How to Get a Home Ready for a Photoshoot

As a real estate professional, you know buyers are more likely to make an offer when they’re excited about the property and can picture themselves living there. Since so much real estate marketing happens online (especially these days!), pictures, videos, and virtual tours of the home are the first impression most buyers and their agents get of the property. It is your chance to show the property at its absolute best and entice prospective buyers and real estate professionals to seek out more information. 

This means that getting ready for the property’s photoshoot is of paramount importance. But what exactly do you need to do? How do you prepare a home to make sure your photographer can show it in the best possible light?

Make the Home Appealing to a Diverse Range of Prospective Buyers

One of the key elements is for prospective buyers to be able to picture themselves living in the home. To make the space as appealing as possible to a general audience and maximize its overall aesthetics, take the following steps: 

• Depersonalize the space by removing things such as family portraits, personal collections, or knicknacks.

• Clean all visible surfaces, including flooring.

• De-clutter the space by removing unnecessary or excessive decorations, countertop appliances, bathroom toiletries, wires, laundry, and toys.

• Neutralize colorful walls, particularly those in kids’ rooms.

• Optimize lighting by replacing bulbs that don’t match or are out. You can also add strategic lighting using portable floor lamps. 

Optimize Exteriors

Exterior spaces should emphasize the home’s curb appeal and make buyers feel as though they’d enjoy the experience of coming home and pulling up in the driveway. 

To optimize the aesthetics of exteriors, take the following steps: 

• Put away trash cans, toys, bicycles, and other garden items.

• Clean windows, especially those that look out to an attractive view.

• Sweep and blow away leaves and debris from outdoor paved spaces such as patios, walkways, and driveways.

• Power-wash the siding to remove buildups of dirt, mold, or mildew.

• If the property has a pool, remove leaves and debris, and put away distracting objects such as nets, pool toys, and inflatables.

Final Touches: Day of the Shoot

On the day of the photo shoot, prep for your photographer with these final touches:

• Turn off ceiling fans.

• Turn on all lights, making sure that all bulbs match and are working (bring some extra bulbs with you just in case).

• Open the blinds to let in natural light.

• Move vehicles 1-2 homes away from the property so that they aren’t reflected in windows.

Remember, whether the viewer of your ad is a prospective buyer or another real estate professional, the pictures of the property are their first impression, and many decisions are made right then. 

A professional real estate photographer will know how to maximize a home’s appeal, but they can only do so much without your help. Working with them to get the house ready ensures that you are putting your best foot forward and increasing the chances of selling it faster and for a higher price.

For more information about Alaska real estate marketing, reach out to DMD today. 

Here’s What Alaskan Millennial Homebuyers Want

If you are selling a product or a service, you need to understand the first rule of sales: know your audience. Alaskan millennials want different features than Alaskan baby boomers. Families with three children want different amenities than young professionals. And first-time home buyers will likely be more impressed by photos or listings that veteran home-buyers might gloss over.

In recent years, millennials have taken over the largest share of home buyers: 38% of current potential buyers were born between 1981 and 1996. Experts predict that this share is going to increase in the next few years. Focus your attention on the Alaskan millennials who may be potentially looking at your listing. 

How do you do that? Here’s what they want to see when they’re browsing online. 

Open Floor Plans 

Millennials grew up watching HGTV shows that praise two things above all else: shiplap and open-concept floor plans. While you can probably ignore shiplap, you should definitely pay attention to open floor plans.

Why? Because open floor plans allow millennials to entertain, have parties, and share their space with the people they love. If you have an open floor plan, show it off! 

Big, open spaces are not just important indoors, either. If you have woods or a big backyard, include this information early in your listing, and show it off with great images. 

Space for a Home Office

As you stage your home or take photos, think about the story you want to tell. What kind of day will potential buyers have in your home? Besides entertaining, how can they use the space to enjoy their lives? 

Many millennials spend a lot of time at home. Remote work is more common among millennials, especially in the age of COVID-19. Do you have a spare bedroom or space for a home office? Stage your home appropriately and let millennials know that you have the perfect place to work from home. 

Add (or Reveal) Hardwood Floors

Your target audience can help you write the best listing and make any necessary repairs or upgrades that add value to the house. If you’re not in love with the flooring right now, opt for hardwood floors, linoleum, or vinyl. Millennials would rather mop a hardwood floor than steam-clean carpets. 

Fortunately, many homebuyers just need to remove carpet and freshen up their floors to get the look that millennials love. 

Location, Location, Location

Despite living in a world more dominated by technology, millennials want the same things as previous generations. They want to get value out of their home, make a good investment, and enjoy a fulfilling life. Old adages still apply to newer generations. 

That means location can still increase the value of a home beyond its square footage, features, or upgrades. If your property is in a great location, include this information. What coffee shops are nearby? Grocery stores? By telling buyers where they can walk or bike, you will continue to share the story of what your home can do for them. 

A Great Story 

As you tell the story of your property, consider the written listing, staging, and graphics that will appear online. Give buyers the chance to take a 3D tour or see the property from the perspective of a drone. You have many opportunities to truly show how your house can become someone’s home. 

Don’t know where to start? Reach out to DMD Real Estate Photography. We can help you choose the best package to show off your property and appeal to Alaskan millennials who may be interested in buying.

Just Because the Real Estate Market is “Paused” Doesn’t Mean You Have to Sit Idle

The global pandemic has put many aspects of life on pause. Travel plans have been canceled. Weddings have been pushed back. For many Americans, the decision to buy or sell real estate falls into this category.

With less money to spare, many sellers decided against putting their homes on the market. Delistings at the end of last March were 150% higher than delistings the year before. Additionally, unemployment rates skyrocketed, prompting a lot of potential buyers to hold back on their searching. Overall, the real estate market looks pretty bleak throughout the country. 

Fortunately, Alaska is not like the rest of the country. 

Unemployment rates, while still high, are lower than they are in many other places. And while the housing market appears to be on “pause” throughout the United States, low supply and lower interest rates are making buyers and sellers very happy right here in the 49th state. 

Low Supply Means High Demand, Which Helps Sellers... 

Let’s take a look at Anchorage as an example. Right now, it’s a seller’s market in Anchorage at pretty much all price ranges. 

For an area to be a seller’s market, there must be less than four months of inventory on the market. When you look at the homes priced between $100,000-$549,999, there is less than three months of inventory. 

The only price range with more than four months’ supply of houses is $700,000-$799,999. With 4.9 months’ worth of supply, this range is still labeled a “balanced market.” 

With fewer homes available, buyers have fewer choices. Sellers are able to stand out, especially if they are advertising online. If your clients decide to sell right now, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll have buyers flocking to their door (or, more likely, to a FaceTime tour set up by you!). 

… But Low Interest Rates Help Buyers 

Not all sellers across the country are having the same luck as those in Anchorage. The global pandemic has made it hard for many homeowners or investors to maintain their properties. 

So, to encourage buyers to take a look at the market, lenders have significantly lowered interest rates. This is an added bonus for Anchorage homeowners and soon-to-be homeowners. Lower interest rates bring more buyers out of the shadows and give them a higher budget to work with. 

Homeowners also have the opportunity to refinance with these lower interest rates. Buying a house after selling also becomes an easier and faster process. Everyone wins! 

Bottom Line? Don’t Be Afraid to Make Big Moves!

Don’t let news stories from other parts of the country worry your clients. If they are interested in selling in Alaska right now, tell them to take the plunge. 

When they do, we can help you make sure that their home stands out on the market, so that buyers who are taking advantage of low interest rates notice it. Professional photography, virtual tours, and 3D tours will not only attract more buyers, but also help you sell homes for more. 

Contact DMD Real Estate Photography for more information on how you can make your listings stand out.