Polish Up Your Listing

When browsing listings, do you ever get frustrated that you can't find all of the information you need? Have you seen poorly done photos or descriptions that don't seem to capture the property well? Often times I see only one pic or pictures of things I can't figure out. Lots of missing information such as room dimensions or in the case of investors, rental information and boring descriptions that aren't captivating. How are buyers supposed to make a decision to see the property, let alone put an offer on it? We are social media type people and we want to preview things online. So if you want your new listing to stand out, polish it up. Make it shine. Here's how...

Write a glowing description of all that your property offers. We all know there's a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and kitchen. But if there's a basement, garage, backyard, write about it. Use positive descriptors, you know like open concept, recently remodeled kitchen, large and/or finished basement, 2 car garage, flat backyard. Yeah I know here in Pittsburgh, PA that one's tough. lLOL The idea is to sell it. If it's close to amenities like shops, restaurants, sports venues, state that. If there are unique things to the property that are appealing, say that. Remember you are competing with others, so dig out your thesaurus and be creative. Likewise with photos. Remember that old saying a picture is worth a thousand words.

And those words shouldn't be ugly, or what is that? or are we in a batman episode with the tilted photo? If you've got the funds, hire a professional photographer. If you're going with a Realtor, they should have at least one to help out that uses not only still photos, but videos including those awesome 3D ones. So skip the blurry, sideways photos or ones that make you scratch your head. And take a few photos of the same area so you can choose the best one. Typically investors look for the most cost effective way to display their listings, but if you can, include more than just one photo. The place may look nice outside, but what does the inside look like? Remember, investors will be more forgiving if they see messy interiors, as they can see potential whereas a home buyer is generally looking for that pristine "move-in ready" look. Also investors see the place may be rented, which is crucial. And speaking of rented, have the rental information readily available on your listing. Even personal homebuyers can benefit from having as much information as possible.

Information such as GAI, Vacancy, GOI, Insurance, Utility Exp and certainly rent rates are crucial entries investors are looking for. This helps them in making their calculations. Without at least some of this information, people are more likely to move on. Personal homebuyers may look at number of bedrooms/bathrooms, square footage, room dimensions, school district and parking designations. So try to fill in as many fields that you can. Remember too, that automated searches are set up based upon a potential buyer's specs. So provide all that is searchable so they don't miss out on your spectacular listing.

Speaking of spectacular, assess what the outside looks like as someone drives up. Remember first impressions mean a lot.

We've all heard the term "curb appeal". Well either a property has it or it doesn't. If there's a box with nothing around it to showcase it, it can appear pretty boring. Now that's ok for some as they may see it as potential to create their own domain. So nothing is set in stone, but the general rule is that it should have something enticing, like green grass, some plantings, nice paint colors, smooth driveway etc. Remember you want people to imagine themselves already living there. Investors typically are more lenient on the cosmetic, but they too are looking to ensure the structure is sound. Unless of course they are remodeling, gutting, or doing a complete tear down. People buy homes for the land and location too. Many see potential that's why it's important to not worry so much about the specifics but the general.

Ok, so what do I mean by that? Specific is paint color, though neutral colors are more appealing, that blue room in the back of the house may not make a difference. Personal home buyers may be more picky about these things because they are trying to imagine themselves living in the space. That's why you may hear advice to declutter and depersonalize. Very true. So organize the clothes closet and certainly pick stuff up from the floor. Take down family photos and personal tcotchkes. Yes I know we love to see Grandma on the end table or that cute Christmas pig you bought on your honeymoon, but people buying your home don't know your grandma or haven't experienced your life. They want to envision what their own lives may look like in your home. Try to arrange furniture for a comfortable flow throughout and definitely when showing open the curtains and turn the lights on. Light that fireplace, try some soft music but whatever you do, hold off on baking those cookies or lighting that smelly candle. Nowadays that's a red flag that something is rotten in Denmark. You get the idea. Investors should notify their tenants of any potential showings so that they can prepare. And that's the key, proper preparation to make a listing turn into a sale!

So you've got it all. The pictures, the wording, the complete information. You are now ready to compete with all of those other listings, but your a step ahead because you took the time to polish up your listing. Now go sell it.