How many times have you driven up to a house that looked great in the MLS, only to find that it's in a less than ideal neighborhood or immediately next to a really messy neighbor? I'll bet it's quite a bit. No matter where you look, the neighborhood has an impact on how desirable a home is to a buyer. In Silicon Valley, it's very easy to go to a neighborhood where a new home is sitting next to a house with dead grass, peeling paint, and worse. So, how do I save myself the time and trouble of driving all over the place?
Google is probably one of the best tools a REALTOR can have. One of their best features is StreetView. While it doesn't work everywhere, it offers the chance to preview a neighborhood in seconds. Here's what I do to save time:
- Look at the overhead satellite view first. This shows me what's in the back yards of all the neighbors. I can see who keeps their property clean and who doesn't. Neighbors with nice front yards but unkept backyards may be on the way to selling. Or their messes could have an impact of the value of the home you're previewing.
- Look at StreetView second. This shows me who has junk, old cars, RVs, weeds, and overgrown landscaping. Most clients will shy away from neighborhoods with too many poorly maintained neighboring homes. If you see a nasty looking neighborhood, you just saved time showing that home to your clients.
What are the benefits of StreetView?
- Saves time! Why drive to 6 properties in 1 hour when I can see them all in 5 minutes on StreetView.
- Saves money! Driving around costs gas and the value of my time.
- Faster response to clients! Previewing via StreetView let's me get perspective back to my clients faster than driving around. This is especially important when working with multiple buyers.
If you're a consumer reading this article, guess what, you can do this too! As a home buyer, your time is valuable and being able to preview a neighborhood saves you valuable time too. When you see a home that you like and the neighborhood looks nice as well, then it's time to make the pesonal trip to see it.
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Bryan Robertson, Broker Associate | T: 650.799.9951 | Email: bryan@serenogroup.com | Website: http://www.BryanRobertsonHomes.com |CA License: 01191946 | Sereno Group - Los Altos branch | 369 S. San Antonio Road | Los Altos, CA 94022
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