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If an ad has no price, I would call another agent to get me the price, rather than the listing agent, just on principal. Petty, perhaps, but that's me I guess. This is assuming that I was just starting the process of looking and had no buyer's rep yet.
Although I had to laugh recently when I saw a realtor's enormous billboard on the highway - someone had climbed up and drawn a "cannon" (!!!!) and written a suggestive comment next to her inanely grinning face!!!!!!!!! Made my day
Would have made mine too. I commute to work using a few different highways, and I can use a good laugh. Hopefully that billboard photo wasn't soft-focused.
Ok, rant well taken. I'm a real estate broker in Colorado.
You won't find my picture on my cards, web site or anywhere else. I think people are more interested in photos of the homes - not me.
I agree with much of the OP rant of photos and ad copy. I take my own photos - I'm not a pro but I'm fairly handy with a camera. I'll take 30 - 50 photos of a simple condo. I throw out many and any "photo shop" is usally just to resize the image, crop or help me find a straight line! Our MLS requires the main photo be an exterior shot. On my own website I often use an interior shot as the main photo. I take a great deal of care with my copy and my photos. All the text for ad copy is used for flyers, on line ads and print ads. However the size restrictions vary so I often end up with edits I don't care for.
The copy the OP speaks of "great neighborhood", etc. Is a matter or opinion - it might be great for you - not for someone else. What I may see as a large open room others may think it's just a waste of space. What you may consider a terrible neighborhood others may see as a move up! Sorry, but somethings are all in the eye of the beholder.
I always try to put my listings in the best possible view. My job is to attract buyers to the property. I do school sellers on the importance of staging, cleaning, etc. Those that I end up working with generally do a good job.
The local MLS works with many information exchanges. This often explains why the information is - not exactly as I would like it. Example - I list the address of the property on my web site but the MLS will not forward the address to the infomation exchanges. (these exchanges are often the websites the public sees on searches) My listings are often re-formatted by the exchanges - text is often edited and "menu" type formats often do not accurately describe the property.
Typically square footage is drawn from public record. It's an element to consider but price per sq foot is an interesting stat (& not without some use) but no serious real estate investor or appraiser will rely on sq. footage alone for value. If there are space limitations and assuming there is nothing spectatular about the sq. footage, it's the first thing I'll edit out to allow for bed/bath/garage count or space to detail the upgrades or special features.
I place the price in my ads. There are those that think it's more advantageous not to mention price to encourage an inquiry. I am of the mind that the price is the first fact to qualify the buyer. If a buyer is in the $150,000.00 price range and the price of the home is $425,000.00 -- there is no point in a phone call.
Marketing is very expensive in terms of money and time. The more effective my marketing is the more money I make and the happier my sellers are.
Happy home buying!
Or how about the box outside of the home, which I imagine should be filled to the brim with flyers describing the property, always empty or even worse filled with trash or wildlife! I mean are you really that busy where you can not refill this thing once or twice a month?
Many of the top producers in my market rarely ever use a brochure box or worry about their outdated picture, or even know how to take a decent photo. One thing they do know, is when the call/walk-in is a serious qualified buyer that is ready and willing to give the agent all the important criteria - then the agent acts quickly listens well and shows the properties that make the most sense for the the buyer - Acting too heavily for every real estate hobbyist fishing for information on listings and hopping from agent to agent for anything that strikes them as curious can fill an agents day and leave their pocket very empty. An empty box can mean a call (I get more when mine are empty) a call can mean a sale which makes the buyer and seller happy if all goes well - so although frustrating to some potential buyers it is often just effective time management for an agent!
There are some agents here you have their picture plastered everywhere -- clearly high volume agents. I shake my head every time I see one of them in particular-- an older woman, not unattractive, but damn, her HAIR. It is BIG. I mean, her photo is cropped and her HAIR takes up the WHOLE picture, but even if not cropped, she's got LARGE hair. It's so funny!
Oh yeah, we have some BIG hair here too
There's also one poor lady who appears to be slightly boss-eyed and is gazing upwards with a big smile on her face - it's AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, if you're going to make your personal image part of your marketing strategy at least do it well. She doesn't look reassuringly competent, she looks crazy
Okay, I wanted to make sure this was a 'real billboard' before I posted so went to the site and yip! Cracked me up.
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