My business coach and mentor always says, “How you do anything is how you do everything”.
Fortunately or unfortunately, this statement is so true. Like it or not, we are the sum total of what we do, especially in this digital age and especially in real estate.
When you are involved in listing a house–seller and Realtor–you are putting yourselves out there for the world to see and judge how well you understand that today, your online listing is your most important selling tool.
Tips for Listing Photos
So for my sellers out there, whether you are working with a Realtor or you are listing for-sale-by-owner (FYI: this was not a for-sale-by-owner listing), you cannot afford to have listing photos like this:
Or this….
There is so much wrong with these listing photos but the worst part is that this house spent 179 days on the market. That's 179 days of mortgage payments, insurance payments, utilities payments, and maintenance. That's the real cost of not thinking about the camera first.
And what does this online listing presentation say about the Realtor who put his name on it?
Same house. Professional Realtor. Professional Styling. Professional Photographer. 7 days on market.
and…
I guarantee you that the investment in all of those professionals was less than 179 days of carrying the costs of this house.
But I also guarantee you that these professional listing photos would not have driven as much traffic if the room in the first photo was what the photographer had to work with.
There is no point to having professional photos of a house that isn't styled for photos.
You need both a Stager and Photographer to get these kinds of results.
The new Realtor, Darice and her partner Philip, knew this and that's why we were hired to provide our semi-vacant service to added our accessories and art to the house which had furniture left behind for us to use.
So please, if you are selling without a Realtor, google “Home Stager” and “Real Estate Photographer”. Or grab a copy of my free e-book “Sell Your House In 72 Hours” to get you started.
What to look for to get results
And if you are selling with a Realtor, look at their listings.
Do they look professionally photographed and styled? What are the results of those listings? Ask if they know of a reputable Real Estate Stager. If they don't, I would have serious reservations about them as a professional.
On the flip side….
By understanding the importance of professional staging and photography in the sales process, a realtor like Darice is going to sell your house faster, put more money in your pocket, close more deals this year, put more revenue into her business quickly, has a beautiful representation of what she does for her clients, and has another raving client who will spread the word about how amazing she is (and she truly is, by the way!).
Our team is here to help you accomplish a beautifully staged house no matter where you live. Yep, no matter where you live. Reach out to us here to learn how we can help you.
xo,
Lori
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