This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Along the Sound

Those important first impressions and eye-catching moments

20 Seconds for Love at First Sight

First impressions seem to matter most when it comes to dating, job interviews...and real estate listings, Sanette Tanaka reported on the Wall Street Journal website yesterday.

Researchers tracking the eye movements of subjects who looked at online home listings found that more than 95 percent of users viewed the first photo -- the one that showed the exterior of the house -- for a total of 20 seconds.

After that, their eyes tended to flit all over the screen, according to Michael Seiler, founder and director of the Institute for Behavioral and Experimental Real Estate at Old Dominion University at Norfolk, Va.

"Without an eye-catching photo, the battle is lost before it begins," Prof. Seiler said. 

"You have to grab people's attention within two seconds.  Do it the way a billboard does."

For more on Tanaka's report: http://www.trulia.com/blog/ken_allen/2013/03/the_allen_report_20_seconds_for_love_at_first_sight

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?