Why can't I sell my flat?

You are an owner, you are selling your flat and a solid offer hasn't just arrived? "I can't sell my flat", you think. The chances are that you are making some of the 5 mistakes that José Luis Echeverría has detected that are preventing you from selling.

"Aaarrrgh... I can't sell my flat! Every process of sale of a flat is different because each flat is different according to its location, typology, decoration, state of maintenance, and so on. This makes their sales conditions more unpredictable than those of a mobile phone, a shirt or a car, all of which are products sold in a controlled context (shop), repeatedly (the same mobile phone, the same shirt), with descriptions and guarantees from the manufacturer and at prices set on the basis of market research.

For all these reasons, if you are an owner who is selling on your own, it is reasonable to think that you may be doing it very badly and probably making one of the following mistakes (ranked in order of importance):

Why isn't my house for sale?

For getting the price wrong

There are 3 orthodox ways of valuing a flat:

1. Knowing the price at which sales of flats similar to yours in the area have closed - closed! - in the last 3 months.
2. Making a comparison of 6 flats similar to yours currently for sale in the area, always homogenising the sample and still adjusting its average value downwards.
3. Calculating the price according to the P/E method.

If you have calculated it in any other way you have done it wrong, and therefore:

• You will be cheap (and lose money).
• You will be expensive (and lose money).
• You will be at a price, but without knowing why.

Fine-tuning the valuation of your flat and listing it at most 5% above its value is an essential first step to stop you asking yourself "why can't I sell my flat". This should ideally be done by a reliable and capable valuer or real estate professional. Flats priced too far above their valuation receive little or no contact and, consequently, no viewings from people who can make offers. If you are also selling in a falling market - Barcelona or Madrid, for example - your flat is getting more expensive by the day. See what a drama?

Once you have finished reading the article, your flat ad is great, and your flat still doesn't sell, my recommendation is to apply price drops of no less than 5% of the asking price every 30 days until the demand drives and you receive no less than 5 leads per week for the first two weeks after the price drop; 3-4 in the next two weeks and no less than 2 leads per week thereafter. Only then will you know that you are receiving a sufficient number of contacts to generate the visits you need to start receiving offers. If you want a free valuation of your property, without obligation, reasoned and without generating false expectations, ask for a free valuation. here.

For miscommunicating the message

Can you imagine a shop window with €300 shoes backlit with a 60W bulb, their price handwritten in blue pen and a description that reads "Branded Votes"? Well, the 90% of flat ads are like that: vile photos, inaccurate or false information and poorly written text. Any flat advertised with at least 15-20 professional photos, video, floor plan, complete and truthful information and texts that clearly and convincingly explain the benefits of the property, will have a huge competitive advantage over a flat advertised in a "conventional" way.

For not preparing your flat

Someone interested in buying a flat needs to be able to experience the feeling that the flat is theirs. They need to see themselves in it, and for this your collaboration is essential: your daughter's P3 drawings on the fridge, the papal blessing of your marriage, the collection of porcelain thimbles or the cushion your dog sleeps on are all obstacles that prevent the buyer from seeing themselves, and therefore, from bidding. Start your move early, box up your personal belongings and make sure your flat looks tidy, without too many decorative objects and as neutral as possible.

"Why can't I sell my flat if it's free of junk? you may also ask yourself. If the flat is empty or with very outdated furniture, resort to express decoration to give warmth to a cold space or new life if it has become outdated. You can do it yourself or call in a professional interior decorator. home stagingThis is a technique that is gaining more and more followers in Spain year after year in the sale of second-hand homes.

With this technique you can solve it in a very economical way, as you can take advantage of the existing elements of the house and transform them, as well as play with the rental of furniture to minimise costs. Here is a good summary of the reasons why home staging can really help you sell your house. There are more basic points that fall within the essential, such as painting the house (always in neutral tones, which multiplies the brightness of the space) and fixing small, obvious and visible faults (don't give the buyer reasons to add up a list of repairs to be carried out in his head, he will negotiate the price down!)

For using few communication channels

If you want to maximise the likelihood of selling your flat you need to make sure that whoever is looking for it finds it.

My recommendation is that you advertise it on the main real estate portals in your area, that you advertise it on one or more foreign portals if you are selling in an area where there is foreign demand, that you allow real estate agencies to show it to their clients (and charge them for their service), that you advertise it on the various social networks where you are present, that you send it by email to those of your contacts who may be interested or who will bounce it back to those who are... But be careful! if your advert is crap (see BAD COMMUNICATION), the more you communicate it, the deeper you will sink into the mire.

For poor customer service

You are doing it wrong if:

• You don't answer every call and every email every time and within 24 hours.
• You do not honestly and accurately describe the pros and cons of the property before accepting viewings.
• Do not encourage visits during the best hours of the day.
• You don't do a post-visit follow-up to find out your clients' second impressions and their reasons for not bidding on your property.

There are more reasons for failing to sell a flat, but if that's your problem, I bet you meet at least 2 of these 5. And if all this is getting the better of you and you can't go on any longer, we are always happy to help.