FSBO Newspaper Ads

FSBO Newspaper Ads

Traditionally, newspaper advertising has been the medium of choice fo= r a FSBO (for sale by owner). Throughout the country, most sellers believe that= a buyer will search the real estate classifieds before visiting open houses on the weekend. As a result, a seller will spend a relatively small amount of money in the attempt to target a large number of potential buyers.

Real estate agents understand that classified ads are a great way to build up a customer list. Agents understand that very few people actually b= uy the home they are calling, thus creating an opportunity for the agent to sh= ow the client other homes. That is why you will see agents posting the most desirable home they have listed.

As a for sale by owner, newspaper advertising can help attract potent= ial buyers to your home. Unlike the real estate agent, you want to sell your ho= me. To effectively promote your home, you must focus your money and newspaper a= d on the greatest audience that will see the ad. Do not waste your money on a ba= sic classified ad; rather, spend your money to promote an open house or showing= on the weekend (i.e. an open house classified ad). The open house classifieds = will attract the largest audience for a seller. Think about it--if you were buyi= ng a home would you look in Thursday's real estate classified section or the wee= kend open house directory? Even on the weekend, what section of your local newsp= aper has a greater prominence--the real estate classifieds or the open house classifieds? In nearly every newspaper across the country, the answer is the open house classifieds.

As you prepare to write your newspaper ad, remember that the key to y= our ad's effectiveness is determined by the composition and content of the ad. = Use the following tips when writing a newspaper ad:

If you pick up last Sunday's classified section, you will notice that most ads look something like this:

123= 4 E Main St Open Sat & Sun 1-5. $124,900 3br/2ba, 2100sf, pool, RV pk= g, mtn views. Only 2yrs old! Ceiling fans, new AC, lg master bath, gourmet kitch, vltd ceilings, gas frplc in master, tile thruout. Huge bkyd, cov'd patio. FSBO

When writing your newspaper= ad, keep it short and succinct, without sacrificing too much detail. Emphasize = the true benefits of your home, especially those features and amenities that attracted you to the house initially. Most importantly, do not exaggerate or bend the truth about your home. Embellishing the truth will only end up was= ting your advertising dollars and scaring off potential buyers.

Include the following elements in your newspaper ad in the approximate order listed here (like the example ad above):

· Defined area

· Property address

· Open house hours and days

· Sales price

· Overall and key features

· Main interior features

· Main exterior features

· The word "FSBO" or "By Owner"

Property Address: You should always include the property addre= ss of your home. Buyers will generally drive a neighborhood when searching for homes. Including your address allows them to specifically target your home = on their search. If your street address is not well know, include the major cr= oss streets to help a buyer find the property (Such as Bell and Tatum Roads or = 69th Ave and Indian School Rd.).

Open House Hours: (if you are planning on using newspaper advertising to market an open house). Failure to include this vital piece of information will have buyers knocking on your door at all hours. Let the bu= yer know when it is appropriate to stop by.

Sales Price: Many sellers omit this critical piece of informat= ion, hoping to attract as many buyers as possible. What they do not realize is t= hat they may be attracting people who do not qualify to purchase or attracting those that are looking for a lower price. Include the sales price so you on= ly appeal to those that are looking within your price range.

Overall and Key Features: This section defines the two or three major features that will win over a buyer. These features usually list the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage and type of parking (i.e. gar= age vs carport) in order to provide the buyer with the basics about the house. Also, include any other amenities that separate your home from everyone els= e's, such as a heated pool, RV parking, mountain views, large corner lot, or any terms or conditions that may attract special buyers. Special buyer needs include no qualifying financing, lease-options, or seller carrybacks.

Main Interior Features: Describe any features about the inside= of your home. This may include:

· Kitchen and dining areas (e.g. large kitchen, gourmet kitchen with double ovens, kitchen with breakfast nook, walk-in pan= try, etc.)

· Living spaces (e.g. living room, great room, family room, den, office, jack-n-jill bathroom, etc)

· Fireplace

· Master bedroom/bath (e.g. balcony, large wal= k-in closet, private covered patio, double sinks, jacuzzi tub, etc).

· Other interior features (e.g. tile floors, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, evaporative cooler, game r= oom, walk-out basement, laundry room with industrial sink, Arizona room, etc). <= /p>

Main Exterior Features: Describe any features about the exteri= or of your home. This may include:

· Pool

· Spa or sauna

· Type of landscaping (desert, grass, etc)

· Type of lot (corner lot, cul-de-sac lot, etc= )

· Type of trees (mature trees, citrus trees, e= tc)

· Type of fence (block, wooden, etc)

· Type of watering system (sprinklers, drip, e= tc)

· Type of construction (such as block construction)

· Type of property (horse property, gated community, etc)

· Number of stories

· RV parking and/or RV gate

In addition, be sure to identify yourself as a for sale by owner by including the acronym "FSBO" or "By Owner". If you are willing to pay a referral fee to a real estate agent, include "Realtors Welcome", "3% co-broke", or another phrase the conveys the s= ame meaning.

Avoid including the phrase "Principals only". Sellers have tried to include this phrase in order to prevent real estate agents from calling or stopping by. The reality is that agents will do it anyways. Save yourself the money from the additional letters and expect them to stop by. = As a FSBO, there really is not any way to prevent this from happening.

Also, do not include your phone number in your newspaper advertising. The only people that will call your house will be real estate agents and mortgage loan officers. Each of these individuals are after one thing--your business. By advertising your phone number in the newspaper, you are opening the door to a flood of phone calls from agents desperate for business that will try to convince you that you are unable to sell your home yourself. Save yourself the headache and hassle and avoid publishing your p= hone number.

Change your ad every couple of weeks. After time, a buyer will recogn= ize an ad and overlook it if they have seen it before.

Finally, do not try to abbreviate your entire ad. Use common abbreviations without sacrificing readability. Though it may be enticing to save a dollar or two on space, if a buyer is unable to read the ad, you are wasting your money anyways. He or she will not be able to understand the ad. Use the following common abbreviations sparingly in your ad:

Abbreviation	Meaning	Abbreviation	Meaning
2g, 2cg	2 car garage	grt rm	great room
ac	air conditioning	hm	home
apprx, approx	approximately	isld	island
az rm	Arizona room	kit, kitch	kitchen
ba, bath, bth	bathroom	liv rm	living room
balc	balcony	lndscpg	landscaping
bkyd	backyard	lndry	laundry
br, bdrm	bedroom	lg, lrg	large
ceil	ceilings	mb, mstr bed	master bedroom
covd, cov'd	covered	mtn	mountain
crpt	carport	ofc	office
cust	custom	pkg	parking
dbl	double	rm	room
din rm	dining room	sec sys	security system
fam rm	family room	sqft, sf	square feet
flr, flrs	floor, floors	thruout	throughout
flrpln	floorplan	twnhse	townhouse
fncd	fenced	vltd ceil	vaulted ceilings
fpl, frplc, fp	fireplace	xtra	extra
frnt yrd