More and more people today are looking for homes, either to buy or rent online than ever before. There is not much room for growth in the numbers looking online, such that it is changing the way Realtors and real estate agents market their listings. As more people look on line less people seem to be looking physically.
Every real estate website will tell you that those homes with MORE photos get more views, so selecting the right photos is even more important than before. As internet searching grows more buyers are looking online for longer periods and without representation because most of the listing information is out there on the internet on multiple sites.
As a listing agent what is the correct number of photos to show, 12, 24, 36 or even more, should you include video? There are so many options to add, floorplans, virtual tours, map views, walkscore maps, the list is almost endless. But is today's home seller prepared for how this changes the number of physical showings? As a listing agent can you tell your seller how many internet showings they have had this week?
As buyers discount homes before physically seeing them either because there are no photos, or simply the photos are too few, or only of the outside of the home, leaving buyers to ponder what lurks inside home owners are not understanding that showings physically are down. They are getting stressed at the low level of physical showings and expect their agent to help them change this because they do not understand the market as it is today.
Are agents then making these homes available easily for these unrepresented buyers to view? As we all know none of us like to feel indebted to someone, so when we walk into a shop and are asked if we can be helped, we nearly always say "No, Just looking." Even when we specifically came to the shop to buy something. Likewise buyers today want to see properties physically, but don't want to call an agent and feel indebted to work with them, so public open houses are even more important for these unrepresented buyers. It allows them to see the home they might have interest in plus check out the agent and see if there might be a deal that can be struck on this home in this market. I am seeing more dual agency deals being done today than I have in a long time and believe it is internet buyers who are unrepresented and hope either to secure a better deal possibly through working with the listing agent, or simply through ignorance of the benefits of working with a buyers agent to protect their interests.
Do you feel that photos and video show you everything a house can show and feel?
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