How to make your online listings standout?

Thanks to today’s sophisticated technology, home sellers have got more exposure when they list their home. While flyers and pamphlets are still a part of the marketing selling strategy, especially when it comes to one’s neighborhood, online marketing has taken over the main lead. Still, there are so many listings and it’s a challenging task to attract buyers specifically to yours, so here are some useful tips.

Get A Realtor Who Knows Marketing
The first step is to get an experienced agent who knows how online marketing works and which websites to target to put your listing on. It’s easy to upload it to MLS and wait for a buyer, but a great agent will also look for other ways to promote your home, e.g., upload the listing to popular local real estate websites which attract the target audience (i.e. homebuyers), create a landing page or use social media platforms to give you optimum exposure. Such a strategy will certainly result in more phone calls and more inquiries, but only if the listing is appealing enough, which brings us to the next step.

Prepare For The Home Photo Shoot
Many sellers think there is not much to do to prepare the home for a photo shoot. Many believe it’s enough to remove random items from the floor and the furniture before they start clicking their camera button. But, if you want your listing to stand out, you need to clean, declutter, stage and adjust the lighting before starting the shoot. You will probably have to put away (or hide) a lot of things given that a home full of random stuff (even if neatly organized) will look cluttered and appear smaller. Aim for a half-empty look (in photos and later during home showings) because it will bring the best features of your home to light, so make sure there are no dishes in the dish rack, no spices on the kitchen counter, no knick-knacks in the living room or shoes and jackets in the foyer.

Ready For The Photos
Many sellers tend to underestimate the power of photos and photography tools, so we often come across listing photos taken with a smartphone. To really impress buyers, hire a photographer (recommended by almost every realtors) or invest in photography software like HDR imaging that will allow you to adjust the lighting and angles to your preference. You don’t have to photograph every inch of your home as major selling features will be enough to capture the attention of buyers, like a nice fireplace, a great view from your Calgary home, the porch, etc., besides all the major rooms, of course. But, if you want to show more of your great Calgary home, you can make a video and create a visual home tour as buyers are especially fond of this. It gives them the opportunity to see more of the home and what’s in there. Virtual videos have certainly become a norm for many real estate agents and sellers as it proved to be a useful tool.

One more thing, stay away from alerting your photos. Photos have to show the real condition of the home so do videos.

Click here to contact Ron Clappison today for all your Calgary real estate needs.

Scroll to Top