Home Selling Made Simple

4 Tips for Selling a Home Online

Written by: Kristin Lesko
Posted: 06/06/2021

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Homebuyers are shopping online now more than ever. In some cases, they’re even making offers without ever seeing the house in person. That was the case for 63 percent of buyers in 2020, reported The Washington Post based on data from Redfin, a real estate brokerage firm. Buyers are relying on professional photos and real estate listing descriptions to highlight the property’s key features.  

Here are four tips for selling a home online:

  1. Consider staging your home. On average, staged homes sell 88 percent faster and for 20 percent more than non-staged homes, realtor.com reported. Look for someone who is accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), which means they are held to a particular set of standards. RESA requires practitioners to pass an ethics exam, have home staging business insurance and at least a year of experience in the field. You might expect to pay up to $600 for the initial consultation and roughly $500 to $600 per month, per room. Additionally, you want someone with experience staging homes that are similar to yours. Ask about the types of properties they stage, if they have a portfolio of past examples and how long their staged homes typically stay on the market.
  2. Hire a professional photographer. Nowadays, everyone has a camera phone. As a result, you might be wondering if the extra expense of hiring a photographer is really worth it. However, 79 percent of recent homebuyers told Zillow that they shopped online to find their home. Additionally, nearly half of buyers who purchased their house within the last 12 months said that viewing professional photos was extremely or very important to them. In other words, it’s worth the few hundred dollars or so it might cost for professional real estate photos.  
  3. Write a compelling real estate listing description. Photos may be what attract buyers to a house first, but the property description closes the deal. Whether your property is for sale by owner or you hired a real estate agent, your online property description should clearly and succinctly explain the key features of the property. Some of the most desired features you may want to highlight (if applicable) are a pool, spacious backyard, lakefront property, mountain view, renovated kitchen or bathrooms, mother-in-law suite (separate living space for relatives or passive income for renting), and a double-car garage. Aim to keep the entire description to 250 words or less. Also, include keywords that your buyers might search to find desirable properties, such as “three-bedroom house with pool in Tampa.”
  4. List it on the right sites. You’ve got the online assets you need to sell your home online and now you’re ready to share it with the world. Do some research to find out which sites are most popular. Some channels are free while others charge a listing fee and offer different packages. For example, certain channels have packages that include the help of an agent, professional photos, a 3D walkthrough, a yard sign, and open houses. You might even be able to pay extra for premium placement on the site, which leads to more visibility for your listing.

Want to forgo the hassle of selling a home online? Meridian Trust is a professional home investment company that pays cash for properties “as is” in Florida, Georgia and Texas. You can receive cash payment as quickly as five days from receiving your signed contract. No inspections, closing costs or brokerage commissions. It’s a much easier, faster process than selling a home online yourself.  

Call us today for a free, no-obligation cash offer: (954) 807-9087.

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