But that doesn’t mean that you have to sound like Billy Mays with his infamous “ShamWow!” scream.

But it does mean you are going to have to focus on what really gets someone to say yes to what you are offering – your services and the property at hand.

So how do you do that?

Well, here’s the one simple statement to selling real estate (really anything for that matter).

Give them what they want, and you’ll get what you want.

The trick, though, is finding out what they want. So you have to really sit them down and ask them as many questions as possible in order to finely tune your marketing strategy. Yes, you need to ask them the basics like what kind of a house are they looking for, how much square footage do they need, how many bedrooms and bathrooms are they looking for, etc. But more than that, what is the one thing they want the most out of the house.

For some, it may be the kitchen. A large kitchen with an island stove may be the one thing that sells the house.

For others, a large porch may be the ultimate.

Or perhaps, they are looking for something on a lake or beach.

Whatever it is, if you can find out what they want, and scour the area to find it for them, you are going to be the hero in their eyes, instead of the greasy used car salesman that everyone dislikes.

So ask them the questions, and then listen to their answers. Get them prequalified for financing, so you can know how to limit your search criteria, and then go to work building a list of perspective houses, and mapping out a route to show them to your prospects, while saving you the most amount of gas possible.

Like with me, I am marketing Belton real estate, so when I am working with a prospect, I’ll talk to them about the school district, do the prefer Belton or Temple, do they want to be on the north side or south side of town, are they looking for a new home or an older home. Listening to their answers lets me know what they want, then I can hunt it down for them.

After that, all you have to do is take them through the paper work process, and close!

This is Maria L. from North Carolina just letting you guys know that your advice and attitudes are so inspiring to me.This is the first time I have ever taken a step this huge.It is an adventure for me, that I know will change my life forever, and knowing that I have you guys behind me with professionall advice is the best thing that is going on in my life right now.Thanks soooo much!!!!

We love getting these kinds of emails from our clients. Every person at PMI works to create the best possible learning situation for our clients. We believe in the power of our program to change the lives of those willing to do the work to make it happen.

Market your property wisely

Buyers are obviously going to want to know as much as possible about the home they’re interested in buying – including the great and not-so-great. Your boast about crown molding in every room and a custom-made cherry-wood staircase will mean little if the home also has water damage in the basement or a pest problem. Your online education will certainly include information about real estate disclosure forms, which supply potential buyers with information about known property issues. While not all states require this form, it’s best to – again – just be prepared. An interested buyer might, with good reason, assume you are hiding something if you fail to produce information about the home you’re so eager to sell.

Know your audience

If young parents are coming to your open house, be prepared with information about nearby schools and parks where kids can play. Every buyer will want to know about crime in the neighborhood, as well as nearby thoroughfares where emergency vehicles can be found sounding their sirens, but those with young children are bound to be even more interested. Don’t forget that everyone likes a night out – consider supplying information about babysitting opportunities in the neighborhood at the same time you happen to mention the hip new nightclub that just opened down the street. Listen to your buyer and speak to their needs, whether they’re establishing a first home near an elementary school or relocating after all the kids have gone off to college.

Be a detective

Walk your property with an eagle eye. Ideally, the home you are aiming to sell won’t need major structural repairs or any other costly fix that will delay its availability. Assuming you don’t have to pour money into fixing the foundation or replacing the roof, consider investing some cash on a fresh coat of paint or professional landscaping. Imagine that you are interested in purchasing the home you are selling – what do you notice? Would a flower-lined walkway get your attention more than shutters that complement the home’s exterior? While you can’t anticipate the desires of every buyer, making the home as inviting as possible will help potential buyers see themselves relaxing in the living room or gardening in the backyard.

As we said earlier, you can never be too prepared. Use online education opportunities to your best advantage; be a savvy seller who is ready to answer potential buyers’ questions. You care enough to put the physical work into the home you are listing – be sure to do the mental homework as well.

Professional listing:

There are a plethora of websites to add your listing to. If you go through a professional real estate brokerage firm they are most likely to give a listing on their website such as realtor, weichert, remax, and a few others.

Self Listing by Owner:

A simple Google search for “list my home for sale by owner” will bring up dozens to hundreds of places you can actively add your listing to. Whether you are using the same description and photos it’s imperative to have quality images of the interior and exterior, as well as very descriptive language to help the buyer decide if this is for him – most importantly add contact information.

Promote Your Listing:

Half the battle was getting a quality listing, or listings in place. Now it’s time to syndicate out your offer/home to as many qualified eyeballs as possible. The easiest is of course social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. You would be amazed how willing friends are to help you out; in this case, sell your home. Whether they have a friend of a friend, or just simply interact with the post will get more people interested in your property.

Craigslist is often an underused but high traffic website where you can also post your home for sale. Social sharing websites such as Digg, Reddit, and Stumbleupon are also distribution channels where you can submit your previously posted listings.

Game Changer – Video Marketing for Real Estate:

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a sale – it’s that powerful! Posting a homemade movie of the exterior and interior of your house, and a bit about the neighborhood and features/benefits of your property will bring in even more highly targeted traffic. When posting your video, be sure to use descriptive titles such as “Name of Your City” Home for Sale by Owner; this way people know exactly where the home is. Be sure to enter the city, state, town, and zip code in the description part of the video, as well as the “tags” section.

Selling homes isn’t easy, but it’s still very possible and most importantly profitable.

Matt Anton is an online marketer helping real estate agents sell more homes than their competition, offering competitive backlinks solutions to increase search engine rankings and social media presence.

What will renters insurance cost?

Of course, the number one question about renters insurance for most people is about the cost. Luckily, renters insurance is fairly cheap! On average, most people pay $15 to $20 per month for a decent policy, though every insurance company is different. You will pay more if you want more coverage, but you can also pay much less if you live in a safe area, install “safety items” like smoke detectors, and bundle your renters insurance with other types of insurance such as car insurance.

What does renters insurance cover?

Renters insurance covers two things: property damage and liability. For property damage, you’ll be reimbursed in the case of a natural disaster, theft, or vandalism to your personal items. It is your landlord’s responsibility to insure the actual structure, but his or her insurance likely doesn’t cover your possessions inside. For liability, if a guest is injured in your home, your insurance will cover his or her medical bills and other related expenses, such as lost wages. While you may think a friend would never sue you, it isn’t always up to the person who is injured – their insurance company might actually come after you for reimbursement.

Are there circumstances where renters insurance doesn’t cover me?

Read the fine print of your policy very carefully. In some cases, you might not be covered unless you purchase extra insurance. For example, water damage from a natural flood, burst pipe, etc. typically isn’t covered, and in some areas of the United States, tornado and earthquake damage isn’t included.

How can I make sure I get the money I’m owed?

Again, read the fine print of your policy carefully. If you have to make a claim, you might be required to submit proof of purchase for larger items, pictures of your possessions, or an itemized list of what you own. Document your home carefully and keep your records in a fire-safe box or, preferably, in a location outside the home, like a safety deposit box. An agent can help you learn more about your insurance company’s specific policies on placing a claim.

This guest post is from Allison, who works with www.RentersInsurance.org. Check out this site today to learn more about buying renters insurance.

1. Tend to the landscape and exterior of the house. First impressions are everything and you do not want to lose potential buyers because of poor curb appeal. Mow the law, spruce up the beds, add pots and planters containing vibrant flowers or greenery, sweep the walkway and front porch area. Consider power washing if necessary. Make sure that the front door does not have peeling paint or a broken lock. Clean the windows and make sure all window coverings or shades are all open or in the same position in every window. Shine up all the metal fixtures including porch lights and the door knocker. Make sure all the lights in outdoor setting are working.
2. Minimize the junk (and non-junk). When people are looking to buy, they picture themselves or their family in the house. Don’t crowd out their thoughts with your stuff. Clean out the closets and make them look as roomy as possible. Minimize furniture in every room to maximize the space. Take down personal pictures. Open up the house as much as possible. Once you begin clearing, don’t just put the stuff in the garage. Rent storage space, give it away, throw it away, or borrow your neighbors garage, just get it out of your house and off of your property.
3. Make it make sense. After you have thoroughly de-cluttered, walk around from room to room and imagine that you are a buyer and not the owner of the house. Try to see if anything is out of place or if there is a better way to arrange furniture to maximize space or a better use of the floor plan altogether. Ask yourself if the room looks welcoming or if it needs more light. Put your emotions aside and think like a buyer.
4. Make minor repairs. If it is broken, fix it. If it leaks, make it stop. One of the fastest ways to make buyers lose interest is to turn them off before they become emotionally attached to your house. If there are leaking facets, dripping shower heads, running toilets, broken windows, it would be wise to fix, replace or repair the obvious issues.
5. Make it shine. Detailed cleaning can make your house sparkle. Clean all of the windows, dust lampshades, remove all cobwebs (even the ones way up high), vacuum every corner even the one behind furniture or the t.v. Dust shades and even fake plants. Polish floors and remove stains in the carpet. Remove smudges and marks on walls and door knobs. Replace moldy caulk and bleach dirty grout. Hang fresh towels in the bathroom. Most importantly make sure there are no bad, unidentifiable, or unpleasant odors.

These quick, cost-effective tips can help prepare your house to sell by putting its best foot forward. Remember that if you do not have the time or inclination to make these changes visit www.webuyuglyhouses.com or call 1-800-44-BUYER to find a buyer who may buy your home just the way it is.

Maintenance basics: The difference between making and losing money on rental properties

Buildings can’t repair themselves. They also can’t do much about typical wear and tear, or their age. Nor can plumbing or wiring fittings be expected to survive without regular maintenance. These fittings can also become dangerous to buildings, in the case of electrical fittings risking fires and with plumbing, actual destruction of the building and/or damage to other buildings.

Building structures are also vulnerable. Rising damp, movements in the footings of buildings and other problems can literally gut a building, given time. A small structural problem can be relied upon to become a major issue, particularly if you’re thinking of selling. Prompt maintenance is the cheapest, quickest way to deal with these issues. It’s also the only way of preventing major costs later on.

Case study

Ridiculous as it is to believe that not spending $100 on simple repairs is “making money”, it’s even more bizarre if you consider that a simple plumbing job can prevent spending thousands on water damage later.

This is a simple case study of a rental apartment’s maintenance issues:

The apartment is on the fourth floor. It’s an older building, circa 1970s vintage, with a timber frame and brick veneer exterior. The apartment’s plumbing is the same age and also experiencing “water hammer”, knocking on the pipes and spitting water coming out of taps, indicating problems. To save money, the owner does nothing, despite repeated warnings from the real estate agent.

The plumbing gives up the ghost one weekend while the tenant is away. It was simply too old and water pressure in the pipes finished it off. The apartments below are flooded. The water flows through gaps in the old apartment block and emerges in a large pool in front of the building. The owner receives multiple lawsuits from the owners of the apartments below and the strata title manager also threatens legal action.

For the sake of saving a few dollars on a correctible problem, the property owner is now faced with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of damages, plus legal costs. Half of the building is now uninhabitable, and the amount of water which has seeped through the rest of the building is also a possible problem.

Was being cheap about maintenance a good idea? How could it be? The plumbing was sure to cause trouble at some point. “Water hammer” is a well-known sign of potential problems about to emerge.

Maintenance in this case would have been the equivalent of contents insurance, making sure that any risks from the building’s fittings was under control.

The moral of the story is simple enough: Maintenance = common sense. Don’t take the risk- Find and fix problems as they occur.

Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including home insurance .