Sell your house like a rock star
If you want to stand out from the crowd in the property market this is what you have to do, says Susan Edmunds.
You don’t have to be a rock star for your house to get a lot of attention from buyers – but some flashy marketing might help.
Trade Me has released its list of the most popular properties advertised for sale on its site this year.
Turakina Ma¯ ori Girls’ College, in Marton, came in top of the list with 81,000 views. The school closed in 2016.
In second place, and top of the pops for residential property, was AC/DC member Phil Rudd’s waterfront mansion, with 79,400 views. It is still on the market, asking $4.1 million.
If you want to sell your house this summer, there are some lessons to learn from the bighitters.
Professional photos can be expensive, and some salespeople will ask you to pay the cost as a separate bill from your other marketing. But resist the temptation to cut corners.
Alistair Helm, former head of product for Trade Me Property and now a real estate salesman, said good photos make a house stand out.
‘‘There’s nothing worse than pictures taken in poor light or of cluttered, messy rooms.’’ He recommended getting a house staged if necessary, and taking photos at different times of the day.
‘‘Daytime and dusk photos certainly appeal more these days than just daytime alone.’’
Helm said sellers should offer between 20 and 30 photos of their houses.
Andrew Duncan, who runs real estate agency Relatable, recommended asking for men and women to offer feedback on what attracts the eye.
‘‘Different people are attracted to different aspects of a property. It’s so key to get yours right.’’
Put together a professional video with commentary of the house to hold buyers’ attention for longer.
Helm said it was not enough to offer a video made up of still photos.
The standout listings this year all had something in common – there was something a bit different about them.
Whether it was Kate Sheppard’s house, which was the base for her suffrage campaign, a property described as a ‘‘castle by the sea’’, or the rockstar waterfront home, they all had a clear point of difference.
Trade Me spokeswoman Millie Silvester said sellers should think about how a house was described. She pointed to a ‘‘dreadful house’’ for sale in West Auckland – a mediocre property generating interest with an engaging ad.
Helm said the headline needed to be catchy and appealing too, not just ‘‘vendor must sell’’ or ‘‘home sweet home’’. Duncan said deciding on a headline was an afterthought for most agents.
‘‘It shows when you look on Trade Me.’’ Adding a price could increase interest too, he said.
Telling the story behind the property also helped listings stand out.
The third-most popular property listing was a central Auckland apartment that featured on Stuff. The owners explained how the original building on the site was St Helen’s Hospital, which later became a boys’ borstal, and was then left derelict for many years, until the Roberts managed to buy part of the land and build their spectacular triangular house.
Real Estate Institute chief executive Bindi Norwell suggested including your reason for selling, if it was helpful. Saying you are moving out of town shows there is no problem with the house itself.
Sometimes, houses are popular simply because of where they are.
You can’t pick yours up and move it but you can make the most of what you have.
Play up the features and amenities of your local area – Helm recommends using a drone to get neighbourhood photos.
He said an ad should also include details of transportation links, schools, and utilities such as broadband and gas.