Maddie Stiles

Almost anyone can become a real estate agent, but not everyone can successfully sell a home. With so many different ways to find homes for sale and so many agents out there, getting buyers interested in your listings is more competitive than ever. From setting up the house properly to getting high quality photos to displaying them on your website, there’s a lot of steps that come with selling a home. It may sound overwhelming, but we’ll give you the most important things you need to draw buyers in and make your listings stand out from the rest.

Curb Appeal is King

First impressions are just as, if not more, important as the rest of the house. Home buyers begin making judgements the moment they set eyes on your property. If they aren’t impressed with what they see on the outside, it can impact their perspective of what’s on the inside even that includes an excellent ambiance from thermostats around. This doesn’t mean you have to do an entirely new paint job or trim the bushes to look like butterflies, but make sure to schedule some basic landscaping and repair any eye-sores that stick out from the front of the home.

Here are some easy things to do when upping your curb-appeal game:

  • Don’t Ignore the Roof
    • Many agents forget to look up when preparing a home to sell. The roof is a property aspect that a number of agents overlook, but it is one of the main things buyers notice. Do you see missing shingles or dingy spots? A quick repair or a power wash can go a long way in terms of curb appeal.
  • Add Some Color to the Yard
    • A few brightly-colored flowers or unique plants can go far when keeping buyers interested in your property. If your curb appeal needs an upgrade, we recommend heading to Home Depot or your local nursery and picking out some seasonal flowers to get the job done.
  • Check For Easy Paint Fixes
    • No need to repaint the whole house, but if you see a few chipped spots on the shutters or doors, fix them! What could take you less than 10 minutes could make or break a potential home-buyer’s perception of the home you’re selling.

The Brighter, the Better

Having natural light in a home for sale can take it from a 4 to a 10! Nothing showcases the best parts of a home for sale like sunlight does. This is a super easy way to take your showing or listing photos to the next level.

Before your potential buyers arrive, open all the curtains and blinds to let the sunshine in. If you have some rooms without good sunlight, strategically place some lamps to brighten up the room. Take notice of which areas of the home have the best opportunity for natural light and take advantage of them. Access to natural sunlight is a huge pro for home buyers, so don’t be shy when it comes to lighting.

Prioritize the Kitchen

When selling a home, you are really selling the kitchen. If you are going to invest money on remodeling anything in the house, the kitchen should be your top priority. You’ll receive an 85% return on investment if you are able to make the kitchen reflect current styles and trends. So cancel the extra groceries you ordered from big basket to keep your kitchen clutter-free.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to paint cabinets and/or replace hardware. Purchasing new cabinet/drawer handles is easy, relatively inexpensive, and can completely transform the kitchen area. You’ll get bonus points for making sure there is at least one appliance made of stainless steel. Home buyers want a home that is move-in ready, and the kitchen will be a huge selling point for them.

Instagram-Worthy Listing Photos

Listing photos used to be low on the list of priorities for selling a home, but with an influx in technology, 98% of home buyers start their search online. The photos you take of your home for sale can now determine whether or not a buyer will even go to a showing. With that in mind, complete the first three things above before taking your photos. The entire point of these listing photos is to highlight the best parts of your property, so take the pictures after you’ve made upgrades or repairs.

Does having high-quality listing photos mean paying an arm and a leg for a professional photographer? Not necessarily. Of course, avoid taking listing photos on your grandmother’s nokia phone, but an iPhone or Android will do.

Follow these simple photography tips when taking pictures to add to your listing:

  • If you don’t have natural sunlight in the room, make sure whatever light source you use (lamp, ring light, flashlight, etc.) is behind the camera when you are taking the photo. This ensures that the room is lit, not the camera, and avoids unnecessary glare in your listing photos.
  • Declutter each area of the home, using minimal decor and furnishings to showcase the house itself.
  • Take photos from several angles to cover all your bases.
  • Edit your photos using Canva or Photoshop before you add them to your site. This can fix a number of lighting issues and take your photos to a whole new level.

Display Search Listings with IDX

The photos you take and the remodels you do can all be for nothing if you don’t have a user-friendly way to display your listings. Not only are most home buyers looking for homes for sale online, but a majority of them are looking on their mobile devices. You’ll want to make sure that your website displays your listings effectively and that your website is mobile-friendly.

The best way to ensure that buyers can find and look at your listings clearly is to have a website with IDX-integration. This not only provides a consistent and user-friendly design for your listings, but it keeps traffic on your website and locks in your leads. A majority of IDX providers even work with site development partners so that you have an opportunity to make your personal site stand out as much as possible.

House for Sale Tips

When it comes to impressing potential buyers, these 5 tips are the easiest ways to get more eyes on your property. If you want to be a top real estate agent in your area, these small steps can be just as important as networking events and business cards. Next time you’re wanting to increase interest in one of your homes for sale, go through this list and see what you can do. You’ll never know what difference a 5-minute change will make.