Take a look at how to put together an attractive online ad that will win you plenty of admirers, as well as some prospective buyers!
Take great pics
Online house shopping is a lot like online dating. Everyone will tell you they loved your bio, but really, they are just looking at the photos. To show your home in the best light, consider hiring a pro. Here are some tips from a professional photographer :
-Store away everything you can before you start shooting. Moveable art, throw pillows, and other knickknacks that might not translate well in photos. For your photos to look the best, you want to draw the eye to the key elements of a the room – such as the fireplace or a huge bay window.
-Don’t use your smartphone. For the best shots, the camera and the lens matter. Aim for using a digital camera with HDR capabilities, and take photos with a wide-angle lens that can capture the whole room without making the space feel squished.
-Try shooting from every viewpoint imaginable – and then add a few more that you might not have originally imagined. Take plenty of shots of each room from every angle. To make rooms feel more spacious, crouch down and snap at knee level.
-Edit and retouch your photos using software such as Photoshop – but remember, less is more. Stick to the basics and add just enough to enhance the photos, otherwise buyers may think you have something to hide.
Write a winning description
After the photos, buyers will read your listing details. At the top of your listing should be the basics : number of bedrooms and bathrooms and square footage. Next comes the stand-out features. That includes things like interior exposed brick, a fireplace, an outdoor kitchen or any upgrades. While your Realtor will usually write your listing, you can have a final approval. It turns out certain words reel in buyers better than others. These words include : granite, state-of-the-art, corian, maple, gourmet, and to describe a home : fantastic, spacious, charming and great neighborhood. So keep an eye out for adjectives that will turn off buyers.
Build buzz on social media
To get the word out, your Realtor will post your listing in the local multiple listing service, worldwide sites such as Realtor.com, and their own brokerage website. To add to the potential pool yourself, get sharing! Social media isn’t just for pictures of pets and political opinions; you can find a buyer for your house, too. These days you really have no choice but to smartly use social media to promote your listings. After all, your friends and acquaintances will take a special interest in helping you out – make doing so just a click away. Even if they aren’t looking, someone in their network could be, so encourage your friends to share the post and pass it along. While Facebook is a favorite for posting listings, you can also use Twitter or Instagram to great effect.
Make sure to market offline, too
Even in today’s internet-obsessed world, you and your Realtor need to do some offline marketing as well. Remember those yard signs from seemingly bygone days?They may not be the reigning house market tactics anymore, but it’s still a good idea to let your Realtor pop one in the yard. A study by the National Association of Realtors found that 48% of buyers still relied on yard signs to help their search.
Bottom line : You never know which way will reach the right home buyer who will lay eyes on your home and fall in love.
