging is an increased demand for homes with off-the-grid features such as solar panels, solar geysers, rainwater tanks, and boreholes.

The remote working trend has also increased the demand for a home office space. Sellers could also look into current design trends and incorporate some of the more popular colours and fittings to make the home more appealing to a broader audience.

• Get the listing right
Don’t miss out on the ‘new-to-market’ appeal by failing to upload photos and a description to property portals that showcase your home in the best possible way.

Your property will receive the most attention when it’s newly listed, so make sure that the photographs are of the highest quality and clearly showcase the home’s best features.

Double check the listing description and make sure that all features have been accurately detailed and listed.

• Partner with a trusted real estate professional
Not only will a good real estate agent help you get the above suggestions right, but their marketing skills and connections will also be vital when there are fewer qualified buyers on the market.

Trusting in their expert guidance and advice will help sellers find and attract the right buyer for their home.

As a final word of advice, Goslett reminded sellers that each province and each suburb has their own unique trends.

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