If, according to Blink author Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 7 seconds to form a first (and usually lasting) impression of a person, it takes 10 seconds on a mobile device to decide whether or not a potential buyer wants to actually consider that house as her potential dream house.
Ten seconds isn’t a lot of time so you as the listing agent had better make sure that the listing site photo a potential buyer sees on her phone is as close to HGTV imagery as possible. Then, when the potential buyer swipes right, give her a VR-optimized 3D tour.
Here are some other tips for listing agents in this swipe left/swipe right home selling reality.
- First and foremost, educate your sellers about this new swipe left/swipe right mentality. They may not like hearing what you have to say but they’ll like less not selling their house. The days of sellers giving buyers the opportunity to “upgrade the home the way they want to” are over. The house must look move-in ready from the get-go.
- Educate your sellers about the difference between staging a home and decorating it. Staging transforms the home so that it appeals to the greatest number of potential buyers; decorating it reflects the taste and lifestyle of an individual owner. Staging means visually matching current styles in primary furniture galleries in neutral tones and choices. If your seller wants to sell the house, staging the home to look as close to HGTV imagery is essential.
- Make sure the key selling points of the house crackle. Buyers want updated kitchens and bathrooms with beautiful tile, solid surface counters, gleaming floors and dual-pane windows. Today’s buyers don’t have the time or know-how to fix/upgrade and they’ll pay a premium for a move-in ready home.
- Hire a professional photographer and pay for 30-40 HD magazine quality shots. Having a 3D tour (Matterport is a good tool) is a huge plus to highlight the home’s key features.
- Strategically order the sequence of the photos on MLS. The first photo seen by the “swiper” ought to be the outside of the house. Then order the photo sequence to show key areas of interest (either inside or outside). You want to show potential buyers the highlights of the house at the beginning of the photo sequence to hold their attention on the home’s profile for as long as possible. Save the bedroom and hallway photos for the last.
