Why Your MLS Photos Are Crucial to Selling Your Home
If you are selling your home, it’s to your advantage to understand how buyers use the MLS to search for homes, what they are looking for, and the importance of making your listing as appealing as possible.
Your MLS photos are one of your biggest assets to getting buyers interested in your home. Here’s why you should consider them a priority in your marketing strategy.
Why Your Listing Photos Need to Stand Out to Buyers
Most Buyers Shop Online First
Real estate websites have made it easier than ever for home buyers to shop for homes. Today, most buyers look at listings online before deciding whether they want to take the time to see them in person.
Gone are the days when all buyers would wait until they meet with their realtor to tour homes in person. Now, they tour them online first and then narrow down which ones they want to go see. Some wait for their realtors to send them a selection while others will take it a step further and going searching online, then forward their favorites to their agent.
This means the MLS photos are the first impression buyers are getting of your property.
Bad Photos Leave a Bad Impression
There are a few factors that go into good MLS photos. One aspect is the quality of the image itself and things like lighting and composition. However, what’s most important are how the rooms are staged. The best photographer in the world can’t make a home that looks cramped, cluttered, and overly decorated look more appealing to buyers with their photography skills alone.
When we talk about bad MLS photos, we are referring to more than just the quality of the image itself. If your home isn’t staged well, not only will it be unappealing in person but it will look unappealing in photos, too. Things like clutter, bold décor, and bad lighting all contribute to a bad first impression.
Buyers won’t even bother taking the time to go see the listing in person if the photos aren’t attractive.
The Competition is Fierce
The real estate market is more competitive than ever. It’s easy for home buyers to pass on a home if it doesn’t give them a strong, positive first impression because there are so many other comparable homes to choose from. In order to give your home the best chance at appealing to buyers, your MLS photos need to stand out from the competition.
Home staging is a smart marketing strategy that will help your MLS photos make a strong first impression and then ensure that buyers feel just as great about your home as soon as they walk through the door.