The Importance of Networking When Selling Your Home

When most people think of networking, they are usually thinking about how to market either themselves or their business. Certainly, in today’s highly competitive job market, networking has never been more critical. This is one reason why sites like LinkedIn have more than 200 million users.

Nevertheless, networking is important for more than just selling your work skills or selling your business products. It is also a great way to gain a competitive edge if you are selling your home. When people decide to sell their home, the vast majority lists it with a realtor, and for good reason. Realtors know all the latest marketing techniques. They list the home on all the important websites, conduct open houses, and work long hours scheduling private showings and doing everything else possible to gain exposure for the home.

However, just because you’ve listed your house with a realtor does not mean you should not do what you can to actively market it as well. There are some very simple ways you can put the word out without doing any ‘hard’ selling.

The first thing to do is just talk about it with your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. It is not too difficult to mention to your circle of influence that your home is for sale. Just let them know that you’re looking for a buyer and if they know anyone that is interested, to call you or your realtor to schedule a showing.

Beyond just talking about it with the people you interact with, use the power of social media to your advantage. For example, how many friends do you have on Facebook, contacts on Linked In, and followers on Twitter? At the very least, it’s likely you have some Facebook friends.

Let’s say you have 100 Facebook friends. Post something on your wall about your home being for sale, with a link to the listing, and ask your friends to share it with their friends. Just this alone could put your listing in front of possibly hundreds (or even thousands) of potential buyers.

Finally, don’t forget to mention your home to various groups you are a part of, such as your local church, organizations you volunteer with, chamber of commerce, etc. The more people you make aware that your home is for sale, the better chance you have to sell quicker and for a better price. Bottom line – you never know where your ideal home buyer will come from, and the power of networking puts your home in front of far more potential buyers.