25 Nov How to Keep Property Listings Hot in the Colder Seasons

With the chill of winter, we prefer to stay home and keep warm. And when it comes to buying or renting a new home, it is a task that your clients tend to put on the back burner until the warmer weather of spring arrives.

This makes for a slow, sluggish property market. Fight back with these tips for keeping listings hot in the colder seasons!

#1 Embrace the Beauty of Winter

Fall and winter may be colder but they’re not all grey skies and rain. We know that there are clear blue skies and crisp cold mornings even with a generous helping of snow. Especially in Alberta. And these make for a great backdrop to seasonal property photographs.

There’s nothing quite like an open fire or log burner to add ambience to an internal property photograph either.

(Read more: Why professional photography matters in real estate)

#2 Accent Light

There is a difference between warm and cozy, and dark and dismal. While you wouldn’t falsely advertise a property, interior photographs need to show it off to the best of its ability. This means making the most of light, natural or ambient.

Pull back the drapes for as much natural light as possible! But don’t be frightened to use the glow of ambient light too.

Tip: Twinkling lights around a fireplace or staircase etc. bring the eye to key components in the room. They also make the space feel bigger, smaller lights add a sense of character and emphasis too.

#3 Create a Mood

We all know that selling property is about selling a lifestyle. In winter, it is also about suggesting a mood to a space too. When the wind is howling and rain lashing down, or snowflakes have been falling for hours on end, what would a potential buyer need from their home?

Warm and cosy is one mood you could suggest. But what about romantic for the two-bed apartment you are selling?

Tip: Update photos with suggestions of how the space could be used in other seasons as well. The goal is to create a lifestyle or mood that would suit the buyer.

#4 Make the Property REALLY Sparkle

This is not about candlelight and twinkling lights, but giving the property a bright exterior finish. Winter has a big impact on the exterior of properties; windows can become dirty very quickly, as can driveways, paths and exterior paint.

To be attractive in winter, the exterior of a property needs to work a lot harder. Using our Advanced Photo Editing Services, the shrubs and trees can be made to look more appealing with lights and accessories. Windows and paintwork can be made to look cleaner and more appealing.

Tip: Photos need to suggest the beauty of the property. During a viewing, the property mustn’t let you down. Ensure the seller is aware of the hard work needed to keep their property looking sparkling in the colder winter months!

#5 Light in the Windows

It seems that everywhere you look, advice from top real estate sellers always comes back to the use of lights when selling properties in winter. It seems that ignoring this could lead to more sluggish property listings.

Lights in windows give the property character, as well as a shining beacon of light on the porch or entrance vestibule. Don’t leave dark corners or edges on the property photographs, inside or out. Be conscious of where there are shadows that suggest dark areas.

This doesn’t mean you have to wait for a sunny winter’s day before taking fresh photographs of a property. The grey/blue light of winter needs to work to the property’s advantage – and it can!

Tip: Light is the key to making a property stand out. Photos need to be taking with an appreciation of the natural light conditions because even though photo editing software can do a lot, it cannot always fully correct photos taken in poor lighting.

Here at Sona Visual, our team is trained to highlight key features of a property, no matter the season! Contact us to see how we can make your listing shine.