​The process of a home sale is an intricate and seemingly overwhelming process. You don’t want the online advertisement of your home to blend in with the rest or discourage potential buyers. With the proper measures, you can increase your home’s appeal and entice buyers to reach out. Here are some tips that will help you effectively advertise your home online:
Photos
Before you take photos of your home, clear the clutter and reorganize your furniture and decor to set the stage for an enhanced view of the room. Examine your room through the lens of the camera, and then move items into spaces that may look awkward in person, but look great on camera. Utilize natural light in your photos, as lamps and lighting fixtures cast shadows and distort the white balance and color temperature. Open your curtains or blinds in the mid afternoon, which is the best time of day for natural interior lighting. Take photos of your room from a wide range of angles, including a kneeling position or a bird’s-eye-view from a ladder. Set your ISO at a lower setting that doesn’t compromise the light exposure, so you can avoid graininess in your photos. Make sure you properly store all of the photos you take and keep them backed up in an online database, so you have access to them throughout the selling process.
Descriptions
Your home descriptions should entice the potential buyer and showcase the special aspects of the house and property. Highlight the most attention-grabbing characteristics of the home and any luxury amenities, like a gourmet kitchen, hardwood floors, walk-in pantry, double vanity mirror, walk-in closet square footage or the large size of the yard. Write about any improvements you’ve made to the home — roof work, window replacement and carpet replacement are all improvements that increase the interest of the buyer. Illustrate your house with vocabulary that evokes emotion and paint a more romantic picture of the house. Mention the specific type of wood used for the hardwood floors, the style of architecture of your home and terms that describe its craftsmanship and beauty.
Inspections
The U.S. General Accountability Office found that more than 85 percent of homebuyers who applied for a mortgage also requested an inspection. The buyers oftentimes place the responsibility of inspection on the seller. Have your home inspected before you put it on the market, so you can reassure prospective buyers of its sound state. The inspection may find some issues that require attention, in which case you have extra time to fix. You will save money with the extra time, as you can fully research contractors and repair specialists that offer the most advantageous price. An early inspection contributes toward a more solid selling price, and you and your buyers won’t have to wait for the inspection results or any surprising issues before final negotiations.
Availability
Your availability is imperative in the selling process, so your buyers can ask you questions and find reassurance in your reliability. If your home is listed online, make sure you receive regular email alerts whenever a potential buyer reaches out. If you have any restrictions on your availability, indicate the best times for contact on your advertisement. On your listed phone number, create a new voicemail that addresses your potential buyers and also informs them of the best times they can reach you. Follow up on voicemails or emails as soon as possible — the more time you give your buyer, the more indecisive they become.
