Until recently, it was always true that what a homebuyer saw when they first drove up a property could either make or break its sale. For if the home was appealing, from the gutter, it was said to have "Curb Appeal". Which was a good thing.
But times have quickly changed, and while "Curb Appeal" still matters... today it matters in a different place and way.
Below is a 30 second "Curb Appeal Quiz Show" I created to show just where Curb Appeal ACTUALLY now begins... the final conclusion might challenge your way of thinking. (In fact I hope it does.)
CURB APPEAL QUIZ SHOW 30 Seconds Long
(If you can not see the show above... Click Here
.)
Realtors, you and your sellers need to know that with the vast amount of inventory in the market today, home buyers are now first prescreening homes online to help them decide just what they want you to set up to tour in person.
Since online prescreening/pre-shopping is now so prevelent, it is my opinion that with today's easy to use digital technology, Realtors have the obligation to capture and present the absolute best images and comprehensive visual experience of a property for buyers to shop and consider. Doing anything less is NOT doing one of the basics of your job.
SOME home stagers have the "eye" to help you prepare a home's look and then decide how to best visually capture the home for online presentation. (NOTE: Not all stagers can visually size up a room and then capture it... that is why I say some "SOME".) So If your listing is languising in the market you might want to work with an expirienced home stager who can not only help you re-examine but also update your listing's "Web Appeal"... because if you don't, your seller's home's sale could remain in the gutter.
Stage It Forward...
Me
Craig- As usual, excellent. Wasn't it NAR that said 80% of all home buyers start their home search on-line? And yet REA continue to take and post photo's that do no justice to their sellers homes. Why?
Jackie
Monika, Karen & Elaine: I am glad you liked this.
Whether I am "selling" a point or selling a home... I LOVE to do it visually!
Me
Excellent show Craig! You are so right - it all starts online now.
Craig,
Here's to the power of the Internet, you are absolutely right, an on-line presentation of the home can make or break a sale. I will incorporate this in my realtor presentations as well! Thanks,
Penny White, Beststagedesign Inc.
Spot-on, Craig. You're right - it begins with the pictures on-line. By the way, I love your use of technology to demonstrate your point. You amaze me!
Kathy
Outstanding post! I usually say a strong on-line presence is crucial in todays marketplace when selling my staging pitch to a realty group. Now I must paraphrase you with my "15 seconds" to make or break a sale from the curb speech, re-meaning from the curb of your computer!.
P.S. I am still looking for that all important camera. Thank you for giving me a star as well, but no good leads yet.
What do you use?
Craig,
So true! Online appeal is extremely important. Those homes that don't have it simply sit on the market. In the Nashville area we have much more inventory on the market then a year ago (AI believe it is about 15-20%), but the homes area still selling in 65 days on average. So that means the ones that are market ready are still selling at the record rate we had a year ago.
Craig, glad to see you are back on the blogging wagon! This one rates a 5!
Hi Craig, I had written my newsletter on this very same point and had yet to send it. I was waiting for confrimation on a Testimonial. Good thing I waited. Now I can link to your excellent write-up and RES. If that's OK with you?
We have started to look for our next house to live in and have had a very mixed experience trying to SEE what we wanted to go see. This was my favorite -
a kitchen, but.....??? is that a tiled countertop or a seperate tray? Gas or electric? Er... Has this house been on since snow?
Oy!
THAT IS A CRIME! But, 30 Seconds later... improved! (NOT perfect but atleast this a BIT improved.)
If the Realtor took the time to LEARN how to use the camera and then EDIT if they need to... there would be no reason for pictures like the one you showed.
You are welcome to link to the show... it is also on my pretty blog... which is more written as if I was talking to sellers not to Realtors.
The link is http://realestaging.blogspot.com/2007/10/gutter.html
Very creative and cute Craig...no surprises there :) As always, well said and excellent visuals!
Keep on keeping on Mister!
All the best,
Beth
Craig,
this is great.. I love the video and I will be referring the agents I try to get to this blog :)
What a GREAT SHOW! It's a fantastic idea. ;) Would love to see this in the next carnival of home staging.
cheers,
cindy
I am always checking out the local MLS photos especially those of Realtors who tell me they do that (stage), so they don't need my services. Sorry, they don't do that and they do need a professional stager (like me).
I will just point them to your blog - thanks.
Craig,
That's pretty clever. It's so true that most of today's home buyers begin their search on the web and prescreen properties there. Doing so saves them time, so sellers/agents should make their web presence top priority.
Craig...A much needed element beautifully presented.
After a few years of relentless messages about how many people use the Internet to look for homes (over 80% and growing) I believe that too many REALTORS still aim their entire visual marketing approach at other REALTORS. They still unconsciously believe (incorrectly) that the buyer for their listing is going to come from and through another REALTOR who learns about the house through the old, traditional means. Yes, they reason, the public gets to access information, but the real action still takes place REALTOR to REALTOR.
Craig, you've done a brilliant job of presenting Curb Appeal in a very compelling way. Can you put your creative genius to the challenge of telling REALTORS that their presentations target is THE PUBLIC and not just other REALTORS? Thanks.
Excellet point, Craig. So what does that say about all the crappy photos that buyers get to see on-line? I was at a recent convention and the point made by several presenters, which many agents clearly don't consider, is that the FIRST open house is on-line.
Jeff
JEFF I LOVE THAT LINE!
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.
OH how I am gonna work that in what I have to say.
THANKS!!!
ME
Spot-on Craig!
So true and yet so many are not even remotely aware of this point. We agree with Jeff totally. We love Jeff Turner's Real Estate shows and this one was simple and right to the point. Great presentation.
Wonderfully creative! I wish I had thought of that, Craig!
Can I copy you, putting more of a photography twist to it (no really, I don't think I would)?
-Susie