Did you know that 92% of homebuyers start their house hunt on the Internet? And if your online listing isn’t compelling enough, they will never even come to see your home.

Recently on a TODAY show appearance, real-estate expert Barbara Corcoran talked about the importance of marketing your home online. She says the Internet “is where the battle to sell a house is fought every day.”

First, Corcoran says you need to make sure your real estate agent is posting your home for sale on the top five real-estate search engines:

• YahooReal Estate
• Realtor.com
• Zillow.com
• Trulia.com
• MSNReal Estate

By posting on these sites, your listing will pop up at the top of the search page instead of being buried deep within the listings and never looked at.

Second, Corcoran says curb appeal, in the old-fashioned sense of the word, does not exist anymore. Most homebuyers are doing their “drive-by” of your home online. Therefore, it’s essential to have good quality photos of your home online to show its fullest potential.

A study by Trulia.com found that listings with more than six photos are twice as likely to be viewed by buyers compared to listings with fewer photos. Therefore, you should include several photos of the interior and exterior of your home. For the best photos, you should:

• Crop out sidewalks and streets in exterior shots.
• Make sure the lawn is mowed, and the bushes and trees are trimmed.
• Make sure the exterior of the house is well lit. But avoid shooting photos into the sun.
• Remove any interior and exterior clutter.
• Make sure your home looks “bright” when taking interior photos – open drapes and blinds, and turn on the lights.
• Take close-up photos of interesting details, like the fireplace mantle.
• Stage your home like the magazine stylists do – place floral arrangements or fruit in bowls in rooms, and light a fire in the fireplace.

Besides great photos, homebuyers want information about your home to help them decide if it is right for them. Therefore, you provide your Realtor with accurate, detailed information about your home and surrounding community.

By creating a good impression with compelling photos and information on the real-estate websites, homebuyers will be more likely to schedule a viewing to check out your home in-person – which may potentially lead to an offer.

If you’re in the market for a new mortgage, Grandview Lending is a trusted mortgage broker with years of experience. We are happy to discuss any mortgage options with you.