Nowadays. while Staten Island home buyers look at several houses before deciding on which one to purchase, the chances are that they clicked from webpage to webpage to find it.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (June 2016) – Not long ago, searching for a new home in Graniteville, New Dorp, Rossville, or elsewhere on Staten Island, meant jumping in the car with your real estate agent and driving through neighborhoods, looking at house after house until you find ‘the one.’
Nowadays. while people still look at several houses before deciding which one is home, the chances are that they clicked from webpage to webpage to find it.
According to the National Association of Realtors®, 89 percent of all homebuyers used online tools and resources in their home search. This means for home sellers that embracing new technology when working with an agent to advertise their property is no longer just a good idea, it’s a necessity.
“Technology has changed nearly every aspect of the way we live, so it is only natural that it affects the way sellers and their agents market and sell homes,” said Claire Bisignano Chesnoff, president of the Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR). “Most potential buyers make their first impression of a home online, and with so much high-quality media online, the bar has been raised for online real estate listings to really ‘wow’ buyers.”
MODERN DAY TOOLS
Here are a few high-tech resources and gadgets that can help you and your agent sell your home:
Social Media. These days nearly everyone is on at least one social media platform, whether it be Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, so including a social media strategy in your home’s marketing plan is becoming par for the course.
“A well-placed post on Facebook or a properly timed Tweet can place your listing in front of hundreds, possibly thousands, of potential buyers and usually costs the seller nothing,” said Claire Bisignano Chesnoff, president of the Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR).
Virtual Staging. If a seller has already moved out and left a home empty, visual effects software can let you fill the empty house with different styles of furniture, add art and light fixtures or even change the wall color with the click of a mouse.
“This can help prospective buyers visualize a home’s potential and see what the home looks like when it’s tailored to their taste,” Mrs. Bisignano Chesnoff said. “A seller can’t know what every buyer’s taste is, and this allows the home to be staged in any style at a fraction of the cost.”
Drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones, are aircrafts without a human pilot aboard and can be used to take aerial photos of your home and the surrounding property.
“New drone technologies can help you and your agent to market your home in a way that may have been cost-prohibitive in the past,” Bisignano Chesnoff said. “If your home has beautiful mountain views or sits on a large piece of property, drone photography can highlight these features.”
However, SIBOR reminds sellers that rules for commercial drone use have not yet been put into place by the FAA, so it is important that sellers either hire a professional drone operator or an agent with a Federal Aviation Administration waiver. NAR expects the rules to go onto effect in August.
About The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)
Having marked its 100th anniversary in October 2015, the Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest not-for-profit professional and trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.
SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically, and promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.
Comprised of approximately 1,800 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas.
SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 3,700 real estate transactions every year.
All SIBOR Realtors belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
SIBOR may be reached at 718-928-3220 and viewed online at www.SIBOR.com. SIBOR may also be visited on Facebook at “Staten Island Board of Realtors” and on Twitter via @SIBOR.
Media Contact: Barton Horowitz
Relevant Public Relations, LLC
Headquarters: 718‑682‑1509
Mobile: 917‑715‑8761
Email: Bhorowitz@RelevantPR.com
