You can do everything right with your property, but unless it is sold it will all be for naught. One of the main ways to attract interest is to present and promote it properly. Buyers and realtors will quickly judge a property based on the pictures or videos they see on your website. This process should not be understated, and should be given the same care as an open house. More and more buyers are using the internet to start their home search. If the house doesn’t look as nice as it should, they will quickly move on to the next one. Know how to present your property, as to make the transaction timely and profitable.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, your house pictures could be worth thousands of dollars. Anytime you place pictures on your website or on social media you are trying to gain a positive reaction. Sometimes the house can sell itself and you don’t have to worry about anything. However, sometimes you need to be creative with your photographs. This means taking pictures at the right time of day, with the right weather and in the right lighting. Putting something out there for the public to see without it being high quality will have a worse impact than putting nothing at all. It is important that you take the time and show the house in the best possible light.
A good picture starts with the right camera. Taking pictures from your phone may be convenient, but it could leave the pictures blurry and dark. If you don’t have a quality camera, you should consider buying one. For higher end homes, hiring a professional photographer is advised. The property may look great, but if the pictures don’t come across well, nobody will ever know. The goal is to attract buyers. If you don’t have a nice camera, you are doing more harm than good.
The next step is looking at how the property is presented. If the home is newly rehabbed, you may not have to do much. However, it is always smart to stage the home. You want to have buyers look at your pictures and have an immediate wow factor. If the house is vacant, you will only be judged on the quality of the work, which may be difficult to judge from the pictures. If the house has furniture, you need to look at the quality and see if it really fits with your list price. This is where staging pays off. The decision should be based on your purchase price and if you think it will net you a greater return.
When you take the picture is just as important as how you take them. With fall upon us, the next few weeks can provide a perfect backdrop for your pictures. That being said; if you wait too long, leaves will start to pile up and the exterior can look cluttered. The ideal time is to shoot at dusk when the sun is not too prevalent – there is still more than enough light. Much like when a buyer pulls up to the house for the first time, you want the exterior pictures to provide a good first impression. If there is snow piled up or leaves blanketing the yard, it doesn’t look very inviting. If you are on the west coast, you should make sure the yard is green and the yard is in good condition. There is no reason not to portray the property in its best light.
If you want to go a step beyond photographs, you can consider posting a video tour of the property. This is a great way to get a feel of the house without actually being in it. Much like pictures, you need the video to be high quality and show the home how you want it. You can find many companies that will do a professional looking 30-60 second tour for a very affordable price. This could make all the difference in a prospective buyer wanting to see the house or moving on to another property. If they can see pictures and get a video tour, they will feel like they know the house more than almost any other one on the market. This familiarity will increase the chances that they will make an offer.
Snapping off some pictures and hastily posting them online can generate interest in your property, but it will quickly fade away if the quality isn’t there. Posting pictures may seem like a simple enough task, but the little things make a huge difference. If you have attractive pictures or informative videos, you will reduce the time the house is on the market or create a bidding war and maximize the sales price. Taking and posting the right pictures can have a far greater impact than you may realize.
