Sellers: Your FIRST Showing is Online

"I've had my home on the market for two weeks and haven't had any showings! What's going on?!" 

Actually, if your home is posted online, you HAVE had showings. Over 90% of today's homebuyers look at a home's online photos before deciding whether or not to tour the property in person. If your home is online, and you're not getting in-person showings, it's because the home already isn't showing well to prospective buyers. 

That's why properly preparing your home for photos is critical, especially in this shifting market. 

If you're a prospective seller, I will give you personalized preparation recommendations once I've walked through your home, but in general, here are 3 best practices:

1. Declutter. Think of prospective buyers entering your home like you do a hotel room. Do you want to see a bunch of personal belongings around? A good rule of thumb when preparing your home for photos/listing is keeping 6 items ONLY in a room. For example, in a bedroom that could mean a well-made bed, drapes, a piece of art hung on the wall, a rug, a dresser and a vase of fresh flowers. That's it - that's your 6. Anything else needs to be stored for safekeeping. I know this is hard, especially if you have kids or a big family, but keep in mind it's temporary and will help your home sell faster and for more money. 

2. Keep your furbabies and their belongings out of sight. I absolutely love my pets and most Americans have at least one pet as well. But when selling your home, keep their beds, kennels, bowls and accessories out of view. You don't want to potentially turn off buyers with allergies who take one look at your home's photos with a dog kennel or cat tower and decide to pass on touring. Unless you have a luxury feature like an integrated dog washing station in the mudroom, it's best to let buyers imagine bringing their own pets to the home, not question whether yours have left any hair, smells or damage inside. 

3. Create Curb Appeal. Now more than ever, homebuyers want a home that's Instagram-worthy, including the exterior. Take a look at your home from the street. How does it look? Does the outside match how clean and well-kept the inside is, or is it selling the entire property short? If needed, touch up paint, replace rotted wood (there's a good chance you'd have to do this after inspections anyway), keep the yard landscaped and consider fresh flowers. Make your home look inviting and exciting to tour when a buyer sees that first listing photo. Otherwise, they may not even keep clicking to see the home's interior. 

These are three quick tips, but there are several more personalized recommendations I can provide based on your unique situation. If you need help, I'm always a phone call away: 901.647.4302