Here’s What Alaskan Millennial Homebuyers Want

If you are selling a product or a service, you need to understand the first rule of sales: know your audience. Alaskan millennials want different features than Alaskan baby boomers. Families with three children want different amenities than young professionals. And first-time home buyers will likely be more impressed by photos or listings that veteran home-buyers might gloss over.

In recent years, millennials have taken over the largest share of home buyers: 38% of current potential buyers were born between 1981 and 1996. Experts predict that this share is going to increase in the next few years. Focus your attention on the Alaskan millennials who may be potentially looking at your listing. 

How do you do that? Here’s what they want to see when they’re browsing online. 

Open Floor Plans 

Millennials grew up watching HGTV shows that praise two things above all else: shiplap and open-concept floor plans. While you can probably ignore shiplap, you should definitely pay attention to open floor plans.

Why? Because open floor plans allow millennials to entertain, have parties, and share their space with the people they love. If you have an open floor plan, show it off! 

Big, open spaces are not just important indoors, either. If you have woods or a big backyard, include this information early in your listing, and show it off with great images. 

Space for a Home Office

As you stage your home or take photos, think about the story you want to tell. What kind of day will potential buyers have in your home? Besides entertaining, how can they use the space to enjoy their lives? 

Many millennials spend a lot of time at home. Remote work is more common among millennials, especially in the age of COVID-19. Do you have a spare bedroom or space for a home office? Stage your home appropriately and let millennials know that you have the perfect place to work from home. 

Add (or Reveal) Hardwood Floors

Your target audience can help you write the best listing and make any necessary repairs or upgrades that add value to the house. If you’re not in love with the flooring right now, opt for hardwood floors, linoleum, or vinyl. Millennials would rather mop a hardwood floor than steam-clean carpets. 

Fortunately, many homebuyers just need to remove carpet and freshen up their floors to get the look that millennials love. 

Location, Location, Location

Despite living in a world more dominated by technology, millennials want the same things as previous generations. They want to get value out of their home, make a good investment, and enjoy a fulfilling life. Old adages still apply to newer generations. 

That means location can still increase the value of a home beyond its square footage, features, or upgrades. If your property is in a great location, include this information. What coffee shops are nearby? Grocery stores? By telling buyers where they can walk or bike, you will continue to share the story of what your home can do for them. 

A Great Story 

As you tell the story of your property, consider the written listing, staging, and graphics that will appear online. Give buyers the chance to take a 3D tour or see the property from the perspective of a drone. You have many opportunities to truly show how your house can become someone’s home. 

Don’t know where to start? Reach out to DMD Real Estate Photography. We can help you choose the best package to show off your property and appeal to Alaskan millennials who may be interested in buying.

Just Because the Real Estate Market is “Paused” Doesn’t Mean You Have to Sit Idle

The global pandemic has put many aspects of life on pause. Travel plans have been canceled. Weddings have been pushed back. For many Americans, the decision to buy or sell real estate falls into this category.

With less money to spare, many sellers decided against putting their homes on the market. Delistings at the end of last March were 150% higher than delistings the year before. Additionally, unemployment rates skyrocketed, prompting a lot of potential buyers to hold back on their searching. Overall, the real estate market looks pretty bleak throughout the country. 

Fortunately, Alaska is not like the rest of the country. 

Unemployment rates, while still high, are lower than they are in many other places. And while the housing market appears to be on “pause” throughout the United States, low supply and lower interest rates are making buyers and sellers very happy right here in the 49th state. 

Low Supply Means High Demand, Which Helps Sellers... 

Let’s take a look at Anchorage as an example. Right now, it’s a seller’s market in Anchorage at pretty much all price ranges. 

For an area to be a seller’s market, there must be less than four months of inventory on the market. When you look at the homes priced between $100,000-$549,999, there is less than three months of inventory. 

The only price range with more than four months’ supply of houses is $700,000-$799,999. With 4.9 months’ worth of supply, this range is still labeled a “balanced market.” 

With fewer homes available, buyers have fewer choices. Sellers are able to stand out, especially if they are advertising online. If your clients decide to sell right now, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll have buyers flocking to their door (or, more likely, to a FaceTime tour set up by you!). 

… But Low Interest Rates Help Buyers 

Not all sellers across the country are having the same luck as those in Anchorage. The global pandemic has made it hard for many homeowners or investors to maintain their properties. 

So, to encourage buyers to take a look at the market, lenders have significantly lowered interest rates. This is an added bonus for Anchorage homeowners and soon-to-be homeowners. Lower interest rates bring more buyers out of the shadows and give them a higher budget to work with. 

Homeowners also have the opportunity to refinance with these lower interest rates. Buying a house after selling also becomes an easier and faster process. Everyone wins! 

Bottom Line? Don’t Be Afraid to Make Big Moves!

Don’t let news stories from other parts of the country worry your clients. If they are interested in selling in Alaska right now, tell them to take the plunge. 

When they do, we can help you make sure that their home stands out on the market, so that buyers who are taking advantage of low interest rates notice it. Professional photography, virtual tours, and 3D tours will not only attract more buyers, but also help you sell homes for more. 

Contact DMD Real Estate Photography for more information on how you can make your listings stand out. 

How to Get the Most Out of Your Real Estate Drone Shoot

With an increasing number of buyers and renters searching for property online, realtors are faced with the challenge of making their listings stand out from the pack. One particularly effective way of differentiating property listings is to capture striking and unique images and videos through a real estate drone shoot. 

A hot new trend in real estate marketing, drone real estate photography involves using flying cameras to produce dramatic, comprehensive shots of properties and home exteriors. Before consumer camera drones became widely available, this kind of aerial photography was prohibitively expensive, requiring a helicopter and costly equipment. 

But thanks to the introduction of consumer camera drones, real estate companies can easily and affordably hire a professional to capture striking, bird’s-eye view images and videos of properties. To make sure you get the most out of your drone shoot, though, there are several things you can do ahead of time.

5 Steps to Prepare for Your Real Estate Drone Shoot 

Once you’ve found a professional drone operator to photograph or film your listing, it’s time to prepare for the session. Here are five steps to take to make sure you get the most out of your real estate drone shoot: 

Tidy the yard

A clean, de-cluttered property will look bigger and more appealing when shot from above. Before the shoot, do a thorough sweep of the property’s front lawn, backyard, garden, and porch. Be sure to get rid of clutter and store any equipment, toys, and trash bins out of sight. If it’s winter, consider having the walkways and driveway shoveled before the shoot. 

Clean decking and pavement in advance

If needed, arrange for an advanced cleaning of any hard surfaces, such as decking, pavement, or tile. This step should be done at least a day in advance to allow these surfaces time to dry. 

Consider having your roof professionally cleaned

An image or video of your house from above will provide a clear view of the property’s roof and gutters. That means you want these areas to be free of damage and clear of leaves, debris, and snow. Consider having the property’s roof and gutters cleaned professionally before the drone shoot.

Check the weather

In Alaska, it’s best to hold shoots during the spring and summer months, when the weather tends to be clearer. No matter the season you’re scheduled for, be sure to check the weather forecast for the day of your shoot. Cloudy days are usually fine for a drone shoot, since darker skies typically allow the drone to capture images without excessive contrast. However, rainy or snowy weather will likely mean the shoot needs to be rescheduled. 

Alert the neighbors

It’s a good idea to have your client alert the neighbors well in advance of the date and time of the drone shoot. This lets neighbors know what’s going on and keeps them from being surprised or alarmed by an unexpected drone. 

Are you looking for a professional drone photographer for your Alaska property? Get in touch with DMD Real Estate Photography to hire a licensed, insured, and experienced real estate drone operator today.