We’ve all had that one property pop up in our social media feeds or in the paper that we aspire to own ourselves.
When it comes down to successful property advertising, creating a ‘dream listing’ is the best way to achieve a successful sale. By doing so, you’re drawing in all prospective buyers to view your property. Therefore, you have a better chance to secure a higher price. The most common way to promote your property is to advertise online via property portals. Here’s how you and your agent can work together to achieve the perfect listing:
1. A staged home
Home staging (or styling) involves arranging your home in a way that will appeal to the maximum amount of buyers possible for photography and open for inspections. You might be a master at styling yourself, or you might decide to hire someone to come and do it for you. A good rule of thumb is to remove items that clutter a room, for example, obscure collectables.
2. Picture perfect photography
Be sure to ask whether your real estate agent works with a professional photographer. A good photographer will know the best time of day to capture picturesque photos using natural light, and how to make rooms appear larger and brighter, no matter what their size.
3. The perfect listing description
A good real estate agent will have years of experience in writing listing descriptions. There’s no harm in asking your real estate agent whether you can add to it either. The chances are, you’ll know interesting and quirky facts about your property, or historical features that you know will appeal to people in the market. Also consider highlighting:
- Value-adding features (e.g. marble bench tops, polished floorboards, swimming pool)
- Developmental potential
- Off street parking
- Land size
- Nearby neighbourhood spots (e.g. local shopping strip, schools, parks)
4. Detailed floor plans
Including a floor plan is important. It might be hard to dig up a floor plan if you’ve lived in your property for years, but if you’re living in an older house, it’s a good idea to get one drawn up for your listing. This way, prospective buyers can envisage future renovations, and therefore you’ll likely gain more buyer interest.
5. Shareable video content
Online listings are shareable on social media, and what a better way to showcase your property than using a video that shows off all the features of your property, and even the surrounding area. A good real estate agent will either have a videographer in house or have a regular professional they reach out to. Some videographers will also use drones if you’re in an appealing suburb or have land or an impressive garden.