Why agents should switch focus when listing

When showing a potential buyer a property, which do you consider more important: a second bedroom or an internet connection? While extra space is always a drawcard, a 2016 study by UK broadband provider Hyperoptic discovered that three in five of the 3,000 people polled would rather opt for fast broadband. About 60% would even forfeit having decent neighbours and a garden. And about half don’t mind if there are no transport links, restaurants or gyms in the area, as long as they can get online.

When listing a property, it’s essential to promote an internet connection to maximise interest. With fibre to the home increasingly being introduced in South Africa, this can add value and appeal, especially if you take a millennial audience into account.

Aside from the inclusion of Wi-Fi and fibre, consider these listing points to attract attention from a sizeable audience:

• Invest in a video walk-through or virtual tour. These can be featured across platforms, including portals (Property24, Private Property) and your social media pages.

• Professional images set a property apart. Forget the happy snaps – a photographer will capture the best angles and understand what to look for when setting up a shot (no pets accidentally lurking in the background). Having high-resolution images on hand for print titles (Your Neighbourhood, Real Estate) is essential – forget the low-res, pixelated pictures.

• Consider your website’s keywords. While SEO can be intricate, keywords allow your listing to rank higher on search engines. On real estate site Zillow content specialist Catherine Sherman includes luxurious, captivating, impeccable and landscaped among her top-ranking words. Potential, bargain, opportunity and nice have the lowest rankings.

• Analyse your mobile site. “With one-quarter of global web searches conducted on a mobile device by over a billion users worldwide, mobile websites are just as important, if not more so, than desktop versions,” says Magicdust web design agency co-founder Ian Mills, in a Huffington Post article. Does the content load quickly; is it clear enough to read and navigate on a smaller screen; is the call to action obvious?

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Rona Bekker

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