You're bringing your home onto the market. You want to reach every potential buyer. But how do you do it?
Ten or 15 years ago, you placed an ad in the paper and put a sign up. That was it. Those two mediums are still important today but perhaps not as important as they were. We find that a lot of buyers who come through our home opens have checked the times in the paper. The interesting thing is, many of them first saw the property the internet.
Our research shows that the number of people who see your property first on the internet is approximately 85% - and that figure is rising! This fact has definite implications for you as a seller - perhaps the most obvious being the breadth of internet exposure. There are multiple real estate sites that feature properties in Western Australia? Exactly how many sites does your agent use to promote your property?
Given that many people will first see your property on the internet, it is imperative that your agent has an understanding of how best to present the property - with special consideration given to the photography. Top quality photographs - taken by professionals - are critical to this end.
Unfortunately, great photographs alone will not sell a property. This is because it depends on how those photographs are being used.
I was recently shown an ad on realestate.com which featured a property in Dunsborough – part of the highly desirable beach and wine region in Western Australia’s south-west. The interesting thing was the lead photo on the ad; it was the large “bush” at the front of the home – you couldn’t actually see the house! It turns out that this property was actually about 200 metres from the beach. In my view the agent hadn’t done his job on that occasion. Think of the vast number of people who would have skimmed past that photo. What could he have done differently? Well, what about taking the time to ensure that at least you could see the house in the main photo. Better yet, what about if they had replaced the photo with a map highlighting it’s proximity to the beach?
The other important element relating to the use of the internet in selling your home is to make sure that as much information as possible is available to the potential buyer. We know from our own research that people really appreciate a floor plan of the property. It helps them to make an informed decision about whether to further their enquiry.
We also know that people enjoy the panoramic views and virtual tours of property that are now offered by some agencies. Again this gives the prospective purchaser an appreciation of the home that they otherwise might not have.
Finally, a link to Google Street View is a positive feature. It allows a person interested in buying the home to take a “virtual walk” down the street where the property is located - an invaluable tool in assessing the “street appeal” of a home.
So the next time you decide to sell your home, make sure that you ask your agent some hard questions about their ability to showcase your home. Ask them:
- How many web-sites will your home appear on?
- Will you use a professional photographer?
- Will there be a floor plan?
- Will your home have a panoramic and/or virtual tour facility?
- Will Google Street View be linked to the property (on every site)?
Cover these bases and chances are that you will be maximising your chances of reaching that one person you need to buy your home.
Jamie Harrington (Director, Altus Real Estate)