How can you make your real estate listing in the Grand Rapids or West Michigan area stand out among all the others? Let’s take a look at four simple things real estate agents can do with their listing to get the best possible results for their sellers:
Great Presentation:
So what styling tips do agents recommend?
The first, and most popular one is to declutter. Depending on the house, this can involve hiding or removing items in a room so that there is less stuff sitting around. When there is too much clutter a room feels smaller, messy, and doesn’t present very well. That’s the opposite of what new home buyers are looking for. They want to walk into a bright, open, and inviting space that they can imagine themselves living in.
However, sometimes more drastic steps need to be taken, especially when the agent or seller are trying to get top dollar for the listing. The New York Times recounted a story of one homeowner who put their home on the market after taking basic steps to declutter the space. The problem was the owner wanted to keep their eclectic mix of furniture in the house, which not everyone may be a fan of. The home failed to sell in that current state, even after a price drop from $1.85 million down to $1.65 million. Eventually, the selling agent was able to pursuade the owners into to hiring a professional home stager who removed the owner’s furniture and added new contemporary pieces. The end result? The place was “mobbed” with a crowd of buyers at the first open house and they were able to achieve a successful sale of the house for $1.8 million.
As Jane Saidenberg, the design director of Studio D noted:
“It’s not just about solving a problem now, but much more about presenting a lifestyle to prospective buyers.”
Why are buyers expecting such high standards, especially in larger cities? This may be due to the abundance of real estate shows on TV where viewers are exposed to high-quality listings that appear to be immaculately maintained. This conditions a person to expect a certain look and feel, so when they arrive at a home they anticipate that high standard to be there. If the property is not presented well or appears dated, the buyers will either walk out or expect to pay a lower price than they would for a listing that is presented as a ‘trophy home’.
Be Present For The Photo Shoot:
Some real estate agents never turn up for a photo shoot. Furthermore, if they are on site during the session they push the photographer to move through as quickly as possible so the agent can ‘move on to more important things’. Agents that treat their listings this way are missing a crucial point in the home selling process. A well-orchestrated photo shoot, where the agent and photographer work as a team to create compelling and attractive images that present the home in the best possible way will get the best possible result in the end. The homeowners love to see the agent take a hands-on approach to the photo shoot as well. With the agent present it allows the photographer to focus on creating great images rather than be distracted by the owner, or pets, or other matters that can make their time more difficult than it needs to be.
Use Drone Shots … When It’s Appropriate To Do So:
Drone shots can provide some amazing footage of a home, and they certainly can help to get the attention of buyers. Here are some examples of when and when not to use drone photos:
Got a listing with a great location? Use a drone to show how close it is to a local landmark or the city.
Got a large property with lots of space? Use a drone to show the size of the property.
Got a listing with a lot of trees around it? Use a drone to get a clear view of the home.
Got a small property that’s very close to neighbors? Don’t use a drone.
Got a property with a bad roof? Don’t use a drone.
Just remember that not all drone pilots are created equal. Some drone pilots crash things:
As one writer noted in this article at Inman – Drones in real estate: 3 things to consider before hiring a pilot:
“Make sure you ask for a testimonial, see previous examples of their work, and ask if they carry general liability insurance. The risk is too high to hire a pilot without these qualifications.”
You can learn more about the importance of hiring a certified drone pilot in my recent blog post.
Share The Listing On Social Media:
The majority of buyers in your local area are probably active on social media on a daily basis, so you need to make sure you and your listings are there as well.
The problem is that a lot of agents only post photos or links to their latest listings, and I think that’s a huge mistake. As this comment from AgentImage notes:
“You have to mix it up and share more content on Facebook that peaks the interest of your followers, not just pitching your latest listing. While posting high quality photos of your properties can help you to get more shares and likes, you should also create content that is interesting to your demographic that will create a buzz, generate awareness about the community and real estate market, and solicit feedback and interaction.”
In this video Jason Wardrop gives 3 Facebook marketing tips for real estate agents:
His top tips for Facebook marketing for real estate agents are:
#1. Create separate Friends lists in your personal profile for certain things. When you share content, this allows you to choose to only show it to your buyer and seller connections on Facebook.
#2. Mix business with personal when posting content, whether it’s your personal profile or your business Page.
#3. Create and commit to your Facebook marketing plan. Also make sure you stick this plan long-term.
If you are interested in having a discussion regarding the ways to make your next listing in the West Michigan area or Grand Rapids stand out from the rest, or if you have any other questions, feel free to contact me at any time.
