Ideas & Advice - RealtyHive Blog

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6 Things to Do–and 4 to avoid!– for Great Real Estate Photos

January 23, 2018/0 Comments/in Ideas & Advice, Real Estate 101 /by Tristin Zeman

They say that a picture is worth 1000 words, but if that’s true then real estate photos are worth even more. In an industry that typically confuses “cozy” and “cramped” or “vintage” and “outdated”, having good quality real estate photos can bring more attention and interest to a home or listing you’re trying to sell.

While some real estate agents will suggest you hire a professional, there are many tips and tricks you can use yourself to create appealing home photos–without breaking the bank! Here are the 6 Must-Do things for taking great real estate photos and 4 things to avoid!

1). Clear Out the Clutter

The best home photos have enough items in them that a potential buyer can get a “feel” for the size of a room, but not so much that they get distracted by your possessions. Clear off your counter-tops, remove excessive knickknacks, and clear the floor of unnecessary objects.

2). Let the Light In

How do you perceive a home that’s dark and shadowy? Scary, creepy, or just not right? Few things will put off a buyer than the impression that your home doesn’t have a lot of light. If you have blinds or curtains, open them! Overhead lighting? Turn it on! No overhead lighting? Grab some lamps (and set them up outside the frame). Natural light is the best for taking pictures and modern cameras have adapted remarkably well to preventing the wash-out effect that film cameras often faced. If you’re taking exterior pictures, schedule a time to take them where the sun will be behind you. If possible, otherwise about 1.5 hours before sunset seems to be the magical photo time. While it shouldn’t make a difference, having a sunny day or a pretty sunset will actually attract more attention to your listing than an overcast day will.

3). Night Light Can be the Right Light

If your house looks good at night, show it off! While the night look isn’t for every home, homes with many windows and thoughtful landscaping look great when showcased at night, just don’t forget to also include daytime pictures!

4). Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner (Unless it’s a Real Estate Shot!)

Most often you’ll find that pictures taken from a corner are the most flattering. You’ll be able to include more of the room than in a picture taken from the middle of a wall. Additionally, room will appear actual-sized (if not larger), and visually it’s just more interesting.

Bill’s job shearing sheep allows him to work from home every Friday.https://t.co/xlUG9cqfib pic.twitter.com/5uHbJFdoge

— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) October 9, 2017

5). Keep it Classy (and Legal!)

Some of the funniest “real estate fail” photos come from what people didn’t mean to take a picture of. Maybe it’s your reflection (sans pants) in the window or the unkempt state of your bathroom or any number of other didn’t-even-think-of-that things. Though, funny (and failing) is not what you’re going for here. Before you share your photos, it’s a good idea to have a friend look over them to make sure that there are no gross, funny, or illegal items shown in any part of your photos.

6). Take More Than You Need

You should always take more photos than you need. If one turns out blurry or off-kilter you’ll have backup. It might turn out that the antique vent covers and wide woodwork that you rarely think about are actually the charming pièce de résistance that your buyers were hoping for. Having photos of close up details as well as broad photos will help you decide what the best features of your home might be.

Don’ts

1). Don’t Wait

While you may think that you need a fancy, expensive camera with all the bells and whistles, don’t let that stop you! It is very, very difficult to sell a property these days without photos as most buyers start their search online. While you will still get a better photo from an SLR professional-quality camera, the camera you’re using is much less important compared to how your shots are set up and any photos you can add will greatly help reach buyers.

2). Don’t Pretend

While you want to showcase your home in the best light, don’t be disingenuous with your photos. Don’t use a wide-angle lens (like those found in GoPro cameras or filters available for other camera models) to make the rooms appear larger or frame your shots to exclude the neighbor’s home that’s this close to your home. Keep in mind that buyers will be seeing your home in real life and you don’t want to waste your time or theirs with the wrong expectations. The same rule applies to photo editing. Yes, you want your real estate photos to stand out, but no, this is not the time for 45° angle shots or crazy, unnatural filters. Likewise, changing the brightness or contrast of a photo is fine, but completely transforming your room via Photoshop is not.

3). Don’t Forget the Good Stuff

When you list your home for sale, you’re also going to need to have a description of your property. Depending where you have your home posted, these descriptions may be keyword searchable meaning you’ll want to talk up the biggest selling points of your home, but don’t stop there. Make sure you have photos to back it up! Nothing is worse than a description saying that a home has a “lavish and unique wine cellar” with no picture to go along with it.

4). Don’t be Afraid to Stage

Sure, you don’t always have your dining room table set for formal dinner, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t for your photos! No matter who buys your home, they’re going to have different decor and tastes than you, so your job isn’t to make your rooms look like your rooms, you just need them to look the best they can be. Need to borrow a painting from another room? Do it! Want to move a television set out of your kid’s bedroom? Do it! There’s nothing wrong with changing your decor to attract a buyer!

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Event Marketing: A New Tool for the Trade

December 27, 2017/2 Comments/in Ideas & Advice, Real Estate 101 /by Tristin Zeman

Read this next sentence and tell me if it sounds familiar. Lately, when you get a listing for a modestly-sized, fairly priced home and before you know it you get SO much interest, you can barely add it to your MLS before you start receiving offers– some even above list price. But when it comes to your commercial listings, vacation homes, or even some residential properties, for whatever reason, some properties just sit. And sit. And sit. Your sellers start to get restless, your listing expiration is coming up, and you’ve already considered a price reduction. What are you to do? Sure, almost everything will sell if you wait long enough, but that’s not the strategy that will make your sellers happy, after all, they’re ready to sell, not wait for some time in the eventual future. This is where event marketing can help.

What is event marketing?

Event marketing is an online auction marketing strategy that helps properties rise above the noise and clutter of traditionally marketed listings and grab the attention of potential buyers. Once an interested buyer becomes aware of the property, a genuine sense of urgency develops due to the auction format. Since there is a specific time and date assigned to obtain this “deal”, buyers have to act. This sense of urgency typically creates a very competitive bidding environment. Whether it’s at the online event or at any time prior to the event. In many cases, properties can sell prior to the event if the potential buyer’s offered “pre-auction” bid entices the seller to remove the property prior to the scheduled online event.

Advantages of Event Marketing for Real Estate

Increased exposure on a global level

It used to be that home buyers usually lived near the area they were buying. With the advent of telecommuting and increased globalization, buyers can come from anywhere in the world these days. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, foreign buyers closed on $135 billion worth of residential US real estate between April 2016 and March 2017. This is why online marketing is so important. Sure, a potential buyer could find your listing from your local MLS’s website, but why leave it to that? Using an event marketing platform exposes your property to a global audience, at no cost to you, the agent. Additionally, you can use it to generate more interest (and more offers) on your listing from all over the world.

Alternative to Price Reduction

One of the hardest subjects to tackle with your sellers has got to be the price reduction talk. Your sellers are emotionally and financially invested in their home. For this reason, it can be hard to convince them that it is not worth the price they’d like to ask for it–especially if they’re looking to sell quickly. While having hard facts can help with this discussion, for example talking them through what similar homes in their area have recently sold for, it doesn’t always go well.

Using an event marketing platform allows homes to have a lower suggested opening bid than current list price to attract more buyers. Yet, it allows the sellers to remain in control of the actual sale price. For example, a home can be listed at $390,000 with an opening bid of $290,000. If the seller receives a high bid of $350,000 they have the choice to accept the bid and move forward with the sale (after all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush), or reject the bid and start the process again.

The advantage of taking a property to auction in this method is twofold. On one hand a lower opening bid attracts more attention, more attention creates competition, and competition ultimately raises the price. On the other hand, this method can help determine the true value of a property. If a seller is receiving offers that are tens of thousands of dollars less than asking price, they may see the property is overpriced for the current market conditions.

Tool for Listing Extension

One of the most difficult parts of being a real estate agent is having your clients see the value of the service you provide. Sites such as Zillow assist sellers with by owner sales and a hot housing market. This leaves many clients wondering what you are doing that they couldn’t themselves (hint: a lot, but that’s a subject for another day). One of the advantages of event marketing is that it is another tool in your arsenal to extend your listing. You can go to your clients with this new and innovative process to help gain exposure and increase activity for their home. Interested in getting started with event marketing? Whether its commercial buildings or vacant land. Luxury homes or the Caribbean islands. RealtyHive has the experience and tools you need to move your listings through its event marketing platform. Click here to learn more or get started today!

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New Year, New Home? How to Tell if You’re Ready to Buy

December 20, 2017/0 Comments/in Ideas & Advice, Real Estate 101 /by Tristin Zeman

So you’ve decided to make the jump.

Maybe you want to be able to paint the walls any color you’d like, or have a backyard for your dog to play in. Maybe you’re just tired of having the expense of rent instead of the investment of homeownership. We hear you, and you’re right, homeownership comes with many advantages. Before you start picking patterns for curtains, you’ve got a few other things to work out. Here’s what you need to ask yourself to decide if you’re ready to buy a home.

What’s your money situation?

More than likely you’re going to need a loan to buy your home, especially if this is your first home purchase. In this case, the first step is to talk with a mortgage lender to find out exactly what you are approved for. They’ll talk with you and find out what your current assets and debts are. They’ll ask about your income, check your credit score, and basically assess the situation to help you figure out where you’re at. Once you know the general math, you’ll be able to start looking for a home. One thing to consider, though, is that home prices are not all-inclusive. If you buy a home for $150,000, that’s not the only price you’re liable to pay right away. You’ll be expected to pay homeowners insurance, closing costs, and sometimes Homeowners Association fees all right away as well. All this needs to be factored into your math when purchasing your home.

What does your future hold?

While no one can predict the future, you should have a guess of what the next few months, and ideally years, hold for you. Shortly after closing on a new home is not the time to quit your steady job in favor of becoming a freelance harmonica tuner. (no matter what the couples in House Hunters make you think). You’re also going to want to make sure your new home is in an area you’d like to stay in. Are you planning to stay put for a while or are you thinking of leaving the country to teach abroad? If you have children or intend to, how are the schools in the area? Will you have enough bedrooms? Does the neighborhood seem safe? Sure, if you find that you don’t want to or can’t live in your house after a few months or years, you do have options. You could sell or rent it out, but both of those options come with their own challenges.

Are you being realistic?

Sure, you want to find your dream home in a wonderful location priced below your budget, but that rarely happens. More often you’re going to have to make some concessions when it comes to finding the right home. Is having a detached garage a real deal breaker for you or can you overlook that fact for a spacious kitchen? Do you have your heart set on a charming old Victorian home, but cringe at the thought of making significant updates right off the bat? Will you be able to afford the utility costs of heating/cooling/lighting a 7300 square foot home or would you be better suited for a smaller place? Do you really want to move you, your spouse, and 3 Great Danes into a “tiny home”? These are all things that need to be considered. You’re better off by recognizing these trade-offs in the beginning and addressing them than to ignore the reality of your situation.

Owning a home is an investment, but choosing the right one and making sure you’re ready, both financially and otherwise, are the biggest factors in making the decision successful. Long story short, you should buy because you’re ready, not because you think you need to. Whether you’re just browsing or are ready to take the plunge, RealtyHive can help. Check out our upcoming auctions to find homes in your area at the best value!

How To Afford A Home

Post-Move Checklist

Rebates for Homebuyers (And Sellers!)

What Is a Non-Recourse Loan?

Navigating Real Estate Auctions

First Night Packing For New Homeowners

Dive In! 5 Benefits of Owning a Pool

December 13, 2017/1 Comment/in Ideas & Advice /by Tristin Zeman

Owning a pool comes with a lot of maintenance, but also a lot of perks. Pools are a great way to stay cool in the summer, and to turn any backyard barbecue into a social event! Here are some of the top benefits of owning your own pool!

Swimming is great exercise

Whether you’re the next Katie Ledecky– or if you can barely do a doggy paddle, swimming is excellent exercise. It’s a lower impact exercise than running or biking, which is easier on your joints. All this while still providing an excellent aerobic workout.

You can control how clean it is

While a backyard pool can come with a lot of maintenance, a well-kept personal pool tends to be cleaner than a public pool for a couple reasons. One being less traffic and the other being more conscientiousness by swimmers. According to the CDC, 58 percent of public pools tested positive for fecal bacteria in a study released in May 2013.

Control over how it’s cleaned

If you’re worried about chemical reactions or sensitivities, swimming in a public pool can be a risky endeavor. There is an art (well, mostly science) to cleaning pools. Those who are worried about too-strong chemicals are able to test a home pool in ways that are not possible at a public facility. Private pool owners are also able to use different chemicals, ones that may be cost prohibitive in a public pool, if this is a concern.

Spend time with friends and family

Pools are well known for attracting friends and families which creates a multitude of opportunity for social connections. A 2010 Harvard report stated that social connections not only give us pleasure, they also influence our long-term health. It helps us in ways every bit as powerful as adequate sleep, a good diet, and not smoking.

Resale value

While there can be quite the upfront cost to getting a pool, it drastically increases your homes resale value. Depending on where you live, pools can vary from a nice, yet novel amenity to a non-negotiable must-have. In either event, pools can help with the resale value of your home and shortening the list-to-close time, all while being an enjoyable feature while you’re living in your home.

Interested in owning a home with a pool? Check out these great options available now!

Deal Hunting: Where to find undervalued real estate in the US

December 6, 2017/0 Comments/in Real Estate 101, Ideas & Advice /by Tristin Zeman

It is well known that real estate prices are up, and they dont seem to be going down anytime soon. From Green Bay to Orlando and everywhere in between; potential home buyers are feeling the heat. While home values are relative to location, the average rent for a studio in San Francisco, California is crazy. Such studio costs the same as approximately 5 months of rent for a much larger apartment in Cleveland, Ohio. Most sources agree that prices overall won’t be trending downward anytime soon. That said, there are actually some areas in the US that have what can be considered as an undervalued market. If you’re looking to score a deal on real estate these are the areas to check out. All include the metro area unless otherwise noted.

Alabama:

Decatur
Tuscaloosa
Montgomery
Auburn-Opelika
Mobile

Arkansas:

Pine Bluff

Arizona:

Yuma

California:

Chico
Merced
Fresno
Hanford-Corcoran
Bakersfield
Visalia-Portersville
Madera
El Centro
Yuba City

Connecticut:

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk
New Haven-Milford
Norwich-New London
Hartford-West
Hartford-East

Georgia:

Macon-BiBB County
Warner Robins
Albany, Hinesville
Valdosta

Idaho:

Pocatello

Illinois:

Carbondale-Marion
Springfield
Decatur
Bloomington
Peoria
Danville
Kankakee
Elgin (Metropolitan Division)
Rockford

Indiana:

Bloomington
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson
Kokomo
Lafayette-West Lafayette
Gary (Metropolitan Division)
Michigan City-La Porte

Iowa:

Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Cedar Rapids

Kansas:

Wichita
Lawrence

Kentucky:

Bowling Green
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox

Maine:

Bangor

Maryland:

Springfield

Michigan:

Kalamazoo-Portage
Grand Rapids-Wyoming
Lansing-East Lansing
Jackson
Midland
Saginaw
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills (Metropolitan Division)
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia
Monroe
Niles-Benton Harbor
Battle Creek
Flint
Bay City

Mississippi:

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula
Jackson

Missouri:

Columbia
Joplin

New Hampshire:

Rockingham County-Strafford County

New Jersey:

Vineland-Bridgeton
Camden (Metropolitan Division)

New Mexico:

Santa Fe
Las Cruces

New York:

Rochester
Syracuse

North Carolina:

Fayetteville
Greensboro-High Point
Burlington
Goldsboro
Jacksonville
Greenville
Rocky Mount

Ohio:

Toledo
Mansfield
Cleveland-Elyria
Canton-Massillon
Springfield
Dayton
Lima
Akron
Canton-Massillon

Oklahoma:

Lawton

Pennsylvania:

Pittsburgh
Erie, Johnstown
Altoona

South Carolina:

Columbia
Florence
Sumter

Tennessee:

Jackson

Washington:

Yakima

West Virginia:

Parkersburg-Vienna

Wisconsin:

Janesville-Beloit
Wausau
Fond du Lac
Sheboygan

Wyoming:

Casper

State Borderline Areas

Alabama-Georgia:

Columbus

Connecticut-Maryland:

Worcester

Georgia-South Carolina:

Augusta-Richmond County

Illinois-Wisconsin:

Lake County-Kenosha County

Indiana-Michigan:

South Bend-Mishawaka

Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota:

Sioux City

Kentucky-Indiana:

Evansville

Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana:

Cincinnati

Ohio-Pennsylvania:

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman

Ohio-West Virginia:

Weirton-Stuebenville

Mississippi-Tennessee-Arkansas:

Memphis

Missouri-Illinois:

St. Louis, Cape Girardeau

Pennsylvania-New Jersey:

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

Selling your home can be a tiring task, but we’re here to help! We here at RealtyHive understand that, and hope to make the experience as simple as possible for you. Our blog contains a number of articles that may be useful in figuring out the world of real estate. Take a look below!

Real Estate Tech You Should Know

November 29, 2017/0 Comments/in Real Estate 101, #Adulting, Ideas & Advice /by Tristin Zeman

Real Estate Tech Solutions for Agents

One of the best things about real estate tech is that it’s always changing. This also happens to be one of the worst things about real estate tech. It seems as though once you’ve gotten the hang of one platform or device, it’s already outdated. Improvements in technology have made marketing your listings and yourself much easier. If you’ve already covered the basics, social media profiles, up-to-date website, and confidence using smartphone apps, then this article is for you. Here are a couple of technology tricks for you to use to make your business a tech-sess!

360° photos and video

Arguably one of the best new pieces of real estate tech is 360° photos and videos. Using the camera on your phone, you are able to create photos and video that allow the viewer to “move” through your picture. The photo at the top of this page is an example. If you scroll, swipe, or rotate your whole body, you can explore the room as if you were there. While this technology came about a few years ago, it is now about to hit critical mass. That is because its supported by streaming services, such as Youtube, as well as social media such as Facebook.

How to Use: While all smartphones have the ability to shoot 360° photos and videos, not all phones have the technology built in. The Facebook app recently unveiled this ability with a built-in feature. To do this, open the Facebook app and click on the status update area. Then click the “360 photos” option and hold down the photo button while slowing rotating. You’ll be able to see your progress. When you have made a full 360 rotation, the app will then stitch the photo together and show you the final product. You are able to exit out of the Facebook app without posting and the photo will have saved to your phone as a 360 photo. If you’re not a Facebook user, the “Panorama 360 Camera+ Photosphere support+ VR video” app is a free alternative, and is available on iTunes and Google Play. You can use this photo in social media posts, upload onto your website, or have it hosted on an outside website and use their services to show it off.

See how to create 360° pictures on any camera

Facebook Ads

Did you know Facebook has more than 2 billion worldwide users? If you’re looking to show your properties to a wider audience, you must consider Facebook as an essential advertising tool. Facebook’s ad creation platform is relatively easy to use and the ability to target by location is great for real estate. Facebook analytics provided will show you how to get the most for your money.

How to Use: Facebook ads can be taken out by an individual or business page. You’ll start by logging into your Facebook account on a computer and clicking on the inverted triangle in the upper right corner. Under this tab, you’ll see the “Create Ads” tab. Click on that and Facebook will guide you through the process. For each property you purchase an ad for, you are able to upload information, photos or videos, and a link to contact you or direct to a website. Once you’ve placed an ad, you’ll be able to monitor the performance and make adjustments via the Facebook Ad Manager.

Learn how to create a Facebook ad

Mobile Signature Apps

If you’re face-to-face with a client having them sign on the dotted line is no issue. On the other hand, if you’re making a deal remotely you don’t want to have to play the email-and-wait game. What if the contract goes to their spam folder? What if they don’t have the right programs to open it? We live in a world of immediacy and waiting for the mail just won’t cut it anymore. When you make a deal you want to get it signed and continue on, which is why mobile signature apps are so great. With this piece of real estate tech, your contracts and agreements can be signed on a mobile device almost immediately, moving you into action.

How to Use: There are a variety of different apps that can help you capture mobile signatures. Docusign is one example and their app is available for free on the iTunes and Google Play stores. The best way to find out which will work for you is to try out a few services. Maybe even enlist a friend or colleague to test it out so you can see how it looks on both ends. One non-negotiable feature you should look for is the ability for a person to sign documents without needing to install or download anything. Needing to do so will drastically cut your response rates.

How to insert a online signature in an email

Online-Only Events

It used to be that when you had property to sell, you’d put a sign in the yard and waited for a buyer to call. Buyers tended to live near the place they were buying land or property. Not today. In the globalized world of 2019, buyers can come from anywhere in the world. According to CNBC, foreign buyers closed on $153 billion worth of US residential properties between April 2016 – March 2017 and this trend shows no signs of stopping. Online-only auction events are a great way to reach buyers all around the world!

How to Use: There are a variety of platforms that allow you to host an online-only event. RealtyHive is a great option as it increases global exposure of your listing, without costing you, the agent, anything. With this platform, your listing continues to be your listing and all leads are your leads. For more information on how online-only events would work for you, contact RealtyHive directly.

Here’s a blog post about selling your home online!

As technology changes, so do the possibilities for marketing your properties and your brand. With just a little bit of tech savvy and a willingness to try something new, you will see great results in 2018!

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