Attention to detail is important in online listings of real estate for sale
May 7th, 2008When our students pass the California real estate exam and start a new career, more and more of them are using the Internet to market houses for sale. Often, your online listing is the first contact buyers have with a property, and it’s that impression can make or break the deal. If a potential buyer likes what he or she sees online, and the price and specifications are all in the right range, you’re much more likely to get buyers to contact you. Given this important fact, I’m surprised at how often real estate agents and brokers overlook the chance to showcase the best features of their listings. Here are a few suggestions you might find helpful:
1. If the front of the house is overgrown or unattractive, instead of taking a picture of front of the house and yard, focus on the front door, or even show the front door opening into the house. This will visually invite a potential buyer into the house, rather than turning the person off with an unruly looking exterior.
2. When taking interior photos of a house, be sure to try and capture as much of the room as possible. Choose a digital camera with a good wide angle lens. The wide angle setting on your camera should be 28 mm or less. While you can focus on a selling feature (like a fireplace or French doors), remember, you’re selling the house, not the furnishings.
3. Along the same lines, make sure beds are made and clutter is picked up before taking photos in an occupied residence. If sellers are moving out, and the property will be empty, you may want to suggest that they leave a few key pieces in each room to help make rooms more approachable for buyers. For many people, it’s hard to picture living in a house that’s completely empty, and even a few key pieces will peak their interest. Talk to the seller of a vacant house about the benefits of “staging” the home by having well chosen rental furnishing moved-in so that the home shows well.
4. If you make a reference to an important feature in the house (like green tea granite in the kitchen, a wine cellar, or a 1000-jet spa tub), be sure to include a photo of the feature you’re describing.
5. This last point is obvious, but often overlooked. Check your online listings regularly to make sure that the photos are working, and any links in the listing are active. And, have a friend proof-read any text you have with your photos to make sure there aren’t any typos. If you show this level of attention to detail in your online listings, both sellers and buyers will feel confident that you’ll display the same attention to detail while working on their behalf.
By now you’ve realized that there is nothing new or revolutionary about the points above. They’re all very obvious and simple. But sometimes we all need a reminder of the little things that make what we do even better. And, remember, online listings are not just for potential buyers. Sellers also look at online listings to find out which agents are active in their areas, and use this information to help choose a real estate agent when they’re ready to list their homes for sale.
As always, if you’re interested in starting or furthering your real estate career, the Real Estate Centre, has a program to meet your needs. You can find details on our courses and programs at the links below:
New to real estate?
Get started in real estate with our Jump Start Program:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll-salesperson.htm
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Find everything you need:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/bkr-course-descriptions.htm
Need help passing the real estate salesperson or broker exam?
Enroll in our live exam prep class:
http://www.realestatecentre.biz/enroll.htm
Still have questions? Call the Real Estate Centre at 310-410-9718.
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