Say goodbye to the days when baking a batch of cookies and putting out fresh flowers before an open house were enough to sell your home. In today’s real estate market, it takes more than that to attract buyers, and frustrated home sellers are resorting to some unusual methods to get their homes noticed. From clever to downright bizarre, here are some unique home-selling tactics.

TAKE HOME STAGING TO THE EXTREME

It’s well known that staging your home can help it sell faster, but some sellers are taking staging a step further with an ancient Chinese philosophy. Feng shui stagers rearrange the elements of a home to improve its chi, or energy. Good chi makes potential buyers feel more welcome.

HOLD  AN OPEN HOUSE PARTY

Open houses are the norm when selling a home, but some sellers are upping the ante on the open house by offering wine, catered food, live music and prizes. A fancy shindig could start a buzz on your property and make your home memorable.

HELP SERIOUS BUYERS WITH FINANCING

Many people who want to buy a home can’t qualify for a standard mortgage right now, so sellers are offering a helping hand. Sellers have a few options when it comes to assisting buyers with financing, including offering lease-to-own deals, offering financing themselves, paying for closing costs or paying for points to lower the interest rate.

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH

Burying statues or medals of St. Joseph in the earth is a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Most recently, home sellers have been burying the patron saint of family and household needs in their yards to help their homes sell faster. Thousands of sellers swear that a little divine intervention helped them get a sale.

THROW IN SOME EXTRAVAGANT EXTRAS

In the past, a free big-screen TV was enough of an incentive to get your home noticed. Times have changed, and incentives are becoming more and more substantial. Sellers are throwing in all kinds of goodies, like free cars, vacations, pricey home upgrades and monetary incentives like a year’s mortgage or a furniture credit.

PAY FOR THE BUYER’S CLOSING COSTS

Closing costs can add up.  Closing costs refer to money due at closing to pay for things such as title fees, mortgage application fees and insurance.   If you spot a qualified buyer, offering to pay all the closing costs upfront can help you to persuade the buyer to choose your home to purchase.   Many first time home buyers overlook how expensive closing costs can be, so buyers who do not have the extra cash saved for these costs may jump at the opportunity to take this deal.

LOWER YOUR ASKING PRICE

Everyone wants to get a good deal these days.  Have your real estate agent list your home slightly lower than the average asking price in your neighborhood.  In addition, leave a cushion in the original price so that you can lower the price even more if a potential buyer asks you to do so.  If you plan for this all along, it will allow you to negotiate with the buyer and make him happy while selling your home faster in the process.

OFFER TO SPRUCE UP THE PLACE

If during an open house a qualified and interested buyer makes a comment about the property such as not liking the color of the den or being dissatisfied with the style of the doorknobs, offer to fix these things on your dime before the closing.  As silly as these little imperfections may seem to you, some buyers are very picky about these tiny details.  Spending a small amount of extra cash to make these changes can help you to make the sale happen faster.

FURNITURE

Furnishings are still a big concern for all homeowners.  If a potential buyer falls in love with your dining room set and you were planning on getting rid of it anyway, offer to leave it in the house for them after the home sale.  Make sure to listen to your buyers and their specific situation.  If a newly married couple who is moving out of an apartment shows interest in buying your home, offer to give them a gift card to a furniture store to sweeten up the deal.  Giving them this extra perk may motivate them to set a closing date sooner than later. Real Estate Agents are not allowed to include things like gift cards as part of your contract, so leave your agent out of this and arrange the gifting on your own with the buyer.

BE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL

While figuring out the best incentives to use to sell a house, don’t feel hopeless if you are not in the financial position to be throwing around gift certificates and free couches.  Being a friendly and helpful seller can make the difference between closing a sale or letting the buyer walk away.  If the potential buyer is new in town offer them a list of the best restaurants, hair salons and doctors in the area.  Find common ground.  If you and the buyer get into a conversation and you find out you both have children around the same age, offer some advice to your potential buyer about the most popular play groups and swim clubs in town.  Even if a buyer likes a house, if they are not desperate to move, the will not settle for doing business with someone with a nasty attitude.  Being kind can lead to a quicker sale.