By Apartment Specialists

12/04/2013 When selling your Auckland apartment it takes professional looking photos and a little staging to add glitz and glamour to your property. Many apartment owners consider this to be an optional add-on but more and more buyers are making decisions based on what they see online. Many buyers in this market have to do their research online as they don’t live in Auckland. Others would rather gather information online than waste their time driving around and travelling long distances to look for apartments. That’s why it has become a necessity in the Auckland apartment sales market to include quality photos in your online marketing. This will provide buyers with a valuable image of the apartment you are selling. Why You Need to Market Your Apartment with Quality Photos There are often many apartments being sold in one building at one time. You need to make sure your apartment presents well and stands out from the rest. A recent successful example of this is:

In one particular building the apartment listed to the right of the one we sold was listed for $250,000 (and it is actually a better unit). It has been listed since April 2013 and at the time of writing this guide it still hasn’t sold. We sold our client’s in under two weeks for $265,000 purely because we made the apartment look it’s very best.

What’s the first thought that comes to mind when marketing your Auckland apartment? Isn’t it that you want to get the highest price for it? What if it’s a rushed sale? Do you have to lower your apartment’s value simply to sell within a given timeframe?

Unless you have to sell your Auckland apartment within days you should always aim for the highest price. However, before asking for this, you have to attract many buyers and hold their interest. You have to excite international buyers via your online photos and you have to make local buyers want to get in their cars and view your apartment. Moreover, when it comes to rushed sales, you don’t have to lower your property’s value simply to sell it off. You need to aim for the highest price and promote your apartment through quality photos. This is what Apartment Specialists is about to show you how to do….

Below is a comparison of a living room in an apartment that we recently sold. These are before and after photos of the same room. The first photo shows you what the room looked like when we arrived. The second shows you what a little bit of staging can achieve.

A Guide to Flattering and Seductive Apartment Photos Watch this short video before you start reading our guide as it will provide you with some great examples of the good and the bad.

You now know that photographs can be powerful bait when attracting the interests of buyers and property investors. We have come up with a simple yet powerful guide to help not only Auckland apartment owners but other agents in the Auckland apartment sales market. Use this guide yourself or ask your agent to follow it. You can do the staging yourself or hire a professional photographer.
Pre Photoshoot Preparation Take Time to Build Relationships with Tenants

This is not related to photography but this is an important step when staging an apartment. Most Auckland apartment owners do not live in their apartment. Their apartment is often under a rental agreement. If a tenant lives in the apartment that you are about to sell and they do not cooperate, the thing is, you won’t get those professional looking photos that you want. They might not even allow you to take any until their lease expires. That’s why it’s important to build a relationship with them. You can then simply talk to them ahead of time, tell them that you want to take photos on this certain date, and if it’s okay, you will move their stuff around and then put everything back.

Staging Kit

It’s important that you prepare a staging kit or props beforehand. I’ll be honest and say that some tenants do not have classic and sophisticated tastes when it comes to furniture and accessories. So it is handy to arrive with duvets, throws, pillows, bed sheets – anything that would likely improve the appearance of a room or a view.
Photoshoot Checklist Exterior Shots

When doing exterior shots remember to get photographs of the following:
Façade of the apartment building
Exterior amenities (i.e. gardens and parking areas)
View from inside looking out
If there is a coutyard or deck, get photo of these areas
View of the street from apartment looking down

Interior Shots

Shots of whole room areas including:
Master bedroom
Kitchen
Dining area
Living area
Bathroom
Improve on your Auckland Apartment Sales with these Photoshoot Tips Use Lights to Brighten the Area

When taking exterior photos, make sure you do it in the middle of the day when the sun is up and the sky is blue. The sun’s rays make the view more stunning.

If taking interior photos, make sure that all lights are turned on and you use a flash. This will fill in any shadows and even the colours of the images. If you have contrasting colours in the background it makes the colours stand out.

The More Photos the Better

All buyers love to see more than just the façade of an apartment building, the more photos of the apartment the better. This includes all rooms and the interior and exterior views. If the apartment has a spectacular view of the sea, a park, etc then add them as well. They add value and excitement to buyers.

Move Things Around

When taking shots, always remove the clutter like dishes, clothes and all stuff that is not furniture or appliances. Remodel and move furniture and appliances in order to stage the rooms properly. This will make the rooms look larger and attractive.

Remember to Go Pro If you are hiring a real estate agent or agency to market your Auckland apartment, ask for samples of photographs of apartments that they have sold. Now that you know that they have a huge impact on the value of your apartment you need to see what they can do. If you decide to go pro then there may be an additional cost but this will definitely be well worth the investment.

We would love to hear your feedback on our guide and see your before and after photos. If someone you know is selling their Auckland apartment then email them this guide or even better share it on Facebook.

Apartment Specialists

Owners engage Apartment Specialists to achieve the best price for their property with the least amount of stress. We have no exclusivity and we have a proven track record of obtaining record prices for Auckland apartment sales. Visit our website www.apartmentspecialists.co.nz for more information an…

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