I was recently reading some of the responses to Margaret Gross’ Member’s Only blog titled, “Use Professional Photos – They’re Worth It!” Fred Light commented that, “‘Web appeal’ is curb appeal of 10 years ago, like it or not. “
That got me thinking.
Years ago people would drive around neighborhoods looking at homes for sale and picking up flyers. Curb appeal made a huge difference in which homes they selected to see.
Times have changed and the smart listing agents have adapted to the changes.
Today it all starts with great Internet Marketing. Why? According to the National Association of REALTORS®, over 85 percent of all buyers start their searches on the Internet. The drive-bys in the cars of yesteryears are now done by driving their mouse on one of several hundred thousand IDX websites displaying listings from the Multiple Listing Services (MLS). The new curb appeal is that first look on the Internet.
Quality photos and well-written marketing text are essential to getting past that first look.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, professional quality photographs not only speeds up the marketing time but also increase the final sales price of a property. Why? I’ll argue that homes that are better photographed have higher showing rates and better chances of early and multiple offers. Buyers simple pass up on homes with no or very poor photos.
Well-written marketing text is also critical. We still see listings with little to no text (this is usually combined with poor or no photos) in the MLSs.
Marketing a home takes much more than sticking a sign in the ground and inputting some basic data into the MLS. The great listing agents understand that the old paradigm has shifted online and they made that shift as well.
True curb appeal is still important as buyers make subconscious decisions about properties in the first few minutes of a showing and that starts with drive-up or curb appeal. For more information on keeping a property in Show-Ready condition and Showing Restrictions see my earlier blogs titled, “Are You Show Ready?” and Showing Restrictions“.
Sellers need to take a look at how their property is being marketed online. Every home, regardless of price or condition, deserves to be well-marketed. If something does not look right, call your listing agent.
