The face of anything and everything matters. It's the first thing we probably take note of when meeting another human being. The same applies to the exterior 'look' of a property and just how much this matters in the real estate sphere.

“To me, the facade of a building is like the first sentence of a novel — it sets the tone, the mood, and hints at what’s to come,” - architect Alexis Dornier

The facade of any building matters in real estate, lots. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some consider a glass box the epitome of style, while others may see a shingle covered classic as the epitome of architectural noteworthiness. An architect recently told me the most certain way to prevent a building from aging and looking 'out-of-date' is to use local materials, or those associated with the area, even if used in an untraditional style.

Materiality, color, scale, etc., all count. Sometimes a simple coat of paint can make all the difference. It's part of the 'drive-up-appeal' effect. Certain materials (like limestone), are associated with very expensive real estate. As the marketers of real estate, we often tend to focus all our efforts on the interiors, and yes, they certainly are extremely important as few people spend their lives outside staring at their home. But we should never underestimate the power of first impressions, and a little effort can go a long way. A rather hideous building in Chicago with zero architectural merit was recently stripped of its facade and a new, sleek glass curtain wall was installed: now it commands premium rents and is fully leased.

Cosmetic enhancements have fueled celebrity careers: the same can be achieved with properties!