Catching the Home Buyer’s Eye
Recent surveys indicate that about 84 percent of home buyers start their search online, which means you need to have an Internet presence in order to sell your home.
But that presence needs to have a professional appearance, says Omaha REALTOR® Peg Maloney.
“You can’t simply slap up casual photos or boring videos. They won’t do the ’sell’ job for you. So, here’s some advice on how make your property as attractive as possible on the Internet.
Guideline 1: Hire a Professional Photographer or Find a Realtor Who Uses One
There’s simply no substitute for high-quality photos of your property, inside and out. And, frankly, most of us just can’t reach the level achieved by a professional photographer. So, use the services of one to make your house stand out.
He or she should take several photos inside and out, highlighting the most attractive features of the home. Of course, get shots done on sunny days and be sure to include photos of the most important areas of the house; i.e., kitchen, a bathroom, dining room and a bedroom.
Then post the best photos (or have them posted) on an easily accessible site. It’s important to have a number of them online since potential buyers will pass over a listing with just one or two photos, feeling that they’re not getting enough information.
Guideline 2: Hire a Professional Videographer or Find a Realtor Who Uses One
Video tours of your home are a great marketing tool. They’re dynamic and interesting to viewers — if done correctly. Also, such tours are very attractive to younger buyers who are familiar with such sites as YouTube.
I’m not saying you can’t film a video tour itself. In fact, it’s very easily done with YouTube. But, you need to ask yourself, ‘Do I have the talent for this?’
If you don’t, and film a tour, then, frankly, the results can look very amateurish and may well end up turning off buyers who have high expectations of the videos they see online!
So, I recommend working with a professional videographer or with a Realtor who has access to one. The money will be worth it. Of course, check out the videographer’s credentials first and ask for samples of their work. They should be able to send you to their own website where those samples are posted or to real estate listing sites on which their work is displayed.”
