three ways to increasing homebuyer traffic

get their attention and keep it

By Huy Chea

How many of you agree that first impressions are important? Homebuyers make judgment calls based on first impressions. They are influenced by what they see and/or don't see. Directing homebuyer traffic to any given property is three fold: online presence, outside presentation and interior presentation.

Online Presence

The popularity of newspaper ads has faded with large newspaper giants switching to the internet, which should tell you something about the power of the internet. Homebuyers are looking for more than mediocre efforts to impress and draw them to properties.

A house purchase is a hefty investment, having an online presence with lots of visual aids will impress appreciative homebuyers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of all homebuyers research online before they will make a personal visit. The primary objectives of these ads are to draw homebuyers to the property by providing the best visual experience within your means. Consider placing more than 20 photos that communicate desirability and awe finicky buyers. Listings with more photos get more hits (i.e. 15 photos will have 33% less hits than properties with 16 photos). Local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) may have minimum photo requirements and have a maximum photo limit, supplements these with virtual tours, i.e. slide shows, video tour, etc. Good and well placed photos can far exceed words alone.

Take the right sort of pictures to make a first and lasting impression, a positive one. Sloppy shots will not improve the property even after a hundred shots. Some properties may require fewer pictures and others more, depending on size, amenities, and sometimes the objective. Quality photos should express moods, convey feelings, and evoke emotions. A home purchase is an emotional experience, do some prep work, i.e. staging, before taking pictures.

Outside Presentation

Now that you've got the buyers hooked online, what next? Out of the 87% of online homebuyers, 77% of homebuyers will make a personal visit to check out the curb appeal. They will scout out the neighborhood, the neighbors, the lawn, the landscape, the house orientation, the condition of the exterior, the yards, noise factors, and do some peaking in. Consider some of the following before marketing your property:

  • Landscaping should be neat and tidy. Properties are staying longer on the market; consider hiring a gardener to maintain vacant properties if you are not able to.
  • Neighborhood condition. Is the neighborhood clean, presentable, and inviting? If not, cleanup and make it presentable or if there is a neighbor whose exterior is found wanting, offer free services to have their frount yards cleaned.
  • Lighting. Create an inviting store front for your property. During the wet season with shorten daylight hours have good lighting to show case the exterior and create safety for homebuyers.
  • Exterior condition. Deferred maintenance will communicate hidden problems. Make essential repairs and repairs that will communicate newness and desirability before placing the property on the market.
  • If the impressions of the exterior are favorable homebuyers will likely schedule to view the interior of the house.

Interior Presentation

There hasn't been an overwhelming consensus for home staging, even among real estate agents. However, the housing inventory is large which equates to more competition. Your property needs to be outstanding to be noticed. Market time is valuable and should not be wasted away. The longer a property stays on the market, the less desirable and less valuable it becomes.

Ther interior presentation is crucial because it is the living quarters. Homebuyers will look at its condition, windows, walls, floors, storage spaces, rooms, amenities, special features, perks, datedness, layout, space, lighting, odors, floor plan flow, appliances, furnishings, search for defects and summarize the overall feel of the place. Here are a few things to consider when preparing the interior of a house: staging, cleanliness, accentuating space, and setting moods.

  • Staging. Although furnishings don't neccessarily go with the house purchase, buyers unavoidably see them as a package when they are looking. The objective of staging is two-fold: 1) to communicate space or the illusion of space, and 2) it helps create appeal through misdirection or distraction. So, if there are outdated, undesirable trends or features, proper staging will redirect homebuyers' attention to the positive aspects of the house, or showcase the positive features.
  • Cleanliness. A clean house allows homebuyers to see the positive aspects of the house and not its distractions--clutter.
  • Accentuate space. Don't say you have it, show it. Again, allow homebuyers to see the space advertised and not your belongings. Take away excess storage in the closets, shelves, storage rooms, play room, attic, garage, pantry, and thin out rooms with too many furniture.
  • Set moods. The mood objective is to get homebuyers to want to stay and linger. Here are three factors to consider when creating moods: sight, sound, and smell. First determine your objective - what kind of moods are you trying to achieve. Second, set out to find or set up the visual to embody it, i.e. staging and/or paint. Third, play the sound to evoke it. And fourth, determine the smells to convey it. Smells are rather risky because too much of it can be overwhelming and the wrong kind can repel, so keep it subtle.

Today, increasing homebuyer traffic to properties requires more than just a sale post, flyers, newspaper ads and a key box; it requires a strong online presence, an attractive home front, and a beautifully modeled interior. Today's homebuyers want the virtual experience a reality.

 

Article first published on NWAbode.com in April 2009.

Huy Chea is a licensed REALTOR, GRI, CNE for the state of Washington working with the company of Coldwell Banker Bain in Redmond, Washington.