Hi there
Well, the sun is shining and it’s a really lovely day here in Cyprus.
I hope you’ve been practicing your telephone scripts – its fun, isn’t it? Last week I said I’d give you some more marketing ideas on how to sell your property in Cyprus, but before then, let’s just finish off talking about what you need to do when your potential purchasers start to phone.
First and foremost, you need to find out who is a serious buyer. Otherwise, how will you know if they can proceed immediately if they fall in love with your property and want to buy it? So, don’t be embarrassed to ask “are you a cash buyer or do you have a property to sell?” Or, “is the sale of your current property dependent on you buying this one if you like it?” Or, “will you need a mortgage to proceed?” And very importantly “What is your budget?” It’s good to sort out how much they have to spend – or get an indication at least – before they view.
The reason I am suggesting these questions is because I used them myself to filter people out. Believe me, there are plenty of “buyers” out there who are NOT in a position to proceed and these few questions can quickly eliminate them. Then you don’t waste your time – or theirs.
It’s hard work keeping your property in show house condition when you are selling. Although I’m very house-proud, I have to admit sometimes it did become tiring. Like for instance when you’ve just stripped the beds – and the door bell goes. Or, you’re in the middle of washing all the floors, or hanging out the washing. But what can you do? You can’t risk a potential buyer going away – and never coming back!
Next week I’m going to talk to you about how to use the supermarkets to advertise - you’ll be amazed at the response you will get!
Bye for now, see you next week.
Have fun.
Jackie
www.cyprusbuyingguide.com
Friday 26 March 2010
Friday 19 March 2010
Putting your property up for sale
Hello again
What a beautiful day it is today – not a cloud in the sky and temperatures are rising nicely. It’s really great to be back in shorts and flip-flops and getting a tan again!
I promised I’d give you some hints and tips on how to market your property yourself if you are selling privately in Cyprus – there are plenty of ways that cost very little and are really effective. Let’s start with the first step.
To make sure you get loads of viewings (and after all, that’s what it’s all about), have a “For Sale” sign professionally made – and ensure this is big enough for people driving by to see. And make sure the sign is coated so it won’t fade in the sun – unless you ask for this, you’ll find yourself getting a new one after a few months.
The sign should contain the main details of your property – for example, the type of property you are selling (ie detached villa), your contact details (mobile and home number), state whether it has Title Deeds (very important), the plot size (for example 560 sqm), how many bedrooms and whether it has a swimming pool or not. And remember to add your website if you have one. But whatever you do - don’t put the price on the sign.
Why? Because you want as many people as possible to phone you. This is when you entice them to view. The easiest way to do this is to have a script in front of you that you can read out. It sounds a strange thing to do, but trust me, it works. You need to make your property sound as attractive as possible over the phone and you need to sound really positive and confident. Practice (it’ll be a bit of a laugh at first) and you’ll see how easy it becomes.
Ok. So the telephone has rung and you have your first potential viewer on the phone (how exciting!) You have a great description of the property in front of you to read, but – to avoid wasting your time and theirs - you really need to find out what their position is before you show them around.
Tune in next week and I’ll give you some ideas on how to deal with this, also don't forget to have a look at my latest newsletter by going to: www.cyprusbuyingguide.com
Until then, have a really super weekend.
Best wishes as always
Jackie
What a beautiful day it is today – not a cloud in the sky and temperatures are rising nicely. It’s really great to be back in shorts and flip-flops and getting a tan again!
I promised I’d give you some hints and tips on how to market your property yourself if you are selling privately in Cyprus – there are plenty of ways that cost very little and are really effective. Let’s start with the first step.
To make sure you get loads of viewings (and after all, that’s what it’s all about), have a “For Sale” sign professionally made – and ensure this is big enough for people driving by to see. And make sure the sign is coated so it won’t fade in the sun – unless you ask for this, you’ll find yourself getting a new one after a few months.
The sign should contain the main details of your property – for example, the type of property you are selling (ie detached villa), your contact details (mobile and home number), state whether it has Title Deeds (very important), the plot size (for example 560 sqm), how many bedrooms and whether it has a swimming pool or not. And remember to add your website if you have one. But whatever you do - don’t put the price on the sign.
Why? Because you want as many people as possible to phone you. This is when you entice them to view. The easiest way to do this is to have a script in front of you that you can read out. It sounds a strange thing to do, but trust me, it works. You need to make your property sound as attractive as possible over the phone and you need to sound really positive and confident. Practice (it’ll be a bit of a laugh at first) and you’ll see how easy it becomes.
Ok. So the telephone has rung and you have your first potential viewer on the phone (how exciting!) You have a great description of the property in front of you to read, but – to avoid wasting your time and theirs - you really need to find out what their position is before you show them around.
Tune in next week and I’ll give you some ideas on how to deal with this, also don't forget to have a look at my latest newsletter by going to: www.cyprusbuyingguide.com
Until then, have a really super weekend.
Best wishes as always
Jackie
Friday 12 March 2010
Viewings, viewings and more viewings
Hi, I hope you’ve had a good week!
The sun is shining here, its 25 degrees and not a cloud in the sky – sheer bliss! To carry on from my last blog, I’d like to share some stories about coping with all those viewings.
But just before I do, I just have to tell you this. While I was trying to transfer our telephone number over to the new villa, (that’s another story) I had to work from an internet café. Well, the one I worked from wasn’t quite an “internet café”. There was a tea dance going on and I was asked to dance by an elderly gentleman who only had his bottom set of teeth – bless him. I decided there and then that my pulling days were over. But I suppose I was lucky he had one set…..
Moving on, the biggest tip I can give you if you are selling is to remember it really is a “numbers game”. The more viewings you have, the more chance you have to sell.
You do need to be prepared for potential buyers to just turn up and ring the door bell. Cypriots in particular believe in just “popping round” so it’s quite normal for them to do this and they do expect to view there and then. And even some of the professional agents do this! You’ll find they are driving round the area with clients and suddenly the door bell goes and yes, it’s another unexpected viewing.
Keeping our villa neat and tidy every day wasn’t really a problem because we’re very house proud – but I have to say these sudden viewings were a constant challenge. Once, I was in the middle of making a cake. The kitchen looked like it does when you are doing these things - and the doorbell went. Well, what can you do? It’s no good saying come back when it’s more convenient, because you could lose a potential sale.
Selling a property here is very different to the UK and you have to be very patient.
Oh, and remember, before you buy, make sure you read The Cyprus Buying Guide http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com/ – it’spacked with all the information you need to make a safe and secure purchase.
Next week I’ll give you some hints and tips on how to market your property yourself – there are plenty of ways that cost very little and are really effective!
Until then, best wishes
Jackie
The sun is shining here, its 25 degrees and not a cloud in the sky – sheer bliss! To carry on from my last blog, I’d like to share some stories about coping with all those viewings.
But just before I do, I just have to tell you this. While I was trying to transfer our telephone number over to the new villa, (that’s another story) I had to work from an internet café. Well, the one I worked from wasn’t quite an “internet café”. There was a tea dance going on and I was asked to dance by an elderly gentleman who only had his bottom set of teeth – bless him. I decided there and then that my pulling days were over. But I suppose I was lucky he had one set…..
Moving on, the biggest tip I can give you if you are selling is to remember it really is a “numbers game”. The more viewings you have, the more chance you have to sell.
You do need to be prepared for potential buyers to just turn up and ring the door bell. Cypriots in particular believe in just “popping round” so it’s quite normal for them to do this and they do expect to view there and then. And even some of the professional agents do this! You’ll find they are driving round the area with clients and suddenly the door bell goes and yes, it’s another unexpected viewing.
Keeping our villa neat and tidy every day wasn’t really a problem because we’re very house proud – but I have to say these sudden viewings were a constant challenge. Once, I was in the middle of making a cake. The kitchen looked like it does when you are doing these things - and the doorbell went. Well, what can you do? It’s no good saying come back when it’s more convenient, because you could lose a potential sale.
Selling a property here is very different to the UK and you have to be very patient.
Oh, and remember, before you buy, make sure you read The Cyprus Buying Guide http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com/ – it’spacked with all the information you need to make a safe and secure purchase.
Next week I’ll give you some hints and tips on how to market your property yourself – there are plenty of ways that cost very little and are really effective!
Until then, best wishes
Jackie
Friday 5 March 2010
Selling in Cyprus
Hi, it’s me again!
Last week I started to tell you what is was like to have our villa “For Sale” in Cyprus. If I’m honest, it was pretty much a nightmare from start to finish and I’m really glad it’s over.
During the renovation we thought about how we would market our villa when we were ready to sell. Here in Cyprus it’s perfectly normal to “do-it-yourself” – mainly because of the rip-off estate agents fees. Agents’ fees used to range anything from 5% to 8% - and they used to achieve that! But not in todays market. Now you should negotiate hard. It’s more practical to be charged between 2% and 4% - still a huge amount of money though.
We decided to do our own marketing, but also used estate agents. We knew if an agent sold our villa we’d have a huge bill to pay, so we priced the villa accordingly. Unlike many other sellers, we gave every agent the SAME price. Despite this, we still saw it advertised by internet agents who hijacked our website, used our content - and stuck even more commission on top!
Choosing estate agents was another challenge. We had 38 working for us, all over the world. There were the local agents of course, but I have to be honest, the majority of these were hopeless. They made endless promises and delivered nothing. Mind you, that’s not only Cyprus. To be fair; I think this happens all over the world. We did find 2 or 3 local agents that were really good, but this was more luck than judgment.
To sell your property quickly, do your own marketing but also register with as many agents as possible. If you only have 3 agents, and they bring round 1 person each in a year, you only get 3 viewings! It’s a numbers game. The more agents, the more viewings you should get. We had 78 viewings in 12 months, but at least half of these came from our own marketing. (By the way, selling in 12 months is considered a quick sale at the moment in Cyprus!)
Next week I will tell you about what it’s like to have so many viewings and how I started to feel that my home wasn’t my own anymore – and what to expect! Until then, have fun and stay tuned…..
Best wishes
Jackie
To read my most recent newsletter, go to: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com
Last week I started to tell you what is was like to have our villa “For Sale” in Cyprus. If I’m honest, it was pretty much a nightmare from start to finish and I’m really glad it’s over.
During the renovation we thought about how we would market our villa when we were ready to sell. Here in Cyprus it’s perfectly normal to “do-it-yourself” – mainly because of the rip-off estate agents fees. Agents’ fees used to range anything from 5% to 8% - and they used to achieve that! But not in todays market. Now you should negotiate hard. It’s more practical to be charged between 2% and 4% - still a huge amount of money though.
We decided to do our own marketing, but also used estate agents. We knew if an agent sold our villa we’d have a huge bill to pay, so we priced the villa accordingly. Unlike many other sellers, we gave every agent the SAME price. Despite this, we still saw it advertised by internet agents who hijacked our website, used our content - and stuck even more commission on top!
Choosing estate agents was another challenge. We had 38 working for us, all over the world. There were the local agents of course, but I have to be honest, the majority of these were hopeless. They made endless promises and delivered nothing. Mind you, that’s not only Cyprus. To be fair; I think this happens all over the world. We did find 2 or 3 local agents that were really good, but this was more luck than judgment.
To sell your property quickly, do your own marketing but also register with as many agents as possible. If you only have 3 agents, and they bring round 1 person each in a year, you only get 3 viewings! It’s a numbers game. The more agents, the more viewings you should get. We had 78 viewings in 12 months, but at least half of these came from our own marketing. (By the way, selling in 12 months is considered a quick sale at the moment in Cyprus!)
Next week I will tell you about what it’s like to have so many viewings and how I started to feel that my home wasn’t my own anymore – and what to expect! Until then, have fun and stay tuned…..
Best wishes
Jackie
To read my most recent newsletter, go to: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com
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