Realtor.com team pulled tips from dating services like OkCupid, Match.com and Tinder, and applied those rules to the home selling process.
Rule number 1: Hide the crazy
“Get rid of all the weird quirks or bizarre fascinations that you might have that the average person may not understand,” says Briddick Webb, a real estate pro with RE/MAX Whatcom County in Bellingham, Wash. He says he once had to tell clients to stow away their bobblehead or doll collections and giant shrines prior to showings.
Rule number 2: Have a catchy online profile
“Whether you’re trying to rustle up a date for Friday night or find a potential buyer, it’s important to sell yourself – and, when it comes to home sales, that means your property,” realtor.com notes. “Highlight the best features of your home, like the awe-inspiring floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings, or new, energy-efficient appliances to make buyers swoon.”
Rule number 3: Put some emphasis on your looks
“Before you put your house on the market, you want to look the best that you can,” says Webb, who is also a former dating coach. “A lot of our decision-making is based on emotions rather than logic. … A house that’s cleaned up and smells good is going to create a positive emotional response in a buyer. It’s going to sell faster for more money.”
Rule number 4: Make sure your photos reflect reality
Online daters have seen it before: They see a smoking hot picture online, but then they meet in-person and the photo and person don’t match. Don’t set a buyer up for disappointment either. Use a professional real estate photographer like DeVore Design to capture the home in its best light and angles, but in reality. Consider those pictures “glamour shots,” says real estate pro Deb Counts-Tabor in Portland, Ore. “It draws people in. You get more showings.”
Source: “Selling Your Home? 6 Lessons to Learn from Online Dating,” realtor.com® (Feb. 13, 2017)
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