Despite a soft market, the real estate game is still winnable, and it all kinders on your next move. Good evening. I’m Jennifer Waddell… and I’m Guy Atchley. What should sellers do when demand for homes is down but supply is way up? Before you close the door on the possibility of a quick sale, there may be some selling strategies you haven’t thought of yet. Greg and I aside, Dan Spindle spoke with some experts today, and he joins us now with the story. Dan?

Well guys, after the housing market boom, and then talk of a bubble burst too. Some home owners have found that selling their home isn’t as easy as it used to be, but with a little patience and some hard work, there is a way buyers and sellers can both be satisfied. It’s the phrase that runs chills down any homeowner’s spine when listing a home on the market. A fire’s market. So the ten thousand houses for buyers to choose from in Tucson alone, what’s a seller to do? You have to be creative when you’re selling, If you show that all your… your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed. Before creativity comes strategy. So, we asked three time US chess champion and realtor, Angelina Belakovskaia, the secret to a seller’s success.

It’s all about creating a market when it’s down, where you use all the features to design the special, special program for that particular house.

Kings, knights and pawns. Like pieces of a chess board, homeowners have to devise a plan to put potential buyers in check. Stop and think about who would want your house. Advertise where that buyer spends time. Then, size up the competition. If homes like yours are selling for a hundred thousand let’s say, try listing yours for ninety eight, or adding incentives.

Uh… when I was pro chess, it’s very competitive and it’s a situation where, in order for me to win, my opponent has to lose. So, and, what I noticed in the real estate, uh… the best way is to create a win – win situation. A win for buyers who have found their dream home. A win for sellers, getting their asking price.

Checkmate.

Angelina told us that some of the most obvious ways to speed up the selling process are first, lower the price of the home or you could also throw in some incentives, like covering closing costs, but there are some more creative solutions in this buyer’s market.

And those creative solutions… what does she use?/span>

Well, first of all, like I said, you need to know your competition, but also, use technology. Use the internet, uh… you can also, she’s even listed a house on eBay. So you need to kind of target your buyers and find them where they are.

And aim for checkmate.

That’s right.