Using Drones to Sell Homes – Make Your Home Fly Off The Market

Technology and real estate sales have had a complicated relationship. When used right, it can result in an overnight increase in interest for a property. When not, it can result in the use of resources that could better have been applied elsewhere. Virtual tours from just a few years ago worked great in theory, but far too often software didn’t matchup with a variety of user-based browsers, frustrating prospective buyers in the process. But tech has jumped leaps and bounds. Here in 2017, the opportunity to feature your home via digital technology has increased exponentially. The reason? Drones.

Drones have made aerial photography and videography a more tangible concept for Realtors. This has a direct and positive impact on your home-buyer prospects. Today, the Dusty Smith Real Estate Team will provide you with a clear view of how drones can help you sell your home.

5 Reasons Why You Want to Use Aerial Photography to Help Sell Your Property

1. The Trend is Becoming the Standard

The first word that comes to mind when you hear about a new technology is trend. Will it stick, or is it just another bell and whistle that won’t be around tomorrow? Trust us when we say this – drones are here to stay when it comes to real estate marketing. In fact, in many markets it’s becoming standard practice to use drone imagery for home sales greater than $400,000. A recent National Association of Realtors survey reports that nearly 20 percent of Realtors who aren’t already using drones said they plan to use them in the future. Recent data indicates that 39% of all commercial drone use is for real estate. It’s here to stay, and it’s growing by the day. If you want to sell your home or investment property today or in the near future, adoption of this technology will be instrumental in doing so.

2. Rich Media is Picked Up Online (where your home sells)

Drone imagery is the ultimate in what is considered rich media. Rich media is a digital marketing term for content that includes advanced features such as video and other elements that encourage viewers to interact and engage with the content. Search engines (i.e. Google) crawl the web for sites that use rich media and provide it with a better rank (on Google). When it comes to online real estate listings, the same applies. If your listing page includes the use of rich media (drone imagery) it has a better shot at ranking over competing listings (all else equal).

3. Higher Buyer Conversion Rates

Not only will high-quality imagery help your online listing get viewed more often (up to 94% more!) it converts better to. That means in addition to getting more views, buyers are more likely to take action, which can include contact form completion or to schedule a showing of your home. The data behind this is numerous, ranging from 20% to 86% depending on industry. Real estate most certainly can capitalize on this as a conversion strategy.

4. The Only Way to Package Your Entire Property Together

You’re not just selling a single-detached home. Your selling an experience. That experience includes the front yard, backyard, tree line, neighborhood, and close-proximity community. You can attempt to force prospective buyers to click through countless of photos, but even if they make the effort, the gallery won’t tie it all together in a manner that conveys what it’s like to reside within (and around) your property. No other form of media can capture it all like 360 degree aerial visuals can. This technology can even be directly applied to virtual reality software that will place prospects right there in (and above) the environment.

5. It’s Not Just About the Air Up There

Drone technology has evolved for practical use, so much that it can be used indoors. A drone can fly through your home, seamlessly transitioning from room to room. It can capture a pure virtual experience that is the next best thing to actually being there. The result, is a contact from a prospect that is more qualified and closer to the purchase decision.

Ready to take flight on the drone concept when it comes to selling your home? Don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of aerial photography equipment on hand? Not fully versed in the regulations surrounding drone use in Canada? Contact the Dusty Smith Real Estate Team today and we’ll help your property fly off of the market with industry expertise and a touch of cutting edge technology.

Our real estate marketing company is proud to announce the newest addition to our professional team – Mellisa Hollingsworth.

To be honest, we were a little intimidated by her at first. Mellisa, a 3x Olympian is one of the most decorated Skeleton athletes in the entire world. For those that don’t know what Skeleton racing is, it’s one of the fastest (winter or summer) Olympic sports in existence. Athletes explosively push their sleds before diving on and sliding facedown/headfirst down a frozen track to forces up to 5g, reaching speeds over 140 km/h! Mellisa is a Canadian Champion, an Overall World Cup Champion and when she nabbed the Olympic Bronze Medal in 2006 she become the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in the sport of Skeleton. Her accolades read more like the list of accomplishments of ten athletes.

Of course, we got over our intimidation pretty quick, as Mellisa is one of the warmest people you could ever meet. Admirable is her true identifier, and we are honored to have her on the team. Today we take a look at why you will want our newest team member by your side when buying or selling a home in Central Alberta.

How Mellisa Hollingsworth Will Apply her Background and Credentials to Your Real Estate Needs

Unwavering Dedication

You don’t become an Olympic champion without applying a level of dedication that 99.9% of the global population could never match. Mellisa has taken her athletic drive and dedication and applied it to her latest craft – real estate marketing. Now a consummate professional in her field, she has been able to translate that dedication to her clients. With Mellisa going to bat for you in your home sale or purchase you gain unwavering commitment to the accomplishment of your goals.

Speed

The Dusty Smith team just got more efficient at selling your home by a g-force of 5. If you’re selling a property you don’t want to sit on it for too long, handcuffing your wealth when it could be better used in a new investment. Speed is in Mellisa’s nature, and she works efficiently towards the sale of your home.

Strength

It takes thick skin and vigor to not only catapult facedown on an icy track but to do so at a globally competitive level with the whole world watching. Imagine how this kind of strength will translate to negotiations (in your favor) for buying or selling your property!? As a seller, Mellisa’s inherent gift will work to sell your home at (or very near) your listing price. As a buyer, your opportunity to negotiate a price that suits your budget while getting additional concessions in the process multiplies exponentially.

Loyalty

Mellisa has represented her country with pride on the world stage for over 12 years. She was also born (Lacombe AB) and raised on a ranch right here in Central Alberta. She has had numerous opportunities come across her path to take her anywhere in the world she pleases but her allegiance remains where she is growing her exciting professional career. This commitment to her roots not only speaks to character, it speaks to the simple fact that Central Alberta is a great place to live. Allow Mellisa to help you build or maintain your own foundation in this Canadian paradise. Her loyalty to you will be unmatched by any other real estate firm in the region.

Humble

For all of her amazing accolades and attributes Mellisa is as down to earth as can be. She conveys the friendliness, warmth, and sense of community that this neck of the province is known for. When you have Mellisa at your side you not only gain an accomplished Realtor, you gain a friend.

Call the Dusty Smith Team at 403-347-0744 for inquiries regarding your home purchase/sale anytime or (click here).

Hot Property Communities in Central Alberta to Watch for in 2016

image: courtesy of Meridian Beach

Pay no mind to the media hype surrounding the Central Alberta economic impact on the real estate investment market. Exciting things are happening for 2016, with four burgeoning communities catching the eye of prospective homeowners and investors from near and far. While property developments continue, catching up with the demand, even more rousing is the overall growth of these communities. Whether your are considering a new place to live, or are looking to capitalize on this growth to maximize personal wealth and revenue streams, the following areas are hotbeds to watch for in the year ahead.

4 Communities You Should Consider for Your Next Home Purchase in Central Alberta

1. Gull Lake

This recent article (click here) regarding the reasons to buy a home in Gull Lake speak for themselves, but allow us to gush further about this trending Central Alberta community. Gull Lake is on fire, with new property developments such as Meridian Beach making headlines in major provincial media. Gull Lake developers are accommodating prospects looking for a home and vacation property investment alike. The Raymond Shores and Sandy Point developments are gaining feverous interest from those considering RV resort communities while luxury beckons from the country lakefront of Westlake Estates. Being the hub of outdoor recreation in Central Alberta has drawn a slew of complementary businesses and activity providers, ensuring continued growth and development of Gull Lake as one of the freshest resort communities in Canada.

2. Sylvan Lake

Before Gull Lake garnered national attention Sylvan Lake was the see all be all as the hottest resort community in the country. This quaint yet growing geographic hotspot isn’t slowing down anytime soon with 2016 projections looking monumental. Developments such as The Slopes of Sylvan Lake in particular are garnering attention from its use of expansive green space, eye-catching architecture, and energy efficiency. Buyers in neighboring metropolises are taking notice. A recent quote from developer Chris Artibello in the Calgary Herald sums it up in layman’s terms quite well:

“You can go up there for a weekend, it’s 90 minutes away. You are 10 minutes from two different boat launches and you’re five minutes from all the groceries and shopping, beach front and all that sort of stuff.”  (Calgary Herald, May 2015)

Amenities aside from “resort life” are accommodating residents more than ever as well, including new enhancements to the educational system (HJ Cody high school in particular) and medical services (including a new medical imaging centre in early 2016). From lakefront to rolling hills, a property to match your needs is situated in Sylvan Lake.

3. Blackfalds

Blackfalds is home to one of the newest and most exciting community developments in Central Alberta. New property developments (click here) along Arrowhead Close, Morris Court, and Paramount Crescent perfectly convey what new buyers can expect. As with the communities above (Gull Lake, Sylvan Lake) the municipality of Blackfalds too is making big strides to accommodating residents. One look at the 2016 Blackfalds budget (here) evidences that arriving and existing residents/visitors will enjoy new and/or enhanced parks, outdoor recreational facilities, historic site restorations, and roadway/trail improvements.

4. Red Deer & Lacombe County Acreages

Red Deer and Lacombe are staples in the Central Alberta buyers’ market. But this longstanding reputation doesn’t make the scene any less exciting. It is within the acreages that prospective builders, homeowners, and investors are striking gold. With each urban community (Red Deer and Lacombe) growing and becoming more densified, the outlying county areas are becoming hotbeds for home development. The expansive acreages, developing properties, and bungalows located along the regions’ highways and the likes of Range Road (click here) are attractive to those considering a multi-generational family home and lucrative for those seeking an investment property.

2016 is going to be a big year for buyers of Central Alberta homes. Contact the Dusty Smith Real Estate team anytime at 403-347-0744 and allow us to serve as your concierge to the flourishing communities detailed above.

4 New Year Resolutions to Selling Your Central Alberta Home

It’s hard to believe that 2015 is coming to a close. Some of you have big plans on the horizon for the year ahead. You may be selling your house in order to move into a new, bigger, and better home. Others may be looking to cash-in on a long held investment property. Whichever the case, now is the time to apply that age old concept of New Year resolutions to your real estate goals. Selling a home in Central Alberta, regardless the economy, comes with a unique set of circumstances. Today, as the days of 2015 come to a close, we look at four key resolutions that will help you close a lucrative sale of your home or investment property in 2016.

Four Tips to Selling Your Central Alberta Home in the New Year

1. Set the Right Price

This may seem like stating the obvious, but trust us when we say that this point is the most overlooked. On one side, you have homeowners that assume setting a high listing price from the get-go is the best way to go. They do so under the logic that the tactic will leave them the negotiation room that they need to land on the actual price they had in mind. However, this overinflation of the price only serves to keep savvy Central Alberta buyers at bay. They and their real estate agents will simply gloss over your listing in favor of those that set a more reasonable price. The problem is compounded when your inflated price keeps your home on the market longer than necessary. Prospective buyers become suspicious (assuming something is wrong with your property) and bypass your listing.

On the other side of the loonie, you have homeowners that undervalue their home, fretting over the state of the economy and attempting to unload their property in a panic. Not only will this thought-process leave you with negative opportunity cost, setting a price too low can make agents and buyers cautious. They will assume anyone unloading a property at such an undervalued price is hiding something, and their suspicions will rise. Once again, your listing will be passed over. Set the price of your property at its true market value (view tips here) in 2016 if you hope to sell your home within the same year.

2. Consider Concessions Instead of Price Negotiation

Instead of diving too deep into the negotiation game, consider sweetening the pot to get prospective buyers off the fence and into the closure of the sales contract. If you have set a true market price for your home, it is not unreasonable to expect its receipt, especially if you have concessions to offer. These concessions can include existing furnishings within the home, small renovations, fresh paint, relocation allowances, and whatever creative items and services you can offer. Look at your resources and connections to determine what a prospective buyer may need from you, and use these concessions to help you close the sale on your home.

3. Quick Fixes to Design & Decor

Put yourself in the shoes of prospective buyers. How will they view your home from the moment they pull up to the curb to the moment they walk through the front door and exit into the backyard? While we discourage you from taking on excessive expenses and overdoing it with renovations, small aesthetic and functional edits to your interior/exterior design and decor will go a long way. Ensure that your yard is well kept and apply a quick coat of paint to gutters and the trim (window trim, etc.) of your home exterior to enhance curb appeal. Move your interior excess into storage, so that you remove clutter and open up the home, making it seem even more spacious that the literal square footage may allow. Manipulate natural and artificial lighting to focus on the best features of your interior while diverting attention away from less attractive zones (stains, cracked paint, etc.). Take down personal decorative pieces (artwork, etc.) that may distort a buyer’s vision of the home becoming theirs. While you may consider a professional home-stager, you can accomplish a lot with a little logical thought and putting yourself in the psychological position of buyers.

4. Use a Reputable Full-Service Real Estate Marketing Team

Last but most certainly not least comes the most important New Year resolution to selling your home in Central Alberta. There is no more efficient way to sell your property than by securing the services of a local area REALTOR that comes with a full-service and highly specialized real estate marketing team. A professional marketing team will be accessible to you at all hours of the day, have access to more prospective buyers than an individual agent, and will be far more versed in the numerous home marketing channels of modern times. In addition, such a team is better equipped to navigate the curious Central Alberta economy of 2016. Click here to learn more about how a full-service team will serve you best in the year ahead or simply contact the Dusty Smith Real Estate team anytime at 403-347-0744.

Why You Need a Real Estate Marketing Team to Sell Your Home

One of the biggest mistakes made by homeowners putting their property on the market is failing to recognize that a comprehensive marketing strategy is needed. Selling a home is a monumental thing. Putting the process in the hands of one single individual, no matter their credentials, does not afford your needs the full attention required. In order to sell your home fast and at a price as near to your listing as possible in this market requires a team of professional real estate marketers. Read further to find out why developing a full service real estate marketing strategy is your best course of action.

5 Reasons Why a Full-Service Real Estate Marketing Team is Your Best Bet to Selling Your Home

1. You Always Have Access to Someone

No matter how dedicated to clients a singular agent may be, they simply cannot be available to respond to questions, comments, and concerns at all times. In a volatile market when quick decisions and/or negotiations need to be made timing can be everything. When you have an entire real estate team working to sell your home, your ability to reach someone at a moment’s notice increases exponentially.

2. Specialization in Every Step of the Selling Process

A real estate sales transaction involves a whole lot more than negotiation, contracting signing, and passing of the keys. There are numerous and intricate steps in the process, from administration and financial management to online marketing and leveraging of buyer/seller concessions. While one Realtor can theoretically manage each element, it is impossible to efficiently manage each at optimal capacity. A professional real estate team on the other hand, with have individuals in place that specialize in their respective fields, ensuring that each duty is provided the care to fully protect your interests.

“From the consumer’s perspective, the advantages of working with a realtor team besides the obvious seemingly unlimited access to an agent, is the efficiency of the organization of the team moving the transaction to closing and the idea that several real estate brains can be focused on seller solutions.” (Mark Greene, FORBES Magazine)

3. The Bigger the Team the Bigger Your Prospects

An individual Realtor will have access to a limited pool prospective buyers. A Realtor backed by a real estate team will have a much deeper well to draw from, with each individual on the team having connections in the field that will fire on all cylinders to find a suitable buyer for your property.

4. Real Estate Marketing Capabilities and Channels for Modern Times

Real estate marketing isn’t what it used to be five years ago. In fact, modern marketing technology moves so fast that a channel (to reach buyers) can become antiquated a year after it was the biggest thing in the industry. Whether it’s MLS database technology, mobile applications, social media, or getting your property found online through search engine optimization you gain access to it all when working with full-service real estate marketing team. There are very few individual Realtors that can provide that level of access to modern real estate marketing technology, if any.

5. A Sound Strategy and Team Provides Certainty in Uncertain Times

The economic challenges currently faced by Central Alberta have had their impact on the real estate market, especially with respect to buyer perception. As a seller, you are likely facing uncertainty. You may have no clue how to price your home during these trying times, and may feel as if you have to bend too far in negotiations surrounding your listing price. Do you feel comfortable, given the current economic climate, placing the sale of your home in the hands of one individual? Or does a full-service team that will develop a customized marketing plan unique to your property make more sense in uncertain times?

Avoid the pitfalls of working with a single Realtor who wears too many hats. Instead, secure the professional services of a top producing real estate team to sell your home faster and at the price you demand. Contact the Dusty Smith Real Estate Team today.