Bill Gates and his fascination with the personal computer have transformed the world of real estate. (As well as all other facets of our daily lives, when you think about it.) Since the advent of the internet, the rules in the real estate world have changed so radically that the seller of 25 years ago would not recognise today’s process. Back then, one might decide to sell a property, put a sign in the front yard, perhaps place an advertisement in the local newspaper, then sit back and wait for the offers to start rolling in. Today’s real estate world bears almost no resemblance to the old way of doing things.

In the world of yesteryear, if you mentioned employing a professional photographer, people would think you were wasting your money. If you took the unheard of step of bringing in a property stylist, people would scratch their heads wondering what such an individual did and why you thought their services necessary. Back then, a few snapshots of the home’s exterior to accompany the newspaper ad were sufficient. Today, most real estate selling agents make a point of advising their clients to get a real estate photographer and the real estate stylist in on the project in the very beginning. Things have changed, indeed.

Just 25 years into the era of the internet, more than 90 percent of home buyers do their house shopping almost entirely online. Long before they even pick up the phone to call an agent, buyers have pored over perhaps thousands of listing photos. By the time they make the call to an agent in order to view a property in person, they have eliminated all the homes in online listings except a handful they consider to be “must see houses”. Knowing this makes the role of a professional photographer in real estate come into focus.

When you imagine the hundreds upon hundreds of listings that are passed over due to poorly done or unimaginative photos of unadorned or vacant homes, it should make the homeowner take notice. When and if your home is among the places that don’t make the cut and is left behind to waste away among the other empty houses, you lose money.
The longer a house remains unsold, the more the continuing expenses mount up. Mortgage payments, rates payments, electricity bills and insurance premiums continue to come due. Every day can become more painful.

The fact is that in today’s housing market, a house that stays in the listing without a SOLD sign comes to be considered a ‘lemon’. Buyers imagine that any house that doesn’t get snapped up in a few weeks has hidden problems that make it undesirable. Whether that is actually true or not, a seller whose house lingers on the market becomes more doomed daily to the inevitable lowering of the selling price or losses that come in other ways. It can be a tragic situation.
When sellers either don’t understand, or decide to ignore, the facts in today’s real estate market there is bound to be a painful awakening eventually. The worst news is, such difficulties can be avoided.

By doing everything possible to make the house as attractive as possible from the moment the property is listed, sellers have a much, much better chance of selling at or above the asking price. By making sure the house is properly prepared and presented by a good property styling service then photographed by an individual who understands what is necessary in today’s marketplace, the seller can be rewarded richly.

The statistical proof is dramatic. Houses that have been professionally staged can often sell for 7.5 to 12.5 percent more than comparable properties that have not been professionally staged. Even better, according to statistics provided by IAHSP, the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, homes that are professionally prepared spend an average of 88 percent less time on the market. Less time on the market means savings of money and a happy ending for all.

Yes. The world of real estate is a whole new critter when compared to the days of yore. With the help of savvy selling agents, professional photographers and, of course, the real estate stylist, homes in Australia are selling for more money in much less time. It may be a new world for real estate, but it seems to be a better one for all concerned.

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