Tag: photography

Why Isn’t My House Selling?

Once you decide to sell your home, that’s all you want: to sell your home. The worst nightmare can be your home sitting on the market with minimal showing and no offers. How frustrating in today’s hot seller’s market.

There can be hundreds of reasons why a home isn’t selling, some more common than others.

Priced Incorrectly: Even if everything about your house is on point, if it’s priced wrong for the current market, it’s not going to sell. Be sure to use the best Realtor in your neighborhood who will provide you with a list price that they derived from looking through comps. The Realtor’s price may differ from the price you want to list it for, but at the end of the day, the listing price should be guided by comparables, not emotions. When residential real estate inventory is low, the market is hot for sellers. But that doesn’t mean buyers will overpay for a home. 

Online Photos are Subpar: The first stop for buyers is usually Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia as well as Realtor websites. If they see a home with terrible photos and bad lighting, they will keep on scrolling. Don’t use an i-phone, hire a photographer. Professional photos will make your home look at its very best online. They know all the right angles to give you the best light possible. They make homes look larger and showcase their best features. Make your home stands out against all the other homes people are seeing online. Money spent on photography could mean less time on the market and more money at closing time.

Beautiful Online but Not Once Inside: Too much furniture, galleries of personal pictures on the walls, or knick-knacks everywhere can make it too hard for buyers to imagine that they live in your house instead of you. Are your bathrooms clean? Your walk-in closet jam packed or organized? How about your appliances in the kitchen – do they sparkle? Not every buyer is a pet lover, so seeing, hearing, or smelling your dog or cat is something to be avoided at all costs. Don’t let your mess cost you a sale.

Needs to Much Work: A long list of maintenance issues can turn buyers off and potentially decrease the value of your home. More importantly, buyers expect the condition of your home to match the description. The more repairs that are needed, the less likely a buyer will want your house. Many buyers simply don’t want to deal with the cost or effort of doing repair work, even if it’s just a bunch of small repairs, such as tightening a handrail or replacing a broken tile.

No Marketing: You’ve got great pictures, but your Realtor might not be using the many social media resources. Social media should be an essential piece in your Realtor’s marketing package. There should be very focused marketing – your home should be directed towards the correct audience (age, financial status and motivation of buyer) for your home. Highly targeted online marketing can include specialty websites, targeted online ads, and targeted and boosted social media engagement. The more buyers your home is exposed to, the more showings there will be, and the higher chance of an offer being received.

The Bottom Line: Hire an experienced, knowledgable Realtor. To find that person ask neighbors, look at homes for sale in your area on the internet and see the photos used, look through social media at who is using it properly to market homes, and then interview several. Taking for granted the importance of hiring a top agent can stall the sale of your home.

Share This Post

Will Your Home Be The Only One Not Selling Right Now?

Seller’s Market. Some say your home will sell in a matter of days, even hours in some markets. Some may say that there is absolutely no guarantee that your home will sell, even if it’s a hot seller’s market. Are you ready? It’s enticing. You keep seeing your neighbors’ homes selling – FAST. Is your home ready? Here are some reasons your home may be THAT home not selling.

PRICE:  Any house, in any condition, will sell – if the price is right. But buyers expect discounts for several reasons including dated kitchens and old plumbing. The danger of setting a price too high and then dropping it gradually is that when a home stays on the market too long, especially in this seller’s market, buyers assume there is something wrong with it and pass on looking at it. Your best bet is getting the price right the first time. A good Realtor will know the magic that it takes to do this.

PHOTOS: That first online impression – 90% of all buyers start their home search online and it’s then that they decide if they should make an appointment to go see it. If there are not many photos, buyers assume the worst. If there are few photos but they are clearly not professionally taken, or the photos show the clutter, many buyers will move on to the next listing. When you hire a skilled Realtor, he or she will have access to a professional photographer, hire one or have one on the team. Some agents still rely solely on traditional marketing tactics, like flyers and postcards, to market home listings. But, this is a mistake. Most buyers go online first. And the photos need to be perfect.

STAGE: It might be a hot market right now but that doesn’t mean you can just hire a Realtor and list it. You’ve got to put in some work and make the home worthy of its price. Declutter, fresh coats of paint, clean up your front and back yard. The overall goal is to make each room feel fresh and inviting and easy for buyers to envision themselves and their belongings in.

The Bottom Line: Know that you are selling in an extreme seller’s market and are more likely to sell for closer to your asking price than you would usually. Choosing the right Realtor is paramount when putting your house on the market. One who is knowledgeable on the local market and with experience selling in your neighborhood. Selling a home is a big life milestone and can be complex with all the many steps involved. The consequences of a mistake can make a big impact. It pays to spend the time and money to make sure you are getting your home on the market and ready for success.

Share This Post

Photos Can Sell A Home

Selling your home? A picture is worth a thousand words. Take photos that show off your home at its very best. It’s Spring, the temperature is fabulous, flowers are in bloom, the grass is green and now is a perfect time to sell your house. Get some good pictures!

Do your homework and find the best Realtor in your area. Have her give you staging tips. You should declutter, clean up, take down personal family photos, maybe even rent a storage unit.  Do a deep cleaning. Get rid of any pet smells in your carpet and window treatments.

Photos Inside: Natural light is best for photos. A camera flash can add shadows and reflect off of mirrors or windows. Open your blinds and turn the lights on. The earlier in the day, the better and especially on a sunny day. Notice of all the reflective objects in your home and be sure to thoroughly clean them. Dust, dirt, or streaks from poor cleaning can easily show up in the photographs. Wipe and refresh your refrigerator, bathroom faucets, and kitchen appliances like the microwave and oven.

Photos Outside: The best time of day for outdoors will be when the sun is behind you to minimize shadows, so, the time of day will depend on which way your home faces. Remove any cars from the driveway. Of course, make sure that your front yard is cleaned up, your lawn is mowed and all of the landscaping is trimmed back and tidy. The outside picture is usually the very first that a potential buyer will see to it must be presented in the very best condition.

Hide any garbage cans, lawn equipment, and any toys. They will distract from the pictures. Show off your patio or deck and open up the umbrella on your table. Throw some fresh outdoor pillows on any furniture to add color.

The Bottom Line: One of the biggest mistakes made is poor quality photos. If you have found the best Realtor, she should have a list of photographers that will come to your home. The average cell phone can’t get the most beautiful photos needed to sell your home. Using quality photos in real estate listings can make all the difference. Capture the best images possible by make your home look its best, using high-quality equipment and consideration of what potential buyers want to see.

Share This Post