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Interesting Study Reveals How Home Buyers Look At Listings Online

Reblogger Linda Thompson
Home Stager with Selling By Design-Staging

A picture can be worth thousands of dollars in home sales. Bad or mediocre pictures of homes on the internet can keep potential buyers away from a listing. Knowing that, we still see out of focus, over exposed, pets and people in the pictures, as well as my all time worst, a picture taken facing a large window leaving the room looking dark, the furniture only visible in silhouette.

The need for good photography in real estate sales is the topic of a post by home staging expert Sharon Tara of New Hampshire.

Vital information for Fresno as well MLS listings as well!

Original content by Sharon Tara

Interesting Study Reveals How Buyers Look At Listings Online

 

Nearly all home buyers begin their search online.  This is not new information.

 What is new information is HOW buyers are looking at listings online.  Knowing exactly how buyers scan listings can be very useful information in real estate marketing.  What part of a listing do buyers go to first and where do they spend the most time?

Prof. Michael Seiler, Old Dominion University at Norfolk, Virginia tracked the eye movement of people viewing online home listings in his study "Toward an Understanding of Real Estate Home Buyer Internet Search Behavior: An Application of Ocular Tracking Technology."

Do you know which part of a listing gets the most attention and which part is most overlooked?

 

According to Prof. Seiler's study

" Home buyers focus primarily on the photo of the home and 

secondarily on the quantitative description of the property.  Real estate agent remarks are 

substantially lower on the list of priorities. Just over 40% of participants did not view the real 

estate agent remarks."

I was surprised to learn that 41.5% of home buyers didn't even view the agent remarks section.

 

The power is in the pictures.  This study shows viewers spending 60% of their time on photos. 

  As a New Hampshire Home Stager I know the importance of mls photos and I agree with Prof. Seiler..."if you don't have an eye catching photo of the home, the battle is lost before it begins."

 

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Posted by

Linda Thompson

Fresno, CA- home staging and redesign services

                  Selling By Design-Staging

Selling By Design-Staging specializes in giving homes an edge on the competition by creating atmospheres that are appealing, inviting and that say to potential buyers "Welcome home." For more information we invite you to visit our web site at   http://www.sellingbydesign-staging.net


 linda@sellingbydesign-staging.com

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Joan Congilose
New Jersey Properties - Manalapan, NJ
Helping Sellers & Buyers

Hi Linda I think that it is right on the money. People are more visual and if they don't like what they see they move on to the next one 

Apr 02, 2013 10:20 AM
Marnie Matarese
DWELL REAL ESTATE - Sarasota, FL
Showing you the best of Sarasota!

It seems like there are two ends to the spectrum.  The photos that are much better than the actual listing and then the ones that keep buyers away from perfectly good homes.  I have to believe that many sellers never see their listings.

Apr 02, 2013 10:50 AM
Berni Kerr
Retired - Mortgage Professional. - Port Dover, ON
Retired AMP Mortgage Agent - Port Dover ON

Linda,  I guess it true that a picture is worth a thousand words.  I once took pictures of a house, and then had a photographer shoot the same place.  The difference was night and day. I could not believe how much better the appearance was when the pro...used lighting, angels, and fixtures in a way...I could not! 

Apr 02, 2013 11:18 AM
Kim Logan
KELLER WILLIAMS LAKE OCONEE - Greensboro, GA
Kim Logan - Keller Williams Lake Oconee Realty

Linda,

I agree that the first impression is from the pictures, so they need to be of good quality!  Many buyers just look at pics and then move on.....

Enjoyed reading your blog!

Apr 02, 2013 12:26 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I'm so glad you found my post share worthy, Linda!  Thanks for the reblog!

Apr 02, 2013 11:35 PM
Anonymous
Linda Thompson

Hi Joan. Thanks for the comment. Hopefully the word will spread.

I agree Marnie some people probably don't see their own listings. They should.

Bernie, I have had that same thing happen, What a difference a pro can make.

Hi Kim. Sad but true. Bad pics can make a buyer click next.

 

You are so welcome Sharon. It was reblog worthy!

Apr 03, 2013 07:52 AM
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