Real Estate Marketing Ideas

How Neighborhood Images Can Boost Your Listing Performance

By Lindsay Goebel Last Updated August 24, 2023 3 min read

Neighborhood quality is a heavily weighted factor for home buyers scouring new listings.

According to a NAR survey, 78% of people said that neighborhood quality was more important than the size of the home. On top of that, 84% of millennials would forgo key home features to live in their ideal neighborhood. Featuring attractive neighborhood images is easier than you think. Real estate photography vendors, like Virtuance, offer aerial photography, neighborhood stock images and a subdivision add-on package to any listing shoot. With over 96% of all homebuyers searching for new listings online before scheduling a showing, real estate agents must prioritize selling the home before the homebuyer sees it in person. It also means that professional real estate photos, neighborhood images, and detailed descriptions are more important than ever.

If your listing offers any of these key neighborhood features, you will want to highlight them online with images:  

Popular restaurants or attractions

You’ve heard it a million times and probably used it in your listings before location, location, location! The old real estate adage rings true for many homebuyers. Buyers are looking for a sense of community and places to socialize. Even the suburbs are changing how they cater to their more modern populations. According to Business Insider, suburban towns like New Rochelle (NYC) are evolving to focus less on space and possession and more on walkability and environmental impact. A neighborhood package is an excellent option if your listing is a few blocks from popular restaurants or attractions.

Parks and green spaces

Numerous studies show that spending time in nature can improve mental and physical health. These benefits range from reduced stress to improved blood pressure and increased social cohesion. Because of this, major cities are stepping up their initiative to add more parks and green spaces, with the 100 largest cities in the US spending over $6 billion in 2015. 

Not only do public parks provide significant health benefits, but they also offer several conveniences to locals. Most public parks are free, encouraging residents to gather for socialization, games, fitness classes, and more. Featuring a nearby park or green space on your listing will rack up some major homebuyer engagement online. This will increase interest in your listing.

Awesome family-friendly amenities

Does your client’s neighborhood have a beautiful clubhouse, updated pool or large playground? If so, show it off! Buyers enjoy knowing that they’re getting more than a house, even if they don’t actually use the amenities often. It is more impactful for a potential homebuyer to see images of a neighborhood’s amenities than to read about them. 

Ensure the same professional real estate photographer captures your amenity images as your listing images. This will help add credibility to your listing and  your brand. When your new listing hits the MLS and real estate market data sites like Zillow and Trulia, it’s competing with hundreds of other properties in the area. As most homebuyers browse these listings online, it needs to stand out! Creating a narrative with professional neighborhood images and a detailed description will help prospective buyers picture their life there. After all, the human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text – and when visuals are paired with written content, retention is always stronger!

Trust Virtuance to upgrade and elevate your photos

If you want to go above and beyond with your real estate photos, consider Virtuance for all your needs. From HDReal® enhancements such as stock images, subdivision package, aerial photos, our fleet of certified professional photographers will help your home turn heads—and gather offers!

FAQ

Location is often regarded as the most important. According to an NAR survey, 78% of people stated that neighborhood quality was more important to them than the size of the home.

Real estate agents can effectively showcase key neighborhood features online by utilizing professional images of the neighborhood. They can also include detailed descriptions of amenities, nearby attractions, and green spaces. These images and descriptions help prospective buyers visualize their future life in the neighborhood, which is especially crucial considering that the majority of homebuyers search for listings online before scheduling in-person showings.