If you follow our blog, you may remember my last piece where I walked through my family’s preparations for listing our home. The Wicker Park condo I once inhabited by myself had run its course, and my growing family of four was charting our move to Chicago’s suburbs. So, we cleaned, prepared, and worked with our agent and photographer to capture our home properly. That’s where my story left off.
The simple truth is that when it comes to selling homes, exceptional photography is the starting point for all great marketing to follow.
Amanda McMillan of @properties
These words from Amanda McMillan, my listing agent, ring true as I reflect on our selling process. (By the way, if you’re new to real estate, put that quote on a plaque, and hang it in your bedroom so you see it every morning.) Amanda’s 17 years of real estate experience shined through her understanding not only of good salesmanship, but also of good marketing.
As mentioned before, her partnership with VHT Studios photographer, Matt D., was really cool to watch. They had worked together in the past and knew just how to capture this old Chicago condo in a new light.
The photographs turned out beautifully, of course. And per Amanda’s choosing, three rooms were virtually staged. We knew the buyers would likely be single or a young couple without kids, so it made sense to redecorate and re-purpose a few rooms.
Toddler Bedroom 
Toddler BR as a 2nd BR 
Toddler BR as an office
My toddlers’ room, for example, was shown as a second bedroom and an office. VHT Studios’ Virtual Redecorate was a clear choice here because it was efficient and affordable. For a fraction of the cost of traditional staging, we could help prospective buyers envision various possibilities for this space.
After all this, we were still nervous as we listed our condo and prepared for the open house. More cleaning, more shoving things into storage… you know. You do what you can, cross your fingers, and hope for the best.
So, the day of the open house came, a cool Chicago Sunday in March. The culmination of our efforts – Amanda’s real estate savvy, Matt’s trained photographer’s eye, and my family’s cleaning abilities – resulted in an excellent showing.
More than 30 people were buzzing around our condo, evaluating its potentiality. Meanwhile, my family and I hung out at Mary Bartelme Park nearby, relaxing and getting our minds off of the whole thing. It was comforting to know Amanda had it all under control.
She printed and displayed the virtually staged photographs for prospects to see right when they walked in. They expressed appreciation toward this gesture, as some of the decor was clearly outdated. Now, they could see the living room with new furniture, the kitchen freshly painted, and the toddler bedroom re-purposed – a major help in sparking their imagination!
By the end of the night, we received two offers, and the following day, one more.
They say hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, I realize I worried way more than I needed to. The process of listing and selling my home was much smoother than expected. All I really had to do was get my stuff out of the way. Amanda and her team guided us through the rest.
With a skilled photographer and listing agent, my home of 17 years was captured and presented in the best light. The camera angles, the digital editing, the staging… it all tells the story of a home – what it is and what it can be. Matt and Amanda’s teamwork did just that. The end result was our condo going under contract just four days after listing. Even better, we sold above our listing price – woohoo!
Off in the suburbs now, my family and I are settling into our new home. I’ll miss the liveliness of Wicker Park and all the memories we made there, but I’m excited to see what our new neighborhood has to offer!
