Infuse New Energy into the Business of Selling Homes

It's a new year and with it comes great aspirations to do better things, improve our health and our wealth and try new things. What's on your agenda? Family vacation? Higher sales targets? Engaging with clients? Volunteering? Networking? New product lines? The list is endless!

I just read an article in the Chronicle Herald about a farmer in the Annapolis Valley who didn't let grim circumstances stand in his way when it came to running his farm. He took action and found a way to ensure his farm would not just survive, but thrive, even though the local market for his product was drying up. He, along with three others in the area, expanded his horizons. He looked beyond the traditional and the mainstream. He shook things up. He's still in business.

Change can be good! Like a fresh coat of paint on the living room walls, it lightens things up and infuses more energy into our lives or businesses. People notice the fresh coat of paint and often will offer a compliment, making us feel good about taking the time to plan it and see it through - whatever 'It' happens to be!

The whole concept of change is what inspired me to start photographing real estate in the first place. I was shopping for a new horse for my daughter. As I was browsing through on-line ads I was horrified that someone thought it was acceptable to present a $10,000 equine in a few haphazard snapshots - none of which showed me anything I needed to know about the horse. What made matters worse, the owner didn't even bother to clean the mud off before clicking the shutter. My reaction: "If you expect me to hand over 10grand of my hard earned dollars you better get off your lazy kiester and offer me something I perceive as being valuable! NEXT!"

So, how does shopping for a horse relate to shopping for real estate, you ask? OK, I admit, horses and houses, although both large ticket items, are very different. The similarity is in how we shop for them. We browse on-line ads, taking a closer look at those that catch our interest with an attractive photo of a well presented home/horse. Even Kijiji knows that you get more views if you upload a photo or two. Then, we make a short list and get ready to make some phone calls to ask questions or set up a viewing/test ride. We make the trip to see chosen houses/horses and make a decision on which to buy based on our needs, wants, desires and what we've experienced along the way.

When it came down to it, we ended up buying a horse that was well presented in the ad - bathed, groomed and photographed with and without saddle from various angles so we had a good idea of the quality of the animal before even picking up the phone. After the inquiring phone call (to a very pleasant and knowledgable breeder) with all questions answered, we made the two hour drive to take the test ride. We evaluated the mare and how the kiddo interacted with her. That evening, we called the breeder and said 'SOLD' We've never looked back!

Bathing, grooming and saddling the horse was the equivalent of staging a home. Taking the photos from various angles and being sure to present the best as the lead photo was the equivalent of taking the time to hire a photographer to showcase the staging. I've often recommended this breeder to those in the market for a new horse because she takes the time to effectively present what she's so lovingly put alot of time into raising!

Remember the farmer in the Valley? He shook things up. Farm Gate Imaging and PREP Home Staging are here to help you shake it up and make the changes required to Infuse New Energy into the Business of Selling Homes.