One of the most common mistakes I notice when viewing South African property listings on the Internet is that many of them provide very little information and either do not display photographs or use poor quality photographs.
If you are an estate agent who lists property on your own website or on property portals such as www.skilpad.com, you would be well-advised to review your listings to make sure that they do not fall short of the minimum requirements for effective Internet advertising. If your ads are too thin on information, property searchers may pass them over in favour of other listings that paint an appealing picture through the liberal use of information and pictures.
I suspect that one of the reasons for skimpy listings is that the property industry in South Africa is in a transition period from advertising predominantly in newspapers, where the cost of space is high, to advertising more and more on web-based advertising where space is cheap. Having sold a number of properties through the Internet over recent years, I have learnt that one of the great strengths of the Internet is its ability to reach potential buyers in other parts of the country and the world. Potential buyers who are far away do not have local knowledge, and so welcome informative listings that spell out the features and beneftis of the property and the area. And all potential buyers appreciate good pictures.
Here are some guidelines to help you ensure that your property listings meet the grade:
- For residential listings include at least the price and location of the property, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the size of the property. Preferably also include information about other rooms and features of the house (swimming pool, entertainment areas, great view, etc.) the size of the buildings, and information on proximity to schools/shopping centres, etc, and security features.
- When listing farms and smallholdings, follow the general principles above, but also provide information that has a bearing on the agricultural/eco-tourism potential of the land, e.g. vegetation, topography, carrying capacity, infrastructure, water, electricity, crops, stock, game, proximity to tourist destinations, etc.
The same philosophy applies to any other type of listing: try and put yourself into the shoes of the people who are searching online and do your best to use words and images to sell the property to them before they even set foot on the land.
Good luck with your listings. If you need any help or advice with improving the quality of your listings on our South Africa Property Portal, you are welcome to email us at support@skilpad.com
