In our 2021 Agent Playbook, we identified digital curb appeal as an increasingly important factor in selling homes. In fact, we think it’s so important that we predicted boosting digital curb appeal will be one of the tactics that leads agents to success in 2021.
The concept of curb appeal has been around for long enough to make its way into everyday vernacular. But digital curb appeal hasn’t yet received the coverage it deserves. Like the pre-listing home improvement process, we’re here to fix that. Let’s start off by defining what digital curb appeal is.
Digital curb appeal is how appealing your listing looks online and, most importantly, within the listing preview in search results.
To maximize digital curb appeal, agents should consider pre-listing improvements, staging, ordering professional photos and any additional actions that will help present the listing in the best light.
Why Is Digital Curb Appeal Important?
The search starts online for virtually all homebuyers, so your online listing is a critical tool for generating interest.
According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2020 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 97% of recent homebuyers used the internet to search for a home. Furthermore, agents share online listings with buyers to gauge interest before dedicating time to in-person viewings.
First impressions matter. Today’s buyers are looking for move-in ready properties—so, you should be aiming to make your listing look as Pinterest-perfect as possible. If your listing’s digital curb appeal is lackluster compared to others in your market, many of today’s buyers will scroll right on by without a second thought. This means more days on the market and more of your time dedicated toward marketing each of your listings. Writing great listing descriptions and listing with professional photos are good places to start, but you shouldn’t stop there.
How Do You Improve Digital Curb Appeal?
Fortunately, the tools necessary to boost digital curb appeal already exist. The key is to start with pre-listing home improvements to control the visual appearance of each listing from the start.
While concierge programs are a relatively new concept, pre-listing home improvements are not. Agents have long been recommending updates before selling. Depending on the condition of a home, these updates can include anything from a fresh coat of paint and repairs to a whole-home renovation.
When deciding which updates to make before listing, consider the rooms and features homebuyers tend to care about most: no sign of repairs they’ll need to make, a fresh coat of paint, an updated kitchen and modern bathroom design.
Now, before you start thinking about the stress and time it will cost you to ensure pre-listing home improvements don’t throw a wrench in your home-sale process, let us tell you about Curbio’s complete pre-listing home improvement solution built specifically for agents.
Choosing a contractor can be stressful, especially if you’ve been burned before. You can rest assured that working with Curbio will not damage your reputation with clients. As your partner, we’re here to make you shine. We value your reputation as much as our own and, therefore, you run no risk of us stepping away from the job or letting quality slide. You also won’t need to manage or execute any aspect of the project because a full-time, local Curbio Project Manager will oversee the management and execution from proposal to punch list.
Pre-listing home improvements are crucial, but only the first step in boosting your listing’s digital curb appeal. Get our other three tips for improving curb appeal.
Ready to get started with Curbio? Submit a request for your free, same-day listing assessment.
Olivia Mariani is the director of Marketing at Curbio. To learn more about Curbio’s pre-listing home improvement solution and how it can help you grow and optimize your business, visit curbio.com.
