Attention-Getting Homes

This real estate team knows what makes a home appealing

BY MARIE SEBASTIAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLGER OBENAUS

Matt O’Neill has a gift for seeing beauty in every home—and making sure potential buyers see that beauty as well. As president of Matt O’Neill Real Estate in Mount Pleasant, he and his team have found success in the market, breaking records for selling the most expensive homes in neighborhoods throughout Charleston County. O’Neill says his recipe for selling is simple: It’s a matter of making each house look as marketable as possible.

“We sell homes in an average of just two months,” he says. “Furthermore, we often sell homes for up to 18 percent more than other homes in the neighborhood.”

“More money in less time” is a goal O’Neill and his team achieve through a carefully crafted approach for making each home look as beautiful as possible. The process begins with decorating the house, inside and out. This might mean anything from planting flowers in the yard for curb appeal to painting interior walls in attractive hues. According to O’Neill, it’s a simple art of decorating in the same shades that people are most drawn to.

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“If Architectural Digest’s pictures are making people drool, we want the house to look like that,” he comments.

The budget for improving each home is not large, but the O’Neill Real Estate team knows how to transform them with the help of low-cost tricks. First impressions go a long way.

“Avoid rusty door handles or weeds in the flower beds,” O’Neill explains. “Go out and buy a $40 door set.”

After the house looks its best, the team brings in a slew of photographers who will capture that look. We aren’t talking about a simple smartphone photo here. Several photographers come to take indoor, outdoor, aerial and twilight shots.

Professional videos, too, ensure that buyers can picture themselves in a home. “In the future, we hope to produce more lifestyle videos,” says O’Neill, “showing people cooking a meal in the kitchen and drinking sweet tea on the back porch.”

Once the home has been staged and photographed, O’Neill’s team disseminates the photos along with related information to places where potential buyers are likely to be searching. A professional real estate writer makes the home sound appealing and makes sure photos sparkle, not only on computer screens but also on mobile devices.

What’s next for the Matt O’Neill Real Estate team? O’Neill hopes to continue growing. In the last 10 years, he has expanded the company to include 10 agents and two full-time marketing representatives.

“It’s our attention to detail that makes your home sell before the neighbor’s,” he says.

Reach Matt O’Neill Real Estate by calling 843-619-0401 or visiting the company’s website at MattONeillRealEstate.com.

Marie Sebastian is a freelance writer based in Charleston.

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