How Do Professional Photos Help Sell Homes?

Why are professional photos such an important aspect of marketing your home?

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Why are professional photos such an important part of the home selling process? First of all, a huge percentage of buyers across all age groups begin their home search online. In fact, experts estimate that more than 95% of homebuyers start looking at homes on the Internet. As a result, buyers decide which homes to see in person based on the photos or videos of your home that they see online. A listing isn’t just a description of the house anymore. You need photos to create an emotional connection between the buyer and your house before they even step foot in it. Objectively speaking, buyers will get a better idea of what your home is really like by looking at professional photos rather than pictures you take on your phone. Professional photographers understand how to properly light your home and they have the right equipment to showcase the positive features of your home to online buyers. Perhaps more importantly, we want to be at the top of buyers’ lists before they ever come out to see our listings. Being a buyer’s number one choice helps support our pricing – the buyer is excited to see the home in person and has a high opinion of value based on what they see. On the flip side, if a listing barely makes a buyer’s list due to poor presentation, their opinion of value starts low and has to be pulled up from the poor initial impression. This can cost a seller money due to longer marketing time and lower offers. 

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Over 95% of buyers begin their search online.

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The whole point of marketing your house is to get someone to come see it in person. If someone clicks through your listing photos and then moves on to the next listing, your listing photos probably didn’t do their job. To sell quickly and for the most money, you need an agent who uses professional photos and video to market your home. When interviewing agents, make sure this is one of the questions you ask. It can’t be overstated how important a well prepared and presented home impacts the home seller. It’s also important to note that not all “professional” photographers provide the same quality of work. Make sure to look at the agent’s past listings to make sure the photos wow you. The Gillies Team takes professional photos for all of our listings, in addition to offering a consultation with a professional home stager so you know you’re 100% ready for the photographer to capture your home at its very best. Remember, preparation, presentation, and exposure help you get the most money for your house as quickly as possible. If you have any other questions about professional photos or about the home selling process in general, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Why You Need to Test for Radon Gas

Having the radon level tested in a home is a very important step in the real estate process that can actually save lives.
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Radon gas is something that’s around us all the time and could impact the real estate process. This is because it can become concentrated in places like basements, where it is typically tested for. So what does this mean for you?

Radon gas exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. This is a topic that comes up a lot in the real estate process because it’s a standard contingency in our area. Thankfully, there are a few ways to identify and deal with it.

Whether you’re on the buyer or seller side of a real estate transaction, you are likely to go through the radon testing process. 

In most cases, this involves having an inspector come to the house to place a test that will read radon levels for 48 hours. After that time, it will give you an average reading from which you can determine whether or not there is a problem that needs to be dealt with. 


Specifically, you will look whether the test is above or below the 4.0 EPA action level. If the test comes in above this level, however, it doesn’t mean that you will be unable to buy or sell the house. 

The radon level can be reduced through a very standard process which will leave the home safe.

The radon level can be reduced through a very standard process which will leave the home safe. Usually at this point a contractor who consistently, if not exclusively, does radon work will come out to the property and install a system that pulls air from below the house in order to prevent radon from concentrating. 

Thankfully the process is neither complex nor is it cost prohibitive—usually costing in the $850 to $1,000 price range.  

If you are a buyer and this device is installed by the seller in the property you’re purchasing, the process will be as simple as periodically checking the device’s u-shaped dial to make sure it is working properly and that your house is protected.

If you want any more information or have any other questions on this topic, feel free to contact by giving us a call or sending us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Should You Accept a Contingent Offer on Your Home?

A lot of buyers in today’s market need to sell their home first before they can buy another. As a seller, should you accept that contingent offer?

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Looking to sell in the Stafford/Fredericksburg area? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

What if a buyer makes an offer on your house and they still have a house to sell? 

I often get a call from an agent who says, “Great news! I took my clients by your listing and they love the house. They want to put a contract in.” 

When I ask when they will send in the contract, the other shoe drops. The agent says, “Well, they have a house that they have to sell first before they can buy your client's house. Would your seller consider accepting a contract that’s contingent on the sale of the buyer’s home?” 

If you’re the seller in this situation, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your agent to see what your best course of action is. 

In many cases, a contingent offer is not worth the risk.

First of all, what are the risks involved with a contingent offer? If you are in a market where your house should sell at or below the average days on market, do you want to take your house off the market for this offer? You may lose the opportunity to find a better buyer over the next two weeks, and you may even miss out on a multiple offer situation. 

In most cases, accepting the offer is simply not worth the risk. 

So, is there ever a time when it makes sense to accept a contingent offer? Shouldn’t you just ask the buyer to come back once their home is under contract? 

There are a few instances where you may want to accept a contingent offer. For example, let’s say you have a very unique property, like a farm. You need the right type of person to jump in and run that farm. If that buyer has a house to sell, we’ll research the home. If we believe that their home will sell, it may make sense to pull your farm off the market and accept that contingent contract. 

Another example would be if you expect your home to take longer than the average time on the market to sell. You have more leverage with the contingent buyer. You can accept their offer but only on the terms that work best for you. 

Of course, it’s also important to consider the buyer’s perspective. In today’s market, a lot of buyers have to sell their homes in order to move up and buy something else. In that case, what can you do? 

If you have to be a contingent buyer, make sure that you get your house on the market and have a good idea of what homes are available for you to purchase. Then, once your home is under contract, you can make on offer that is contingent on your house making it to closing, which is a bit stronger than the typical contingent offer. 

Whether you are buying or selling a home, if you have any questions about contingent offers, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!