Has everyone seen this SNL skit by now? Hilarious- because it’s true! But what is the fallout for sellers and buyers from the digitization and socialization of the home buying process? People used to meet through mutual friends- now they meet on Bumble or Tinder. People used to buy homes during Saturday and Sunday open houses- now they scroll sites drooling at well-staged open floor plans and don’t even go past the first photo of a poorly lit and ill-chosen first image. Who is missing out?! Buyers or sellers?  “Getting your home professionally shot is probably the most important thing you can do to sell a listing. You pair a professional photographer and the good arrangement by the agent and your listing could get 10x the amount of views online.” Sydney Miller, Founder of Upgrade.

 

For sellers, you have to imagine your potential buyers may lack vision. The savvy seller recognizes that you have ONE SHOT to grab buyers' attention and be marked “favorite”- one shot to be swiped right- one shot to be “liked”. The wrong first photo can result in a potential buyer thinking “Oh, I saw that one and didn’t like it.” This means putting all you have into your debut. Investing upfront on painting, staging, great photos, and video can net 3-5X+ in your purchase price. If you don’t have the upfront capital to do these types of improvements, working with a Compass agent is a huge advantage. Compass Concierge is a program that will loan you the money for these and other types of expenses (like rent on a place to allow you to move out of your home and stage during the selling process) interest-free, and they recoup that money in escrow.  If you can’t make these types of investments, a good agent can work with you to create valuable photos- like helping to move your items out for the day to get the right shots. But more than ever, the idea that you can just click a button on Zillow to sell your home seems nonsensical- you need a professional to get the most you can for your investment- and why wouldn’t you want the most out of your investment?!

And on the other side of the coin, I encourage buyers to be savvy shoppers- just like they are savvy daters and think long-term. It’s like seeing a photo of a great guy who just needs a haircut, a shave, and a new outfit. A simple cosmetic refresh would have been transformative. Or his main photo may just have bad lighting! I recently took a client through a magnificent home with an amazing flexible floor plan. It would work perfectly for my client- but she and her family didn’t like the finishes. I worked with the amazing listing agent to virtually transform the Tuscan finishes into a super sleek modern aesthetic and WOWZA- it was like a new home appeared. Once again- not happening through “click a button here and buy a home” real estate. To find the great properties that others have swiped left on, you have to take a second look and have a vision. A quality agent can help you with that.

 

Contact me for questions on prepping your home for spring sale because this market is HEATING UP! And as far as buying goes, it’s all about starting early and searching out off markets and having VISION.