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3. Photograph your home
Listing photos are powerful, either pulling in buyers for showings or keeping them away.
To give your listing an edge, consider hiring an experienced real estate photographer. While they may charge as much as $120 to $280 an hour, Forrester believes it’s money well spent.
“[Hiring a photographer] is incredibly important, as is the order of the photos posted online,” she says. “People will typically scroll through three to four photos. If you don’t capture their attention, they’re just going to click on the next listing.”
According to Forrester, the first image must be an exterior shot of the house, per Pennsylvania law. But those next few pictures should be of whatever rooms in the house are the most impressive. “If you have a beautiful foyer, or your kitchen is one of those HGTV-style kitchens, those should be your first pictures.”
If you do go the DIY route, make sure to:
- Use a good camera with a wide-angle lens.
- Pay attention to lighting.
- Include a photo of every room.
- Take multiple pictures of living areas, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Try shooting from different angles.
Review our guide on how to take quality real estate photos for further guidance.
4. Create a detailed, compelling listing
Along with stellar photos, you’ll want to craft an informative and compelling listing. Leverage both the listing description (a paragraph or two highlighting key features) and the property details to show potential buyers all about your home and what makes it desirable.
Tell a story with your description
Draw in potential buyers with a powerful listing description that tells a story about your Pennsylvania house, including details like:
- Your home’s most unique and desirable features, like a breakfast nook or sunroom
- Recent upgrades like a kitchen or bathroom remodel, a new roof, or a modern HVAC system
- High-end appliances, materials, or finishes
- Outdoor features like a pool or patio
- Neighborhood features and amenities
- Nearby parks, walking trails, restaurants, and attractions
- If it’s part of an association that offers maintenance-free living
Corrigan says that while you want to highlight the home features that are most important to people, you don’t want to oversell the home, either. “Don’t make it sound like an absolutely beautiful home when it needs quite a bit of work,” she says. “You don’t want them to walk in and be disappointed.”
Forrester also warns sellers that they need to avoid what’s called “steering” when writing a real estate listing. Even if it’s done unintentionally, the practice of calling out a neighborhood as “family friendly” or mentioning its proximity to a particular nearby church can make it seem as if you’re targeting a specific type of buyer for your property, which is illegal.
“You really need to take a step back and make sure your listing isn’t trying to draw in only one set of people,” she says.
She adds, “It’s not one of those roadblocks many people think of, but it is something you can get into trouble for.”
Don’t skimp on the property details
Aside from writing the description, you may be prompted to enter information like:
- Age of the home
- Square footage
- Architectural style (i.e., split-level, rancher, craftsman)
- Appliances included
- Exterior building materials
- Flooring types
- HOA fees
- School zone information
- Lot size
Many real estate agents and potential buyers really do read this “fine print” on your listing, so include accurate details, and plenty of them.
