The very first ‘visit‘ to a seller’s home is via the internet. Potential buyers and agents will look at the details of course, and the photos, video, area information, location, etc. If they like what they see, they will look more in depth – perhaps look at the tour, listen to the narration if you have one (such as is offered on the Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s web site)….seek out the listing on Youtube….. and then they make the appointment.

I live in New Rochelle, and my office is in Larchmont and so I am privileged to sell properties in both areas.  I have the best of both worlds!  New Rochelle and Larchmont are just 30-35 minutes from New York City, and I try to attract buyers from the city (of course) , abroad (of course) and locally (of course!) for my properties.

I have 2 websites, and I am able to see at a glance exactly how many visitors have viewed my clients’ homes  via the internet.  It is interesting how you can see when it was a holiday weekend, and how the ‘visits’ declined.. and it is also a great barometer as to what is happening in the world too and the pulse of the market place…I email the unique visitors’ information to my clients each week -or drop it off as the case may be (if they are older and do not have internet access), but it is just another way of demonstrating to my clients…. that while they might have not have had too many appointments, there were X amount of ‘unique’ visitors to the house via the internet – or not… and perhaps we should address a possible price adjustment.  Depending upon the area, and sometimes lack of appointments, but with a steady stream of internet visitors, it is obvious that some buyers  are waiting for the price to be adjusted.  Some agents might say that the market is ‘dead’ ; there are no buyers, but we can see what is happening with those website visitors. I know they are ‘out there’ but they are waiting for the price of the property to reach their comfort level. With the website unique internet visitor info, I can then inform my sellers accordingly. Conversely, if we are having a multitude of appointments,   wonderful unique visitors on the site, bids expected, then that also informs us that all is okay…..

I have sold several properties only to learn after the fact that someone was upset it had sold – because they had been ‘watching’ it on the internet…. “Why didn’t you come and visit, and then place a bid I would ask”   In one case someone said “Well, I was waiting for the price to be reduced. ” In that scenario,  they had viewed the market as being soft, thought they knew better, and so their logic was to wait for the property price to be lowered.  That logic sometimes amazes me for if you are waiting for the price to be lowered so much, so are 10 other people, and once your perfect home reaches its perfect price for you ( if it ever does ), you are risking being involved in a multiple bidding situation,  and you will still end paying more for the home if you are lucky enough to have that winning bid. It is better to step forward, perhaps pay a few thousand more than you would have liked at the time, but ultimately being happy and ending up with the house of your dreams.  Over the course of a mortgage, those extra few thousand dollars you paid initially will be absorbed as the value of the home increases.

Of course, pricing a home correctly in the first place will ensure more visitors at the house itself, with hopefully many bids! The first two weeks of any listing are the most important, garnering the most attention. After a few weeks, buyers tend to see the property as being ‘stale.’ Many sellers will wish to ‘try’ a price, but beware. The market will soon let you know where you stand. No appointments. Priced too high.  Internet visitors galore, no visitors. Priced too high!

A key component when marketing a home are the photos too…  I always like to use a professional photographer.. He/she can take the best angles, utilize the best lighting….. Our goal is to draw as many people as we can to the house, but if the photos aren’t nice.. then they move on…. Larchmont and New Rochelle are GREAT!

Larchmont and New Rochelle are GREAT!