Aside from the complexities of mortgage applications and real estate language, homebuyers may well be overwhelmed by the sheer number of online listings. There are millions of real estate listings on the internet, with hundreds of them in the Waterloo Region alone. How do you ensure your home stands out from the digital crowd and catches the eye of the ideal buyer? Here are some of our tried and tested top tips
1. Hire a pro (or two!)
There's a reason real estate agents exist: we're the best at marketing your home. So go ahead and hire one!
It's the same with real estate photography. It's not a good idea to rely on your iPad's camera for DIY home listing images just because it has one.
Online listings are all about the photos. Don’t compromise on quality — hire a photographer who specializes in shooting interiors, and preferably the interiors of homes that are for sale.
At Team Pinto, we can take care of this for our clients, and the professionals we work with are some of the best in the business, so we're glad to make use of their expertise to help you sell your Waterloo Region home.
2. Stage it
Rooms that aren't filled aren't good for an online listing. Buyers want to see the possibilities of a space, not just photos of empty rooms. However, they will also be turned off by spaces that are overfilled, look outdated or uncomfortable or showcase too much of the current owner's personality.
The first thing most homesellers will need to do is declutter and depersonalize. This will usually entail removing excess or outdated furniture and taking down those posters, personal photographs and other decorations that make the space yours. Buyers need to be able to see the space as theirs. so having too many personal items in the shots won't allow them to do that.
Then there is the home staging part. Hire a stylist or a professional stager to help you with this. A professional home stager will make minor tweaks and suggestions that are usually straightforward but incredibly beneficial.
Having a professional evaluate your property from a different perspective allows you to make small changes that have a significant impact. Again, this is something that at Team Pinto we help our clients with, and work with some of the best hometagers in the Waterloo region to do so.
3. Work with a shot list
It's critical to meet with the photographer at the location ahead of time to prepare a shot list. Examine how each space will be photographed and when it will be photographed.
Make sure to give your photographer a list of special features. He or she will most likely have a creative eye, but unless you inform him or her, he or she will never know all of the unique and fantastic qualities a home has to offer that deserve to be photographed or highlighted.
4. Kill the clutter in every room
Clutter equals anxiety. And no buyer wants to feel anxious while scanning through photos of your home for sale. While you may not need to stage every room in your home, you should still declutter them all.
Simplicity sells. Photos can only be touched up so much, so remove the personal photos, the knickknacks, and the clutter. Make the space look more polished, inviting, and clean, so that buyers can envision their things in your home.
This also extends to cabinets and closets. While they may not be featured in listing photos, they will be viewed by those who decide to view the property in person, so why not kill two birds with one stone and tackle those decluttering tasks now as well?
5. Try 3D
Videos and 3-D floor plans can be worth a million words if photographs are worth a thousand.
At Team Pinto, we've recruited professionals to produce 3-D floor plans and renderings - especially of empty spaces - so that buyers can get a greater sense of how a home feels when they walk through it, and the results have been fantastic.
Videos have the same effect, but there is one caveat: the listing video should be shot by a skilled cameraman. Do you want to make your own iPhone videos of your house? It's not a good idea, so don't even think about it.
6. Harness the sunset
To put it another way, get some images taken at dusk. These twilight images, shot as the sun sets with all lights turned on, are a far cry from the majority of homes you see online, which are taken at midday when the sun is at its strongest and colors are subdued. A professional twilight photo tour will truly highlight a property and set it apart from the competition online.
7. Understand you can never have too many photos
In a digital world that is dominated by image driven content, it's fair to say that there really is such a thing as too many real estate photos for your listing. Home buyers gobble great photography right up, and if you think that ten photos of your lovely living room is overkill, you are almost certainly wrong.
Ready to Shine Online?
Remember, in today's real estate world, your online listing is often the first impression buyers will have. By investing a little extra time and effort into the strategies outlined above, you'll significantly increase your chances of attracting your ideal buyer and securing a fantastic offer.
The market is constantly evolving, and having a knowledgeable realtor by your side is crucial. If you have questions about the current state of the Waterloo Region market, or are ready to prepare your home for its online debut, Team Pinto is here to help. Contact us for a free consultation and let's work together to make your home sale a success!