I’m Thinking “Beach,” House is Saying “Snow”

It may be a drag to be on the market forever, to the point that you are either totally stressed out by the housing situation or that you completely forgot that you are trying to sell in the first place.

Well, either way, do me a huge favor.  Get those photos update on MLS!

I was on MLS the other day looking for some beach-front properties in the north shore of Easter Massachusetts.  There were pictures of houses on there with snow on them!  It’s July!  I’m thinking beach, house is saying snow…

If your agent hasn’t thought of this, call him or her right now.

There are a couple reasons why I find these outdated photos both annoying and irresponsible marketing.

First, what many of us forget is that buying a home is both an economic and emotional decision.  A house must feel like home, a home that you want to come into.  When you are thinking of the beach, and looking for shade to cool off, you can barely remember what it was like four months ago in the cold.  It’s difficult to imagine it ever getting that cold again.

Looking at a snow-capped house seems something unrelated to a buyer’s current situation and state of mind.  It says, “look how pretty I was in the winter,” instead of, “here’s the wonderful outdoor space you want to enjoy right now.”

Next, it is irrepressible marketing to have out-of-season pictures on multiple listings and in brochures as it sends two clear messages: “I’ve been on the market since the ice-age,” and “I’m not paying attention to this home’s sale.”

So if your house has been on market for months, and you are wondering why no one has come to see it since May, you may want to consider the pictures out there.

Don’t underestimate the power of photos, either.  Remember, it is the first thing a potential buyers will look at that calls their attention to either put on the “yes” or “no” list for weekend showings. They’d rather put it on the “no” list, so don’t make it easier for them with an unseasonably ugly photo.

By Ruth Malkin-Lerner

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