Many would agree that technology over the years has enhanced the quality of our life. Technological advancements have increased the speed in which we receive information, it has also enhanced our efficiency in which we can accomplish tasks, and communicate with one another. Applications have changed the way we behave. Furthermore, it has fostered the need or desire for Instant Gratification.
This is especially apparent with the Millenial & Xennial generation. They were raised with visually stimulating devices. Simon Sinek described in his interview with Thomas Bilyeu, that dopamine is released in our brains through the use of these visually stimulating media platforms. Things like receiving “new likes” on a post or friend requests or positive comments from their peers are received as validation and instantly make us feel good. As a society, we are all prone to this. Nowadays we are all stimulated 24/7 through multiple devices (TV, computers, our cell phones, tablets, etc). This is why social media platforms like Instagram have exponentially grown over the last few years. This is why so many industries are using the app platforms; for example, you’ll find this in dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Match, etc… even all the way to purchasing Real Estate with apps like HomeSnap, Zillow, ROG, etc.
Why Buying a Home is Like Online Dating
In today’s dating world, we can browse pictures for potential partners from our couch and instantaneously decide if we are attracted to them based on the first few pictures we see. If we like what we see, we swipe right, and if not we swipe left. The pictures to the right are of the same guy. According to Marcus the picture of “Mark” on the right receives 5x to 10x more matches than the picture on the left. This is a significant difference, all based on our internal attraction filter. The reality is dating and home purchasing is much more complex than just physical attraction; however, we use this aspect to filter potential partners and homes.
The attraction filter is used when looking at homes. That spike in dopamine that we get when we see an awesome home online in our price range is what is used to decide if it’s worth viewing or not. Which is why the homes “hero” picture or thumbnail picture is critical. Our society is conditioned to this behavior, which is why it is important to maximize your home’s attractiveness in pictures. Creating glamorous listing photos is an art form, and is only the start to creating demand or ” buyer matches,” for your home and getting you top dollar.
Once you’ve matched, you then have to win the date. First impressions are important. In other words, your home must woo the potential buyer when they get there. This is where having a strong Realtor® to help you identify and/or improve the conditional aspects of your home is important. These conditional aspects include identifying clutter, personalization, functional obsolescence, paint, staging furniture, smells, etc. Your home has to appeal to as many senses as possible (sight, smell, feel, sound, taste). This is where a connection is either established or lost. In order to accomplish this, you may need to invest in your home and make some improvements or updates prior to listing to get you top dollar.
If there is NO connection or attraction…it doesn’t matter how persistent you are, there will not be a second date. In home buying, if buyers don’t like the floor plan or the neighborhood, or something within the house like the (kitchen, bathrooms, backyard, floors), there inevitably will not be an offer on the home. No matter how good the agent is at selling. You cannot convince buyers to make an offer or have an interest in a home that does not fit their needs.
If you are looking to get the most money for your home, consult a professional. Hire a local Realtor that can help you get the most views of your home online and make it look and feel it’s best for potential buyers, because higher demand will drive higher prices.
