We’ve all seen articles about how more people are now using the internet to make their lives more convenient. Banks now advertise on TV that you can log in to check your accounts and even make transactions from your smart phone.  It’s been suggested that this year another 4000 more retailers are expected to close in the UK high streets due to the continued growth of interent shopping.

And property is no different.  Since Rightmove decided that the internet would be an ideal platform for people to view different properties (and make their shortlist for viewing) its grown exponentially and now over 95% of people use it as a tool to do exactly this.  I mean, why would you waste endless hours visiting numerous agents offices to ask what they might have for sale or for let, when you can see all of them in one easy to manage place.  From here you can create a shortlist of what properties tick your boxes.

And its become more advanced recently with added features such as ensuring you are alerted when properties that match predetermined criteria’s are new on the market.  It just makes the whole process of finding property so convenient, and less of a chore.  You can spend more time viewing what you like, and less time getting a sales pitch in an agents office.

So it irks me a little when I see agents making such little effort to really show off their clients property to the best of their ability.  Now this is especially irksome when said agent is likely to be earning many thousands in some cases in fees.

Rightmove has even alluded to the fact that properties marketed ‘properly;’ attract more hits and more viewings requests, and We’d go as far as saying will eventually sell for more if presented in the right way.

So why do people accept it?

This is not the best way to present property (taken from Rightmove, sales property in SE22)

Both images are poorly lit,  taken from a poor angle and don’t really do anything to sell the property.  Amazingly one of the shots is a property on the market at not far short of a £1Million.

This is a properly taken image:

Its better lit, has a nice angle and helps to sell the room and how much light it exudes.

Which picture attracts you more?

Also floor-plans ought to be standard from every agent, as I haven’t met a person yet that didn’t look at the layout before deciding on whether a viewing would follow.

Up until recently if you wanted the very best marketing you would have to go to the biggest agents (with the highest fees), but this simply isn’t the case anymore.

Many smaller agents now offer professional photography as standard, except without the fees of the very biggest agents.

Marketing is key.  Make sure your agent is really selling your property online if you want to attract more of the 95% of people that will be looking and comparing your property to your competition.