Special offer

Tried a Different Strategy and It SOLD the Home!!

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Advantage

YEA......It Worked!!

I listed this particular home about 3.5 months ago. The home was built in 1997 but the sellers have made alot of upgrades. Very well maintained and the seller is  a wonderful decorator. Looks like the inside of a magazine. But the outside...like any other 2 story home. The same plan that you have seen in several other subdivions.  I posted the property and as well as I could explained how beautiful the home was inside. The price had been reduced once during this time so it was priced competitively. I could not understand why it was still on the market. The kitchen is gorgeous. They have completely refurbished...1997 home but they have  installed new cabinets, granite countertops, tile backsplash, stainless steel app., etc...So I decided on the MLS to display the picture of the kitchen instead of the front of the home. I had to get the agent's attention! On our MLS the main image is always a picture of the home. I had told the agents in the office about this home but it was only when I placed the picture of the kitchen I had one ask, "did you know your main image on mls is of the kitchen"? I told her yes and then she went on the say the house was gorgeous! She said from the outside she was not expecting that on the inside.

I changed that picture about 4 days ago and it has been shown 4 times since.

I got an offer today from an agent that showed it today. Putting the different picture on the MLS might not have made the difference....but I think it did. I think sometimes when we are scanning the homes from the main image on the MLS and we are looking something a little different for our clients we may skip over the properties that look the same. I think putting that picture made the agents stop and take a look at the inside of this property.

If your listing looks like all the others on the street but you know is more awesome on the inside....display the inside.

 

www.properties4sell, 405 LaVista Ct Benson NC

Johnathan Mullaney
Village Land Shoppe - Flagstaff, AZ
Broker, Flagstaff Real Estate

Debbie,

I do that often, especially with townhomes. It seems to also draw attention to that photo by automatically bringing the eye to it.

Johnathan

Jan 23, 2009 12:48 PM
Connie Goodrich
Keller Williams Realty - McKinney, TX
CRS ABR (McKinney Realtor)Texas

Great strategy and kudos to you for thinking outside of the box.  Good luck and keep up the proactive thinking!

Jan 23, 2009 12:53 PM
Larry Bergstrom
Crescent Realty, Inc. Spanaway, WA. - Spanaway, WA
CNE, CRS, GRI

Good job Debbie. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one that wakes up in the middle of the night with an idea on how to appease the customer.

Jan 23, 2009 01:01 PM
Russ Ravary ~ Metro Detroit Realtor call (248) 310-6239
Real Estate One - Commerce, MI
Michigan homes for sale ~ yesmyrealtor@gmail.com

Smart move.  Be a little different sometimes gets the home buyer

Jan 23, 2009 01:16 PM
Angelia Garcia
Pure Realtors - Dallas, TX

I had seen this done before but I thought it was being utilized because the curb appeal or home was in terrible condition.

Jan 23, 2009 01:16 PM
Gail Szeluga & JoAnna Siminerio
Coldwell Banker Realty - Manalapan/Marlboro - Manalapan, NJ
Fostering Community Spirit Through Real Estate

Wonderful Debbie!

I think us realtors can look past the front of the home, but often consumers do not.  You have one chance to make an impression and it has to be good enough to warrant them clicking further.

Good job!

Jan 23, 2009 01:36 PM
Sally Bostwick
sallybostwick@cbbain.com - Seattle, WA
Realtor

Debbie,

 

I'd love to do that.  It makes sense.  But unfortunately, our MLS restricts the first picture to the front of the property or to a view.  Nothing else allowed.  But your strategy makes sense to me.

Sally

Jan 23, 2009 01:37 PM
real estate real estate
Providence, RI

Picture really matters for many buyers. It is all about attention and a good picture surely will get buyer's attention.

Jan 23, 2009 01:57 PM
Jessica Wallace
Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345

I agree Pictures are so key.  Having a professional take photos as well is a good idea and with a wide angle lens.  With so many buyers initially looking on the internet the main photo is really the first impression.

Jan 23, 2009 02:18 PM
Shannon Aldrich
Keller Williams Coastal Realty - Rye, NH
NH & Maine Real Estate Seacoast

Mixing up the pictures can work in a lot of situations. Congrats on the sale.

Jan 23, 2009 11:42 PM
Walter Grewe III
Long and Foster Realtors - Roanoke, VA
Realtor, SFR, A-REO, Roanoke Homes and Real Estate

Debbie,

Congrats on the sale and great job with creative thinking.

Jan 24, 2009 02:17 PM
Jon Wnoroski
America's 1st Choice RH Realty Co., Inc. - Green, OH
Summit County Realtor

Hi Debbie - That's a great attention getter!  We seem to go through tons of homes.  Most look the similar with the front of the home being the first picture.  I like the idea of having something different up front.  Something that will draw on a person's curiosity.  Great job!

Jan 25, 2009 12:53 AM
DeAndrea "Dee Dee" Jones
Samson Properties - Manassas, VA
DMVRealEstateChick

Hey In this market whatever it takes. This works well when the inside looks better than the outside.

Jan 28, 2009 02:22 AM
Zilkia Olmeda-Martins
RE/MAX North - San Antonio - San Antonio, TX
GRI, Realtor, San Antonio Texas Luxury Homes

Great job Debbie!  I love to hear about new creative ways to market our listings.  Who knew that such a simple change would make such a difference.

Feb 03, 2009 08:07 AM