The Real Estate Agent as the Photographer

Today, marketing a property starts the moment a potential Buyers sees pictures of your home on the internet.

Recent polls by NAR (National Association of Realtors) show that over 80% of Buyers use the internet as their first screening tool to find a property to purchase.

What does this mean to You as a Seller ? If the photos don’t show well on the web you won’t pull in Buyers or Agents to tour the property in person.

Countless times I’ve heard Buyers and Agents say “I don’t want to tour that house; I’ve looked at the pictures and I didn’t like it.”

Photo Courtesy of Evan Parker Digital Homeshow

Professional photography is a must!  Otherwise you run the risk of poor quality photos being used to market your property. Don’t let that happen to you. Hire an agent with a marketing plan that includes professional real estate photos.

Post a comment or call me directly @206.915.1076 if you have questions about today’s post.

Mary

Buyers today want homes which feel fresh, clean, and contemporary; the same things they’ve always wanted. The difference in selling your home today is that we’re in a Buyer’s market; there are more homes for sale than Buyers who can afford to purchase a property.

In this type of market it’s critical that your home stand apart from other similarly priced homes. Buyers can afford to be picky and they won’t look twice at homes which don’t look or feel maintained.

Tips that will help you get an edge on the competition:   

Clean your house from top to bottom! It’s the little things that catch people’s attention. Dirty windows, grungy switch plate covers or finger prints around door knobs leave a Buyer with the impression that a property hasn’t been cared for.

Get rid of clutter. Clutter left on tables, counters or window sills is not appealing and Buyers are left wondering if the house has enough storage.

Paint where needed. Neutral, popular colors will help your home show well in person and in photos on the web. White walls often look bland and boring when viewed online.

Remember you’re painting for the Buyer not for yourself. I once had a client paint his living room mint green. He thought it was refreshing; Buyers thought it looked like ice cream. Ask if you need help choosing colors.

Replace carpeting which looks worn or stained. Dirty carpets make Buyers cringe not exactly the response you want.

Replace vinyl floors which are damaged or stained. Buyers see a vinyl floor which has a rip or tear and immediately imagine the worst!

Selling your home today takes more effort than in the past but preparing your home before it goes on the market will help it sell more quickly and for more money.

Post a comment or call me directly if you have a question at 206.915.1076. I’m looking forward to talking with you.

Mary

My first exposure to buying and selling real estate was in the 1970’s when my mom became a realtor® for a small neighborhood brokerage in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood.

Then Real Estate Agents were the gatekeepers of information. Desk top computers and on line data bases weren’t yet available. Instead, the multiple listing service published a weekly bulletin that had information on new listings and other updates; however, this was only available to real estate agents.

This meant Buyers had to work with an agent to learn about listings and to get updates on price drops or other property status changes.

Contracts were often just one page documents. Inspection contingencies, neighborhood reviews, public disclosure forms and other standard practices of today weren’t part of the discussion then.

The biggest change between the 1970’s and now is with the Washington state Law of Agency. Today an agent can represent the Seller, the Buyer or both the Buyer and Seller (dual agency).

Previously an Agent who worked with a Buyer was considered a sub agent of the listing agent. This meant Buyers essentially had no representation in contract negotiations.

Fortunately, things are different today.  Buyers now have the right to representation. And both the Law of Agency and the rules of the NWMLS (Northwest Multiple Listing Service) require that an agent disclose who they are representing.

Inspections, neighborhood reviews and other contingencies are now negotiated terms of the purchase and sales agreement. And public disclosure is the law.

Listing information is public and on line data bases have made a wealth of information available to both Buyers and Sellers. Today’s challenge is making sense out of all the information that’s available.

Hopefully these posts will help You make sense of some of that information and provide both insight and understanding about buying and selling real estate in today’s market. 

All the Best,

Mary