What makes a house a home is really how it’s used and loved. That means that the surrounding area plays a gigantic role in a home buyer’s search. Make sure you use that to your advantage as a realtor or home seller!

What Should You Include and why?

Walkability Scores

Avenue Magazine considered the walkability score of a neighbourhood one of the most important factors in their Best Community ratings – and we have to say we totally agree! Having basic needs accessible by foot is a huge plus for a homeowner. Not only is it more environmentally friendly when running small errands, but you can also avoid annoying traffic, get your exercise in, and not feel guilty about going to the store to pick up one single lemon for a recipe. The walkability score gives a great overview for people who prioritize convenience. 

Outdoor Activities

Isn’t the possibility of outdoor activities a wicked sell? It can honestly just be really nice to know that you’ll have extra motivation to get out and get active at any time. It also helps that buyers will have an excellent way to encourage kids, future kids or lazy partners to spend more time away from the Xbox. A little nature is also a great feature for people who like to spend a few minutes outside to clear their heads or walk their dog. Whether it’s a great park, a nearby field, a forest or a lake, FEATURE IT!

Amenities

If you live in a condo, “amenities” may be more obvious. Gym in the building? Yes please! Rooftop pool? What’s not to love. Rentable games room? Nobody has ever been upset about the option to host a party outside of their own messy kitchen. Of course, you’ll want to include this information in listings! But don’t forget to do it for a home as well. Having a gym right around the corner is a big benefit for busy parents. Nearby recreational spots like pools are also a fun addition for a household. Make sure to point these things out in listings!

Distance to Downtown

Even if someone isn’t working in the core and doesn’t spend much time out on the town, it’s useful to include. Whether it’s the occasional appointment or a midday coffee with a friend, it is nice to know that you can easily access the city’s most active areas. This can definitely be a selling point for many, so don’t forget to mention it.

Distance to the Mountains

If you’ve got an avid hiker or camper looking for a house, this might make or break their decision. If you live in an area of the city that makes getting to Banff (or any other cool places – such as Drumheller) easy, give it a little shout out! Someone might not even realise that their travel time to their favourite spot can be cut in half if they buy your house – so, make it crystal clear.

How Can You Maximize Exposure to This Info?

Listings

OF COURSE you are already including this info in your listings – we hope. But instead of a nice sentence or two about it, make it visual! Calgary Photos has a huge selection of totally free stock photos (including the pics you see above) for neighbourhoods around the city and we’re more than happy to include them with your photo packages (*subject to availability), that way people checking out your listing can get excited about the neighbourhood as well as the house.

Social Media

Realtors! This tip is for you. If you work primarily in a few areas of the city, dedicate some social posts to those neighbourhoods. Talk about the best restaurants, cool fitness options, beautiful parks – anything that can play up your areas of focus is totally fair game! If you are posting new listings, utilize this info here and make use of the stock photos mentioned above. If you’d rather leave the posting to someone else so you can focus on your clients and their listings, head right over here to see our social media management offerings!

Videos

Videos are the new big thing in real estate listings! If a picture says a thousand words, a video says a million. A drone video like this one is really a quadruple whammy: eye-catching, informative, beautiful and convincing. You could also include a clip like this as part of a home tour video. Then post this with your listing, on your social media, even on your client’s personal social media and people will have a great chance to actually visualize the house and the surrounding area. Check out all Calgary Photo’s video offerings here!