Have you noticed how much buyers love getting their hands on floor plans? This is something that can really help a listing pop in a big crowd. Floor plans typically result in more enquiries, and those can be converted into actual viewings. That all adds up to a property selling faster, and yet quite a few real estate agents don’t actually consider them as a necessity. Why is this?
A recent survey conducted of property sellers illustrated that 80% of them believed that floor plans ranged between very useful and essential when a property was being sold. As many as 88% also agreed that they liked floor plans when they were looking to buy a property.
It is true that floor plans aren’t technically required for selling a property, but then again, neither are property descriptions or photos. Having said that, just how many listings do you catch without any of those? Floor plans grab attention, and they make the decision-making process of buyers simpler. They are just as crucial as high-calibre photos, and the following are three reasons why this is true:
1) Floor Plans Let Buyers Visualise a Property Better Than Images Alone
Rightmove has research that indicates more than one-third of buyers aren’t as likely to ask about a property without a floor plan. In fact, one-fifth choose to just totally ignore listings without floor plans.
Floor plans let buyers see details that descriptions and photos can’t really convey, like measurements, windows, and storage capacity. They are also more effective in displaying distinct features such as extensions and knock-throughs.
High-calibre property photos prove to be essential in highlighting a property effectively. Wide-angle shots in particular score well with many buyers, although many also think that they can be a bit deceptive in regard to portraying a space accurately.
You’re likely familiar with viewings where prospective buyers are disappointed with a property that isn’t actually what they thought it would be from photos they looked at. Floor plans help sellers avoid that by offering prospective tenants and buyers a more clear picture of a whole property, even before they set foot through the door.
House-hunters often use floor plans right beside photos in order to get a better understanding of a home’s space and layout. They can see how rooms interconnect, as well as how the space flows throughout a property. That avoids nasty surprises once someone gets there.
In terms of successful property photography and viewings, every estate agent is at the mercy of whoever currently occupies the home in question. Cluttered and messy rooms look a lot smaller than they really are. Only clean floor plans show off the real potential and shape of a room.
Rightmove’s survey indicates that buyers prefer a floor plan that illustrates room layout but also how each room fits relative to the remainder of the property. However, what most buyers rate as the most crucial element of a floor plan is the dimensions of each room.
Floor plans that show specific room measurements, including window and door positions, help buyers envision where they can put their own furniture and what they could do in such spaces.
They might even start imagining how they would decorate or change a structure in order to adapt to their own needs.
Once they start planning their move mentally, they start forming an emotional attachment to that property. It doesn’t take much to get to a buying decision after that.
2) Floor Plans Help People Remember a Property Later On
It’s useful to help prospective buyers visualise the potential of a property both before and even during their viewing. On the other hand, what happens once they leave? You might get good vibes from them during your viewing, but it’s not a great thing if they follow things up with a phone call where they ask which house they saw.
Keep in mind that house hunters are out looking at a multitude of properties, sometimes on the same day. It’s easy to start getting specific house features mixed up. If you include your floor plan in your marketing material and listings, then it can help your home register in their mind. A visual layout helps them remember the nuances of the property.
3) Floor Plans Give Off a Professional Vibe
If your competition is using a floor plan, then you should do so as well. However, if they’re not, you can use them to great advantage.
A floor plan that is clearly designed is going to move your listing up the list because of how professional it seems. You enhance your brand quality, and it tells property sellers in the market for their own estate agent that you take the extra step while staying on-trend. Check out land registry compliant plans too.