Hi folks,

Listing your property on an agent’s website is an inexpensive way of getting wide exposure. But if you are counting on internet exposure to sell your home, you need to feel confident that purchasers wanting to purchase in your area will be using the site as a source of property information. How can the layperson determine whether an agent’s website will direct inspections to the property?

Put the agent’s site to the test yourself. Is it user-friendly or can it only be accessed through a slow portal site? The home page should download in 10 seconds and all subsequent pages within 20. Is the information on it up to-date?

Purchasers want lots of information and photographs.

There should be at least 10 photos, total floor area should be indicated in square metres so purchasers can make comparisons at a glance; after all, purchasers on the net are in a hurry. Icons that indicate the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and car spaces enable purchasers to quickly assess the suitability of a property before reading on. Does your agent present all information in bullet form without flowery language? Purchasers report that they like to get the complete address of advertised properties and the sales consultant’s direct contact details online. They also say that they like at least a ball park indication of price – after all, there is no point wasting time reading a lot of information if the property is out of their reach. The website should also have a list of properties open for inspection – after all, Opens change weekly and purchasers will have to keep coming back to the site to see what they can look at this weekend. If the information is out-of-date, purchasers are unlikely to visit on a regular basis. The Open for Inspection list should also provide a direct hyperlink to each property listing so that the full details of any property they are interested in are just a click away.

Purchasers using the internet also want anonymity until they are ready to make contact with the agent and carry out inspections. The time for purchasers to make their details known to the agent is when they want to start inspecting real bricks and mortar.

Websites requiring purchasers to give their details before providing information are unlikely to get repeat visits.