The Internet has transformed how we do many things, like getting our news, sending greetings to others, even looking for a mate. And buying and selling real estate is no exception. Online listings are now the number one place buyers start when searching for a new home.
According to the National Association of Realtors, over 70 percent of buyers use the Internet to shop for a home. That's a huge number. What that means is the photograph included with your home's online listing is vitally important. Now buyers don't even have to drive by your home before they dismiss it.
Including a sub-par photo of your home online is marketing suicide. For home buyers, looks do matter; and smart sellers will make the best presentation possible to online shoppers.
A quick visit to any online home listing website shows that many people just don't get it. Sellers either don't understand how important it is that you take the best photo possible, or they delegate the task to a real estate professional who may not have the time or inclination to set up a good shot.
Simple things like waiting for a sunny day, removing cars and bikes from the driveway and opening all of the window treatments can dramatically improve the exterior shot included with your listing. Taking several photos and working with simple picture editing software to crop off unsightly overhead wires or neighboring homes is well worth the extra effort.
The real key however, is not to stop with the exterior photo. Most online listing services allow multiple pictures of a home at a nominal cost. Staging a few rooms inside your home and adding photos of those rooms to your online listing will help lift response even more.
If you're working with a real estate agent, it's vitally important that they make your online listing a marketing priority. If they're not, you need to be proactive in getting them to provide this service to you. All it takes is a digital camera, a computer, and a little effort to give your home a marketing edge online.
