SELL
MANAGING DIRECTOR KAY & CO
Q. I am going to sell my property and I understand that most enquiries now stem from the internet. How can I ensure that my property stands out from the rest?
A. Statistics show that 75 per cent of all property related searches now stem from the internet. There are a number of things that your agent should be doing in order to ensure that your property stands out and gets noticed. In the same way as would apply to magazine or newspaper advertising, a well written description with good quality, professionally taken photographs comes first and foremost and is an absolute prerequisite to any internet marketing of a property.
In an attempt to save on costs, it is still the case that many estate agents go out and attempt to take photos themselves on handheld digital cameras. Inevitably, these do not show off the properties to their fullest potential; I have certainly seen some shockers in my time.
Floor plans are another key element: again, many agents still fail to use full floor plans, which buyers find invaluable when deciding whether or not to contact an agent about a property.
Your agent should ensure that your property is listed on all the main property portals. These include Rightmove, Zoopla, Findaproperty and, in central London in particular, Primelocation. There are, however, many ways in which your agent can make your property stand out from the crowd on these portals. For example, many of these websites have featured property boxes and premium listings, which will have features such as enlarged listing, multiple photos that can rotate, photo galleries, highlighted background and bigger, bolder prices. Rightmove, the largest of the internet portals, says that its research indicates that on average 35 per cent more people click through to a premium listing, which vastly increases your agent’s chances of getting a call and you getting a viewing.
It is not just internet portals that are important: an agent’s own website, and how that ranks on search engines such as Google for area specific property searches, is just as important. You can do some research beforehand by Googling phrases that relate to your own local area. For example, if you live in Marylebone, “Marylebone Estate Agent” would be a key phrase as would “Marylebone property for sale”. Research has shown that any listing further back than the first page of a search engine is likely to have a far lower click-through rate than those on the first page so it is key that your agents website comes up first.
www.kayandco.com
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