For most buyers, the first showing happens on a phone. A Windermere broker explains why the first few images and the listing story can change the final sale price.
Most home sellers in Orlando, Florida think of curb appeal as what buyers see when they pull up to the house. Bent Danholm says that moment comes later than most people realize.
“The first curb appeal is when they’re lying in bed at 11 p.m., looking at houses and scrolling,” says Danholm, broker and founder of Danholm Collection, a Central Florida brokerage specializing in luxury homes. In his new book, The Architecture of Demand, he describes this as the home’s digital first impression, and he says it is where many sellers lose buyers before a showing is ever requested.
The First Two Photos Do Most of the Work
Buyers browsing online move quickly. Danholm compares the habit to swiping through a dating app. If the first one or two images do not catch a buyer’s attention, that buyer never gets to the description, the floor plan, or the rest of the photos.
The most common mistake he sees is not choosing those lead images with care. Many listings open with whatever photo was uploaded first, rather than the image or video that best shows what living in the home would feel like.
Not All Online Listings Are the Same
Danholm points out that many sellers do not realize a home can appear in different ways on major search sites. On Zillow, for example, a standard listing simply pulls its photos and details from the MLS. An upgraded showcase listing, available through real estate professionals, gives the listing agent more control over the first images and video buyers see, while the written description still comes from the MLS.
“That’s where you tell the story,” Danholm says of those opening images. Where a platform offers an upgraded listing, he considers it a worthwhile part of the marketing budget because it lets the seller’s agent decide what buyers see first.
Tell a Story Instead of Repeating the Facts
The second mistake is in the listing description. Danholm says most descriptions repeat details buyers can already find elsewhere on the page: the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, the year the house was built, no HOA, etc.
“That’s all listed in the facts section,” he says. “You don’t need to repeat that in the description.”
Instead, he uses the description and photos together to show daily life in the home. That might mean the pool on a weekend afternoon, the feel of the neighborhood, or how the space works for a family. The aim is to help the right buyer picture themselves living there.
How Presentation Can Move the Price
Danholm describes every home as having a value range, the span of prices it could realistically sell for depending on how it is presented and who sees it.
He shares one example from a home near where he lives. The same owners had lived there for eight years, and the house was well maintained but a little tired. They expected it to sell for $1.45 million to $1.5 million, within a realistic range of roughly $1.375 million to $1.55 million.
His team built the photos and description around the buyer most likely to want the home, focusing on lifestyle rather than a list of features. The home received three offers within 24 hours and sold for $1.525 million, more than both the seller and Danholm expected. He believes a standard listing with basic photos and a facts-only description would likely have landed closer to $1.4 million.
Danholm is quick to say that results like this are not typical, and that reaching the top of a value range also depends on a seller being willing to turn down lower offers while waiting for the right one. Examples of how his team presents homes appear in The Collection.
What Sellers Can Do Before Listing
- Ask your agent which photo or video will lead the listing, and why.
- Find out whether your home will appear as a standard listing or an upgraded listing on major search sites.
- Read the draft description and cut anything that simply repeats the facts section.
- Make sure the opening images show how the home is lived in, not just its size.
About Danholm Collection
Danholm Collection is a luxury real estate brokerage based in Central Florida, specializing in properties above $1.5 million. Founded by Bent Danholm, author of The Architecture of Demand, the firm is known for its buyer-avatar-driven marketing and full concierge approach to luxury home sales.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. The views and opinions expressed herein reflect those of the individuals quoted and do not represent an endorsement of any company, product, or service mentioned. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making any investment decisions.
Disclosure: Individuals or companies mentioned may have a commercial relationship with KeyCrew.
