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Are You and Your Seller's Thoughts in the Gutter?

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

Posted by Craig Schiller on 10/15/2007 09:15 AM

Comments (40)

home staging, effective marketing, expirienced home staging, marketing, photography

Originally posted at: Real Estate Staging / Home Staging Blog: Are You and Your Seller's Thoughts in the Gutter?

Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...

40 Comments on Are You and Your Seller's Thoughts in the Gutter?

OCT

2007

Craig...I love it! may I use it in my class next week. What a great idea!

Craig -- I absolutely love this. Cleverly creative, but so simple, it makes one want to go DUH, why didn't I catch on to that sooner! Very classy job!

I've written several posts on my outside blog about the importance of photos on the internet. I LOVE this perspective as to what curb appeal really is. After seeing this, I'm going to write yet another one with a link to this article on YOUR outside blog.

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!

Excellent show Craig! You are so right - it all starts online now.

Good one Craig, it does begin on line. No doubt.

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

Hi Craig - Great to the point (or curb) Show! I remind my clients that most potential buyer's will look at homes online first so theirs better look great! Web appeal is a must! Thanks for Staging it Forward! :)

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: This is a brilliant way to get the point across about the importance of first impresseions - the first time a home buyer sees a home is usually on-line. Thank you for making this available to the rest of us.

Hey Craig - this post is we thought out. I like it. Cuts right to the chase...thanks!

Craig, glad to see you are back on the blogging wagon! This one rates a 5!

Very good Show Craig. The write-up was also great, especially the part about "not all stagers".

Great post. I think that this is something that gets missed a lot and definitely needs to be addressed.

Craig, I've added my article to my blog with the link to your site. I've had someone click through to your site already per the stats.

Good points - I would also add that without compelling photo work the staging efforts will be lost, especially online. Either learn to use a camera well or hire a professional to capture the images...

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 - Kitchen?

a kitchen, but.....??? is that a tiled countertop or a seperate tray? Gas or electric? Er... Has this house been on since snow?

Oy!

Juliet,

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

By the way...can't you just use those little video shows in a gazillions ways these days??? LOVE THEM!!!!

Craig,

this is great.. I love the video and I will be referring the agents I try to get to this blog :)

Excellent point! I like to prescreen new property listings online for those that might need staging. I saw that one realtor actually took a close up photo of a floor tile in the kitchen!! Made me wonder what the rest of the kitchen looked like...The other room photos were equally bizarre.

What a GREAT SHOW! It's a fantastic idea. ;) Would love to see this in the next carnival of home staging.

cheers,

cindy

OCT

2007

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.

I couldn't agree more. This is why we market our after photos to the agent as part of our services. They need to clearly understand that these photos are an important part of the role we play. I get really frustrated if they don't change the photos out - which usually ends up being the ones that don't move right away. (Do you think it's a co-incidence? me either)

Craig-this is terrific. Like Melissa-we supply the after photos to the agent and hope they will post them. We need to include you show to make them understand why this is so critical. Excellent post!

Craig, I LOVE this!! OMG you are so bang on. I will link to this to this as well.

Craig - just when I thought I knew how creative you are I realize we've just scratched the surface. This show is genius.

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.

I think I've watched it ten time. ;)

OCT

2007

Craig... this is brilliantly executed. Well done!

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

OCT

2007

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.

Craig -- Briliant show!

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

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