Why 44% of Home Searches Start Online (and What to Do Next)

If you are considering selling your Lake Geneva home, you're ready for a change. Whether you are moving into your forever home or away from the area, selling your current home is integral for entering the next stage of your life. When it's time to sell, you'll need a competitive edge to ensure you sell your home for top dollar, and one of the key factors to getting your home sold is connecting to the right buyers. So how do you connect with the right buyers and ensure your listing stands out above the rest? Here's what you need to know about online home searching and how to get your listing in front of more buyers.

Whether buying a vacation home or wanting to live in the Lake Country full time, many people are drawn to the Lake Geneva area, thanks to its fabulous lakefront homes and luxury amenities. Once they have decided to buy a home in Lake Geneva, many prospective buyers get to work immediately. When searching for homes for sale in Lake Geneva, WI, they go through many avenues to find their dream home. While some buyers go through more traditional means by contacting a buyer's agent, others start on the web.

 

In recent years, studies have shown 44% of homebuyers begin their search online. This can be through a home search website or on an agent's website. Whatever the approach, the Internet connects buyers to their dream homes. Knowing this, here's how an online home search can help you sell your home.

As a seller, connecting with your buyers is essential to selling your home. Knowing that many buyers begin their search online, you want to do everything you can to get in front of your buyers. And while getting your listing online is the first step, it's not enough to ensure it will be chosen from the dozens of other homes on the market at any given time. Not only do you want as many qualified buyers to see your listing as possible, but you also want to ensure buyers remember your home long after they log off. Remember, your mission is to get them to book a showing for your property and submit an offer. So how do you market your listing effectively?

 

First and foremost, you need to hire a local real estate professional to sell your home. By hiring a luxury home specialist, you are working with a professional who both understands your local market and will go above and beyond to sell your home. Once you have chosen your agent, here are the steps you need to take to get your home sold.

While many homeowners know to update the interior, many don't realize the exterior is just as important. The first impression your buyers will have of your home is of the exterior, so ignoring the outside can be a missed opportunity for attracting buyers. Focus on curb appeal. Even the most minor details can majorly impact your home's curb appeal. Be sure to trim overgrowing branches and keep your lawn mowed. Adding small touches, like brand-new flower boxes or repainting your front door, can give your home a new look. If your siding is dirty, powerwash it to freshen it up. Remember, a little bit of effort goes a long way.

Want to make your home as inviting as possible? Keep your house clean. Your goal is to make your home as welcoming and cozy as possible. Nothing drives prospective buyers away faster than a messy, cluttered home. Clean your home from top to bottom. If you don't have the time or the energy to deep-clean your home, hire professional cleaners to get the job done. Having a clean home is a small price to pay for reaping the rewards when you sell your home. And don't forget to remove clutter from your home. Clutter makes the rooms in your house feel small and cramped. That's not how you want your buyers to remember your home.

Knowing that many home searches begin online, having beautiful pictures of your home is essential. That's why you need to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your home. While smartphones have more advanced cameras than ever before, smartphones don't capture the best angles of each room. The camera on your phone can distort the images, making your home appear smaller and darker than it really is.

 

Don't let bad photography keep you from selling your home. By hiring a professional photographer, you are getting higher quality images and hiring a professional who knows how to capture the best angles of every room. If you want your listing to stand out, take it one step further and hire a videographer. A videographer can capture video and drone footage of your property. By adding professional, quality video to your listing, you can make your listing stand out above the rest.

You've seen professional stagers work their magic on home improvement shows, but can a home stager really get your listing sold faster and for more money? Absolutely. Hiring a home stager is essential if you're trying to sell a luxury home in Lake Geneva. A professional stager can not only highlight the best features of your home, but the furniture and decor choices can also appeal to a broader spectrum of buyers. It has been proven buyers are more likely to make an offer on a home they can imagine themselves living in. When a home is professionally staged, buyers have a better understanding of what each room's purpose is. As a result, buyers are more likely to imagine how their furniture will fit in the space, which increases their likelihood of putting in an offer on your property.

 

So what kind of return on investment can you expect when hiring a professional stager? On average, a staged home can increase your list price by up to 10%, with your home selling up to 36% faster than a non-staged home.

Are you considering selling your home? When you're ready to move on to the next stage of your life, you need a luxury real estate professional who can get your home sold for top dollar. That's why you need Linda Tonge. With over $188 million in lakefront sales and over $480 million in total sales, Linda Tonge is your number-one choice for selling Lake Geneva real estate. Contact Linda today for your free home valuation.