The Value of Professional Photography

I’ve been in this industry for over 13 years and I can confidently say that when you’re selling a home, it’s more important than ever to have great professional pictures of your home when you list it on the market.

People do so much research and leg work online before they even see a home in person. By the time they show up to physically look at a house, more often than not they are just there to confirm that everything they’ve seen online is accurate before moving ahead with the transaction.

I can’t stress enough the importance of having professional photos. The photos you put online today in this age are probably doing about 85% to 90% of the selling of your home.

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Great home photos get more activity.

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Part of my listing package for clients is setting up a professional staging and photoshoot for every house I list. It gets activity on the home much quicker, equaling a faster and more profitable sale in the end. That’s what every seller wants.

If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to hear from you!

The Importance of a Pre-List Inspection

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I stress the importance of a pre-listing inspection because of the ability to eliminate so many issues ahead of time. Once your home goes pending and a buyer orders their own home inspection, it’s kind of like rolling the dice. You’re basically sitting and waiting to find out all the issues with your house.

A pre-list inspection is kind of like cheating; they’re going to give you a report that shows all the issues with your home before it goes on the market.

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A pre-list inspection is kind of like cheating.

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Say you’ve got leaky pipes under the sink or a roofing issue that’s easy to take care of. All of those issues will come up with a pre-listing inspection. If you roll the dice and wait for your house to go pending, the buyer will see everything that comes up. 

Many buyers will read an inspection and blow it out of proportion. For example, a buyer might see a dirty filter in a 15-year-old furnace and say you’ve been neglectful. They might say the furnace is near the end of its life and insist you replace it. Instead of spending $15 on a new filter, they might now be asking you to spend thousands on a new furnace or even a whole new system.

That’s just one of many examples that can be addressed before a house even goes on the market and buyers never see it. It can alleviate so many problems and save you a dramatic amount of money.

Thanks for joining me today, I hope you found the tips helpful. If you have any questions feel free to email or call me!

Does Zillow Give Accurate Home Values?

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Should you trust the Zestimate you get from Zillow in order to help you price your home? It depends. Let us explain.

Zillow uses a computer-generated algorithm, called a Zestimate, to help homeowners come up with a value for their home. This algorithm uses data from recent local home sales, as well as your square footage and location. The problem is, it can’t compute some of the most important things that come into play when pricing your home.

Zillow’s algorithm can not compute whether your landscaping is new, you have a refurbished back patio, an in-ground pool, or anything else that adds value and makes your home unique. There are so many things that increase your home’s value on the market that Zillow doesn’t even consider.

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Zillow’s algorithm isn’t strong enough to give you an accurate value.

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At the same time, a Zestimate can’t determine any negative aspects of your home that take away from its value. If you have an unkempt yard, live across from a junkyard, or have an outdated roof, that will take away from your home’s market value.

More often than not, Zestimates are too high or too low. Very rarely are they accurate. I do think it’s a good place to get a starting point and give you an idea of what your home is worth. However, once you get that value, it’s time to hire a professional agent to help you determine what price you should actually list the home at. If you have any questions or need any help pricing your home, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We would love to hear from you.