How to Take Listing Photos The Right Way

How to Take Listing Photos The Right Way

by | Dec 2, 2015 | Real Estate Terminology, Technology

Putting time and money into taking proper real estate listing photos may seem like a waste- after all, technology has reached a point where most current cell phone cameras are far superior to any camera you would buy from the store 5 years ago.  Snapping a few quick pictures on a  stroll across the property may seem sufficient- after all, the house should speak for itself right?  Wrong.  Even the nicest of properties can turn away potential buyers if the listing photos don’t properly highlight it’s features.  As real estate appraisers, we sort through hundreds of listing photos every day.  Having seen some of the best- and plenty of the worst- we can honestly say that the quality of the listing photos is definitely reflected in the days on market of a home.  Better photos attract more buyers, get more offers, and sell faster- but what do I need to do to really take a good listing photo?   1. Include a shot from the curb.  Everyone’s heard the term “curb appeal” before, and if your home has any, this one should be a no brainer.  Be careful to always take photos parallel with the roof line– or else, you can create “landslide” effect, making it look like the property is on a tilt or needs some landscaping when in reality it’s perfectly flat.    2. Keep people and pets out of the photos (including the photographer in mirrors) Mirrors may help light a room, but buyers don’t want to picture anyone in this house other than themselves- that’s why their thinking about buying it.  Also, not everyone is a dog or...
How to Suggest Comps to Real Estate Appraisers The Right Way

How to Suggest Comps to Real Estate Appraisers The Right Way

by | Nov 12, 2015 | Uncategorized

In our experience, real estate agents and real estate appraisers have different motives when searching for comparables. Appraisers always search for comps that are most similar to the subject property in a variety of ways- size, location, construction, etc.  We do this in order to paint the most accurate picture of what a property is truly worth.  Real estate agents tend to put these rules on the backburner, and search for comps that will best drive up the value of a home. If you want your real estate appraiser to take your comp suggestions seriously, keep these things in mind:     Why Are You Suggesting Comps? Whatever the reason, be sure to state it when handing them over to the appraiser.  If your suggesting comps because you happened across a similar house to the one being appraised and think it might help the appraiser, right on.  If your sole purpose is to offer comps that will help improve the value (which is obvious to a good appraiser), stop right there.   It’s not okay to try and persuade or coerce a real estate appraiser to “hit your mark”, or appraise the property at or above a certain value. Picking sub-par comps in order to encourage positive price adjustments is an obvious ploy.  If you’re not suggesting comps to try and make the appraiser’s job easier or to be generally helpful, it’s doubtful the appraiser will give your comps a second look.       Are the Comps You’re Suggesting Close in Size? This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how often we get suggestions that make us think...
The 6 Most Frequent Mistakes Real Estate Agents Make

The 6 Most Frequent Mistakes Real Estate Agents Make

by | Oct 28, 2015 | Uncategorized

Everyone Makes Mistakes. Real estate is a difficult business to get into, and a more complicated business than most understand-  it’s not uncommon for new real estate agents (and even seasoned ones) to feel overwhelmed or a bit confused from time to time.  Here are a few common mistakes we see both new and experienced real estate professionals make for you to avoid:   1.  Insufficient Funding  Life costs money, and being a real estate agent is no different.  It takes funding to build a business.  Whether that means taking out a business loan, or asking friends/family for help in the beginning- it typically takes a minimum of three months or more of reserve savings before becoming a full time real estate agent is truly viable. 2.  Lack of a Business Plan There are a lot of parallels between becoming a real estate agent and starting your own business- both require a plan.  Having clear goals helps you set a timeline, and having a timeline in mind helps one decide how they plan to accomplish them.  Without a business plan, spending money inefficiently becomes an all-to-common mistake, and one that you usually can’t spot until it’s too late. 3.  Choosing the Wrong Brokerage There are a number of things every agent should consider before picking their broker- how competitive their split percentage is, whether or not they have a good reputation, how many clients they currently have… the list goes on.  What’s important for every real estate professional is whether or not they’re taking the right reasons into consideration.  Regardless of how close to your house your potential new...
Landscaping- Is it REALLY Worth it?

Landscaping- Is it REALLY Worth it?

by | Oct 14, 2015 | Uncategorized

It’s common knowledge that when trying to sell, most people put at least a little money into some improvements or repairs before putting a house up on the market.  When you’re working with limited funds, exactly how and where to spend that money to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck can be puzzling. If you ask any real estate professional for advice on this, there’s no doubt they’d recommend you spend at least a little money trying to improve your property curb or drive-by appeal.  It goes without saying that better-looking homes attract more buyers and tend to sell faster than ugly ones.  It also goes without saying that nothing screams curb appeal like a well-kept lawn.   According to Lawn and Landscape Magazine, a well maintained and landscaped lawn can increase the value of a property between 5 and 25% when compared to other homes in the area.  When most people think of landscaping, images of bulldozers and hardhats come to mind.  In actuality, there are a few easy ways that some simple landscaping can improve the curb appeal and value of your home:     Adding Native Plants.  Adding native flowers or plants to your yard can do a lot to improve the curb appeal of your home, and being native to the area will help them thrive with little to no maintenance.  Michigan State University estimates that well maintained local plants and landscaping can improve the value of your home by up to 11%. Planting Trees.  Trees can do a lot for a house: they provide shade in the summer or break...