The right focus can make all the difference and allow you to sell your home quickly in today’s competitive market. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about what’s important to buyers. I find that many sellers are shooting themselves in the foot by taking an amateur approach when marketing their home.

Even worse is that many agents out there are guilty of the same mistakes. They seem to think that because they have an interest in interior decorating and a DSLR camera they are experts at staging and photographing your home. Staging and photography done right can bring a home under contract for top dollar.

This photo shows just how important it is to focus on the right things. By focusing on the fireplace we see clutter and overwhelm, NOT the spacious golf course outside, the natural light streaming into the family room, or the inviting swimming pool. Do not let an amateur’s approach handcuff your home’s ability to sell.

It’s All a Matter of Focusing on the Right Things

We recently sold a home on the golf course of Deercreek Country Club here in Jacksonville that could’ve sat on the market undervalued and under-shown simply because of misplaced focus. An amateur approach would’ve left the rooms as they were and taken the obvious route of focusing on the fireplace in the family room.

It’s easy to make this mistake, fireplaces tend to naturally draw our eye and attention, but they are not always the biggest selling feature of a home. The focus of this home was better placed on the outdoors – highlighting the pool and the golf course – not to mention the light filled family room.

When we listed the home, we quickly called in two key members of our team. Our stager, who removed distractions not just in the family room but in the rest of the house too. It is important that you clearly communicate to the buyer the purpose of every room. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised to learn how many homes I tour send mixed messages that confuse buyers.

Your Home Deserves Professional Attention

With the home professionally staged, we brought in an expert photographer whose specialty is showcasing houses for sale. A professional photographer uses skills to compose photos that focus on a home’s best features. Compare the photo at the left with the one at the top of this post. It’s obvious just what a difference using professionals makes. The image at the top of the post communicates the right type of feelings and triggers the type of desire that leads to offers. 

It’s Too Big of a Transaction to Cut Corners

A quick search of the internet can give you some advice on the do’s and don’ts of merchandising your home with photos. These articles are great at pointing out the obvious but how do you know if you’re doing it right? I think that selling your home warrants getting the best experts available to bring your home’s most appealing features into focus.

I always include Professional staging and photography at no cost to my sellers as part of my expert marketing plan. Successfully selling a home captures the feelings and desires of the buyers. They need to picture themselves living in the home. A home that communicates with buyers through pictures stands out and invites them to tour the property.

Homes that mess this focus up blend into the crowd. Your potential buyer is sifting through listing after listing on their phone or iPad at night, it’s exhausting and overwhelming. You cannot afford to have them click “NEXT” after they’ve seen your home. You have that one chance to create enough interest for them to reach out and schedule a showing.

That home in Deercreek? We had it under contract within a week, thrilling both the sellers and the buyers. They could picture themselves sitting by the pool on a lazy Sunday afternoon or sipping that morning coffee as the dew glistened on the grass of the fairway outside. This is the feeling you want, not “How are we going to use that room?”

Need More Expert Advice About Selling Your Home?

I pride myself on giving homeowners advice they can count on when selling their home. While other agents are telling you to replace counter tops and take on big unnecessary jobs, I prefer to help my clients get the most money by focusing on the fixes that actually matter. Let me know if I can help you navigate through any issues you may have.