When your home isn’t selling it can be easy to look to external influences as the cause. With the UK in political turmoil, Brexit has become the latest scape goat. But is Brexit really to blame for your home not selling?
Many agents are using Brexit as an excuse for lack of viewings. However, here at Alexander Gibson we have not seen any drastic changes at all. In fact, we are getting lots of interest on every home we advertise for sale, and we’ve just had our busiest December ever.
This graph released by Nationwide from their November house price index report shows that nationally house prices are still strong and continue to rise steadily year on year. Whilst the rate in which they are increasing has slowed down, the trend is still an upwards one.
Looking a bit closer to home, Rightmove paint a positive picture of Yorkshire compared to many other regions. With a 4.8% annual increase and also a Nov 18 – Dec 18 monthly increase. The following Rightmove Price index infographic, shows Yorkshire as one of the stronger regions in the UK and in fact was the only region to see this monthly increase.
So, whilst there is a lot of Brexit doom and gloom about, data does show that houses are still selling. The market may have slowed nationally but Yorkshire stands as one of the most positive regions for property values and the time it takes to sell.
If your agent is maybe blaming Brexit for your home not selling, or if they are pressurising you to drop the asking price, perhaps it is time to look closer to home. It is far too easy to blame external influences. It is far too easy to blame Brexit and suggest a price drop as the solution.
Before dropping your price ask your agent what else they can suggest. There are many factors that effect a house sale. The quality of your marketing and how your home is presented being two key factors aside from price.
January is one of the busiest times on Rightmove with traffic usually tripling between Christmas and the New Year. This means that January is the perfect time to revamp your whole sales and marketing strategy.
A simple price reduction is rarely the solution. Price, presentation and promotion (marketing), all work hand in hand. For the best chance to sell, you need all of these three factors to be the best the can be.
1. Price – should be a true market reflection. Not inflated and not undervalued. Too high and your buyer will browse past. Too low and a buyer will wonder what is wrong with your home and be suspicious of the low price.
2. Presentation – how you present your home has a huge impact on how saleable it is. Ensure that you present your home to the highest possible standards. A well-presented, well maintained and loved home will always attract more attention than one that is not.
3. Promotion (marketing) –It is your estate agent’s marketing that will catch your buyer’s eye. This is your perfect opportunity to draw your buyer in and wow them. To do this, you have to have the very best marketing. The best photography, written description and brochure around. Engaging and tantalising not boring and drab.
If your home isn’t selling, it is usually a combination of the three factors above that is the cause. Get all of the above right and you will attract buyers to your home, invite more viewings and receive more offers. That is why we have not seen Brexit influence our sales at Alexander Gibson. We work hard to get the price, presentation and promotion of your home right, right from the start. That is our recipe for success.
If your agent is failing and blaming Brexit as the reason, maybe it’s time to change agent. For the best chance of selling your home in 2019 (despite Brexit), give us a call today. Let us talk you through our bespoke sales and marketing plans and how we can help your moving dreams. Call us on 01423 563077, or email talk@alexandergibson.co.uk
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*Please note that all statistics quoted were relevant at the time of publication