Now more than ever, it is important to make your home stand out virtually amongst competition. Buyers are beginning their home buying process online, therefore it is crucial to capture their interest early. As a home staging company, we see a variety of marketing techniques and the days are long gone of just sticking a “for sale” sign in the front yard. The home selling process is filled with high expectations, here is a list of 5 ways to market your listing and how to make the listing appeal to online homebuyers.
1. Use Multiple Listing Service (MLS)- When listing your home, it is important to use Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which is a real estate advertising service that places your listing in front of several different potential buyers. Multiple Listing Service access ensures that your home appears in all of the ‘go-to’ online websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and Trulia. Choosing ‘for sale by owner’ or using a free or discounted real estate listing service doesn’t always place your property on MLS. Hiring a realtor who has access to the MLS will advertise and place your listing in front of potential buyers to be able to locate your property and know it’s available.
2. Write a captivating home description- Draw in potential homebuyers by writing an intriguing description of your home. Narrate your home story to paint a picture of your house and neighborhood that buyers are piqued to see in person. Highlighting your homes’ best features can include the floorplan, architectural details, even updates like new kitchen appliances, renovations, a new roof, or features of the outdoor space. What characteristics of your home attracted you to it in the first place? Don’t forget to mention the neighborhood, local attractions, school districts, and unique community features.
3. Invest in professional photography- The first impression that many prospective home buyers have of a property is online through photos. Professional photography allows a prospective buyer to see the home, gain interest, and want to view in person. Photography should be considered an investment as it is likely that your first impression will be online, so make it a good one with professional photographs. According to the National Association of Realtors, 90% of home buyers searched online during their home buying process. Jaw-dropping listing photos should be high quality with good lighting and showcase the best features of the home. Make sure your home shows well online with quality real estate photography.
4. Post on Social media- Leverage social media as a marketing tool when selling your home. As a homeowner, you can share photos and a caption with friends, family, and neighbors to make them aware that your home is available. This audience is more personal, but a connection on your social media may be your next buyer and social networking allows friends to “share” your post to those interested. As a realtor, investor, or builder, you may have a following that enjoys your content and you can even do a sneak peek or coming soon before the home even hits the market. Social media allows you to generate interest, show your personality, grow an audience, and provide continuous content and advertisement—for free. Be sure you are using informative captions, specific hashtags, location tags, and beautiful imagery when promoting on social media.
5. Record a Video Tour- A real estate video tour can offer a high-quality marketing video for your listing. Have you ever looked at real estate photos and questioned adjacencies in a home? A video tour walks the potential buyer through the home and allows them to understand the floor plan and flow of the home. A virtual tour or walk-through of the home places the potential buyer “in” the space and allows them to move throughout. Videos can be used on websites and social media for marketing and you can even add captions, voiceovers, music, and contact information.
Use these tips to capture the online interest and showcase your home to potential buyers. One of them could be the tip that gets your home off the market!