8 June 2023

SUNSETS & SUCCESS: THE KEY TO THE BERNARDI GROUP’S SIGNATURE LISTINGS

We recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat about real estate marketing with The Bernardi Group’s listing manager Stephanie Borge. She’s part of a dynamic team that delivers effective property marketing through their enterprising service, Stephanie shared with us her insights on property listings and the guiding principles that have contributed to the agency's phenomenal success.

One of the most important things a property listing can do is make a lasting impression, and the Bernardi Group has a knack for doing just that.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, and belonging to the prestigious and exclusive Coldwell Banker Society of Excellence (it’s awarded to less than 1% of agents worldwide!), the Bernardi Group is at the top of its game.

Their listing manager Stephanie Borge says the company has become known for harnessing the region’s quintessential sunset skies as the perfect backdrop for their listing photos.

“If you see a [dusk] photo anywhere online in the Boulder community, you can almost guarantee it’s a Karen Bernardi listing,” she said.

“It’s something that happened naturally – we saw how much interest they got, and we just slowly moved into using them as our signature.”

While 50-60 percent of the Bernardi Group’s sunset photos are natural, Stephanie says she loves having our Day to Dusk edit to fall back on when things don’t go to plan.

“As much as we wish we could always get a perfect sunset, that doesn’t necessarily happen,” she said.

“If you didn’t work in our office, you wouldn’t be able to tell which one was a BoxBrownie.com sunset and which was a real one.”

Stephanie frequently uses our Day to Dusk edit to capture attention in an instant and mimic the beauty of Colorado’s sunset skies.

The Bernardi Difference

Not only are their listings top-notch, but the Bernardi Group has a unique way of guiding their clients through a real estate transaction that has proven to work time and time again.  

Normally, one agent would oversee a project, right from the initial consultation with the client all the way through to when the final contracts are signed.  

But the Bernardi Group decided to shake things up – they rely on the strength of their team and have multiple specialists that oversee each step in the selling process.  

This structure allows each team member to deepen their skills and experience and become experts in their space. 

As the listing manager, Stephanie’s day-to-day involves gathering the content for the property listings of every client they win. 

Spending every working hour creating real estate listings means that Stephanie has an in-depth knowledge of listings and what it takes to create a successful one. 

“I’ve used other editing companies in the past, and I’ve always come back to BoxBrownie.com,” she said.  

“I’ve never found a superior company, not only with the product but with the customer service too.” 

Quality Is Key 

Stephanie doesn’t understate the importance of having amazing photos, not only in their listings but across the Bernardi Group’s entire branding and marketing strategy.  

“As far as marketing goes, top-notch photography is always one of the biggest selling points,” she said.  

Through a combination of displaying their imagery online, sending out emails, flyers, and postcards, and finally, posting on social media, it’s no surprise the company managed to sell more than half a billion dollars of real estate in three years. 

This “triple threat approach to marketing” means that house hunters are constantly getting hit with the images, which Stephanie says is crucial for today’s real estate market.  

“Eighteen months ago, we were in a much different market,” she said.  

“We were in a sellers’ market, and they got to call all of the shots.” 

“[Today] we’re in a different market - the playing field is much more even when it comes to buyers and sellers.” 

Because of this, Stephanie says the focus should be on creating the perfect listing by utilizing all the tools available, which should take precedence over “just getting to market quickly”. 

“We really focus on making sure that first impression is 100 percent perfect every time,” she said.  

It’s quality over quantity mindset, which Stephanie says is making a “night and day difference in this market”.  

Most people would overlook the finer details when taking photos for a property listing. But the Bernardi Group takes the time to make sure every single one is perfect, as seen with this Item Removal edit.

Here are some quick tips from Stephanie to help anyone take their listings to the next level:

1. Make sure the first image is perfect – buyers will notice this and want to see more. You should be prioritizing the quality of your imagery over just getting to market fast.  
2. Staging is key – if you’re an agent, take a staging class so you can provide recommendations to your sellers about how they should be presenting their homes. 
3. HDR photography is a must – the outdoor view from a home can be a huge selling point. Make sure you are capturing both the interior and exterior details in the listing photos with HDR photography and editing. 

Setting The Stage 

Stephanie knows what to do to get every listing up to the Bernardi Group’s high standard, and one of her non-negotiables is staging.  

Every property sold by the Bernardi Group undergoes meticulous staging. Everything is considered, right down to what photos are hanging on the walls and getting the right amount of knick-knacks to make the home feel welcoming but not cluttered.  

Stephanie says this sets them apart from other realtors.  

“Nine times out of ten, the seller is going to need help with getting the home ready for market...And it really makes a huge difference,” she said.  

Stephanie also points out how our Item Removal edit came in handy when the Bernardi Group had to list a property that was filled with equipment from the seller’s home business.  

There was just no realistic way for the client to remove all the items before taking the photos, so Stephanie enlisted the help of our expert editors.  

“A messy photo can be a huge deterrent for buyers,” she said.  

“We were able to utilize BoxBrownie.com to give buyers a much more complete idea of what the empty space would look like.” 

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