10 Mistakes That Stop Your Property Selling Online

Selling a property online sounds simple enough.

Take a few photographs. Write a description. Decide on a price. Press publish. Wait for somebody to turn up with a suitcase full of money.

If only.

The reality is that potential buyers can have hundreds — sometimes thousands — of properties competing for their attention. And you often have only a few seconds to convince somebody to stop scrolling and take a closer look.

The good news? You don't necessarily need an expensive marketing campaign or a professional production crew.

You just need to avoid some very common mistakes.

Here are ten of the biggest.

1. Bad Photographs

People buy property with their eyes first.

When somebody is scrolling through properties online, they're probably not starting by carefully studying your beautifully written description.

They're looking at the pictures.

Yes, they'll notice the price. They'll probably check the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. But your photographs are what make them stop scrolling.

And today, there really isn't much excuse for terrible property photography. Most of us are carrying a remarkably capable camera around in our pockets.

You don't necessarily need a professional photographer.

You do need to think like one.

Don't walk around the house randomly taking photographs because you need twenty pictures for your listing.

Prepare the room.

Clean it. Declutter it. Open the curtains. Make the bed. Hide the washing-up. Move the wheelie bins.

Then think about when your property looks its best.

Does the afternoon sun pour through the living-room windows? Wait until then.

Got a fireplace? Light it. If the dog's curled up happily beside it, even better.

Does the terrace look beautiful first thing in the morning? Get up early, put a fresh cup of coffee on the table and photograph the lifestyle somebody could be waking up to every day.

And show the whole room.

A photograph of one corner of your sofa doesn't tell anybody much. Step back. Help people understand the proportions, the windows, the light and how the rooms work together.

The same applies outside. Don't photograph a beautiful garden on a miserable grey afternoon simply because that's when you happened to have your phone in your hand.

Wait.

You're potentially asking somebody to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds, dollars or euros.

Spending a few hours making your property look its absolute best could be one of the best investments you make.

And it costs virtually nothing.

2. Writing a Description Instead of Telling a Story

The photographs worked.

Someone stopped scrolling.

They've clicked your property and they like what they see.

Now they want to know what it would actually feel like to live there.

And this is where countless property listings completely waste the opportunity.

Three-bedroom detached property. Two bathrooms. Large garden. Close to local amenities.

Wonderful.

You've just told the buyer information they probably already knew from the search filters.

Don't start by selling the house.

Start by selling the life around it.

If there's a beautiful waterfall two minutes away, take me there.

If the beach is at the end of the road, tell me about waking up and hearing the waves.

If there's a fantastic little bakery around the corner, let me imagine walking there on Saturday morning for fresh bread.

If your terrace catches the evening sun, help me picture sitting there with a glass of wine at the end of the day.

Then bring me through the front door.

What's the first thing I'll notice?

Where does the morning sun come in?

Where does everybody gather?

What makes the kitchen special?

What's the view from the bedroom?

Of course the facts matter. Buyers need bedrooms, bathrooms, dimensions, parking, land, heating, local amenities and all the practical information.

But facts answer questions.

Stories create desire.

And please, resist the temptation to write estate-agent bingo:

“A rarely available opportunity to acquire this beautifully appointed residence situated within this highly sought-after location...”

Nobody talks like that.

Write like a human being.

Tell somebody why they might fall in love with the place.

Because you're not really selling three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,800 square feet.

You're selling the possibility that somebody's life could be better there.

3. Getting the Price Wrong

This might only be number three on our list.

It could be the most important mistake of all.

Everybody wants the maximum amount possible for their property. Of course they do.

If you think your property could sell for £500,000 rather than £450,000, naturally you'd rather have another £50,000 in your pocket.

But ask yourself another question.

What might trying to get that extra £50,000 cost you?

If an unrealistic price leaves your property sitting on the market for another six months, those six months aren't necessarily free.

There could be mortgage payments, insurance, maintenance, utilities, taxes, management costs or simply the expense of keeping an empty property going.

There's opportunity cost too.

What happens if your dream property appears tomorrow, but you can't proceed because yours hasn't sold?

Sometimes accepting a little less today can leave you financially better off tomorrow.

So do your homework.

Look at comparable properties currently for sale — but where the information is available, also look at what similar properties have actually sold for.

Consider what you paid, genuine improvements you've made, changes in the local market and advice from appropriate property professionals.

Then be realistic.

And leave some sensible room for negotiation.

People like getting a deal.

If you've decided you genuinely need £450,000, you might choose an asking price slightly above that figure so there's room for a buyer and seller to negotiate.

That doesn't mean turning £450,000 into £600,000 and hoping for the best.

The asking price still needs to make sense.

And don't be offended by a low offer.

An offer isn't an insult.

It's the beginning of a conversation.

You can reject it. Counter it. Explain why you believe the property is worth more.

But someone making an offer has already told you something valuable:

They're interested.

Remember:

The highest asking price doesn't necessarily put the most money in your pocket.

4. Overpromising — and Then Underdelivering

When you're trying hard to sell, it's tempting to make the deal sound as attractive as possible.

Fully furnished.

All appliances included.

Everything you see comes with the property.

Excellent.

Until somebody makes an offer.

Suddenly the television isn't included.

The expensive garden furniture is coming with you.

The children want the games console.

And apparently Granny's bedside table was never part of the deal.

Now you've got a problem.

Something that began as a positive selling point has become a disappointment — and potentially a reason for the buyer to stop trusting you.

Never promise something in your listing unless you're genuinely prepared to include it.

But there's another side to this.

Don't underestimate the power of giving somebody a little more than they expected.

Perhaps the outdoor furniture stays.

Maybe the lawnmower is useful to somebody buying a property with a large garden.

Perhaps the appliances can be included.

A holiday or investment property might even be sold ready to use from day one.

Individually, these things might not be worth a fortune.

Psychologically, however, they can help somebody feel they've got a good deal.

People like a little win.

Be clear about what's included. Don't promise things you'll later withdraw. And where appropriate, perhaps keep something in reserve that can help during negotiations.

Granny's bedside table might just close the deal.

Granny herself is probably subject to separate negotiations.

5. Advertising Before You're Actually Ready

Putting your property online shouldn't be the moment you start preparing to sell.

It should happen after you've prepared.

There are two sides to this.

First: paperwork.

Before advertising, speak to the appropriate lawyer, solicitor, conveyancer or property professional in your country.

Tell them you're considering selling and ask a simple question:

“Are we ready?”

Are the ownership documents in order?

Are registrations complete?

Are there permissions, certificates or other documents likely to be required?

Requirements vary enormously between countries, so get appropriate local advice.

Finding a buyer can be difficult enough.

Finding one and then discovering you're not actually in a position to complete the transaction is a fantastic way to lose them.

Then there's the physical property.

Walk around your home as though you've never seen it before.

That loose door handle you've ignored for two years?

Fix it.

The toilet that takes three attempts to flush?

Fix it.

Fill the holes in the wall. Touch up tired paintwork. Repair the broken garden slab. Deal properly with genuine maintenance problems.

Because buyers mentally calculate problems.

New door — there's £500.

Decorating — couple of thousand.

What's happening with that wall? That looks expensive.

Suddenly your £200,000 property has £50,000 worth of imaginary work attached to it.

In reality, perhaps £1,000 and a couple of weekends before advertising could have transformed the buyer's perception.

You don't want somebody walking around your property looking for jobs.

You want them imagining their life.

You want somebody looking through the patio doors and thinking:

“That's where the barbecue's going. I can see myself sitting there with a beer.”

Prepare first.

Advertise second.

Give buyers fewer problems to calculate and more reasons to imagine themselves living there.

6. Leaving Out the Information Buyers Actually Want

Don't make potential buyers hunt for the facts.

Bedrooms and bathrooms aren't enough.

What's the internal floor area?

What's the plot size?

Is there parking?

A pool?

Garden?

Balcony?

Heating or air conditioning?

Is it furnished?

Are there service charges or other relevant costs?

What's nearby?

Is there a floor plan?

And yes...

Size matters.

If you know the internal floor area, tell people.

If there's land, give them the plot size.

Don't simply write “large garden”. Large compared with what?

Give people the facts and allow them to decide.

And don't hide information because you're worried somebody might not like it.

A small property might be exactly what another buyer wants — less maintenance, lower running costs and easier to lock up and leave.

Facts don't necessarily put buyers off. Surprises do.

How Slide’N Doors helps

We've designed our guided listing process to suggest the information potential buyers are likely to want.

Not everything has to apply to every property, and many fields are optional.

But generally, the more useful information you provide, the more clearly a potential buyer can understand your property and see it in the full light it deserves.

Don't hide the facts.

Show them.

7. Hiding the Truth About the Location

Location, location, location.

And apparently the best way to deal with a difficult location is to lie through your teeth.

House beside a busy road?

Photograph it from an angle that hides the road.

No garden?

Don't mention it.

River at the bottom of the property?

Maybe save that little surprise for the viewing.

Obviously, that's complete bollocks.

I once owned a house where opening the front door practically put you on the double yellow lines.

And I bought it knowing exactly where it was.

Why?

Because it suited me.

The shops were easy to reach. Getting to work was convenient. What another person might consider a negative wasn't particularly negative to me.

When I eventually came to sell it, an agent suggested taking photographs that made it less obvious the property was beside the road.

But think about what happens next.

Somebody drives four hours to view it.

They arrive.

“Oh. It's right beside a road. I don't want to live beside a road.”

Brilliant.

We've wasted their time and ours.

Show the road.

Then the people who arrange a viewing already know it's there.

The same applies to a property without a garden.

Don't hide it.

Plenty of people don't want the work or expense of maintaining one.

A river might terrify one buyer because they're worried about flooding.

Another person might imagine swimming every morning, fishing from the bank or sitting beside the water with their morning coffee.

One person's negative can genuinely be another person's reason to buy.

You aren't trying to make everybody want your property.

You're trying to find the person who wants your property.

Photographs can be flattering without being deceptive.

Descriptions can emphasise positives without hiding important facts.

Because eventually the buyer will discover the truth anyway.

And once somebody discovers you've deliberately hidden one thing, another question immediately appears:

“What else haven't they told me?”

Now you haven't just got a location problem.

You've got a trust problem.

How Slide’N Doors helps

Location isn't simply a pin on a map. Buyers want to understand what's around them too.

Slide’N Doors helps buyers explore amenities and points of interest around a listing, such as schools, restaurants and local landmarks.

That means sellers don't have to research and manually list everything themselves, while potential buyers can build a much better picture of the area.

So show them the road.

But show them the great school, restaurant, beach, park or landmark nearby too.

Don't hide the truth to get more viewings. Tell the truth to get the right viewings.

8. Not Using Video

You've taken great photographs.

You've written a description that makes somebody want to live there.

You've provided the facts.

Now show them around.

Video can communicate something photographs struggle to achieve:

how the property feels as you move through it.

And no, you don't need a Hollywood production crew.

The camera in your pocket is probably perfectly capable.

But please — think before pressing record.

Nobody needs nine minutes of shaky footage of your feet, followed by a lightning-fast pan across the kitchen that makes everybody seasick, followed by thirty seconds of your finger covering the lens while you struggle with the patio door.

Prepare.

Open the curtains. Turn the lights on. Tidy up.

Know which route you're going to take through the property and move slowly.

Show how the rooms connect.

Show the view from the balcony.

Walk from the kitchen onto the terrace.

Let somebody understand the size of the garden.

Capture the light coming through the windows.

For an international buyer, video can be particularly valuable.

Somebody thousands of miles away might be deciding whether your property deserves a place on their shortlist.

You don't need to be Steven Spielberg.

You just need to make them feel like they've already walked through the front door.

How Slide’N Doors helps

Our upgraded listing options allow sellers to include video with their property listing, giving potential buyers another way to experience the property before arranging a viewing.

9. Forgetting Who You're Actually Selling To

A surprising number of people create a property listing for themselves.

They describe what they love.

They photograph what they think matters.

And they assume the next owner will use the property exactly as they did.

But your buyer could be completely different.

That tiny bedroom you apologise for?

Somebody sees a home office.

The enormous garage currently full of your junk?

Someone sees a workshop.

The unexciting downstairs spare room?

An older buyer might see a future bedroom that means they don't have to climb stairs.

Living close to a school might mean nothing to you.

To a family with two children, it might be the reason they click Enquire.

And when you're marketing internationally, this becomes even more important.

Someone sitting in Germany looking at a property in Costa Rica may want information a local buyer would never think to ask for.

How easy is it to reach the airport?

What's nearby?

Could it work as a holiday home?

What's everyday life in the area actually like?

When you've finished your listing, stop looking at it as the owner.

Look at it as the buyer.

Ask yourself:

“If I knew absolutely nothing about this property or this area, would this listing give me a reason to want to know more?”

You're not trying to find someone exactly like you.

You're helping the right buyer recognise that this property could be right for them.

10. Waiting for the Perfect Buyer to Find You

You can take beautiful photographs.

Write a description that makes somebody fall in love.

Get the price right.

Provide every useful fact.

Be completely honest about the location.

Add video.

And then put your property somewhere hardly anybody sees it.

That's a little like putting a For Sale sign in your living room and wondering why nobody has knocked on the door.

The right buyer might not live in your town.

They might not live in your county.

They might not even live in your country.

Property sellers naturally think locally because they live locally.

Buyers don't necessarily think that way.

Somebody sitting through a rainy Tuesday evening in Manchester might be dreaming about waking up in Portugal.

Someone in Germany might be searching for an investment in Costa Rica.

Someone in Canada might be planning retirement somewhere they've never lived before.

You don't know where your buyer is.

So don't decide where they're allowed to find you.

Why we built Slide’N Doors

We didn't build Slide’N Doors to promise that putting your property online will magically make it sell.

Nobody can honestly promise that.

We built it because we believe properties deserve the opportunity to be seen beyond their own postcode, town or country.

Give your property the best photographs you can.

Tell its story.

Price it sensibly.

Give buyers the facts.

Show them the location.

Let them experience it through video.

And then give all that hard work an audience.

Because the final mistake isn't failing to find your perfect buyer.

It's never giving your perfect buyer the chance to find you.

One Final Thought

Selling property online isn't about tricking somebody into wanting what you've got.

It's almost the opposite.

It's about presenting your property honestly, beautifully and completely enough that the right person can recognise it when they see it.

Somebody will hate your tiny garden.

Somebody else will be delighted they don't have to mow it.

Somebody will hate the road outside.

Someone else will love being able to walk into town.

Somebody will worry about that river.

Someone else is already imagining their first morning swim.

Your job isn't to make everybody love your property.

Your job is to show people what it really is, what makes it special and what life there could look like.

Then let the right buyer decide.

Be honest. Be thorough. Make an effort. And give your property the best possible chance to be seen.

That's what a great property listing should do.

And that's what we believe property marketing should be.