Marketing Your Home & Finding Qualified Buyers
Most agents stick to the standard marketing tactics: predictable listing descriptions, unremarkable social media posts, boring single-sided flyers; but I’m not most agents. I have always had a penchant for flair, an appetite for risk, and a desire to stand apart from the crowd in my business. That is why the thing I love most about real estate is marketing; getting to be creative, putting fresh spins on old tactics, and doing things out-of-the box to sell my listings. ‘Marketing’ is my secret sauce.
In real estate, to be creative is a virtue, to
be boring is a sin.
When someone sees a listing of mine, I want to hear “heck yeah” instead of “ho-hum.” So, everything I do with your home, including marketing, is to get this type of exciting reaction. Get this, and you will get Top Dollar!
“The most boring thing in the world? Silence.” – thank you, Justin Timberlake. This is especially true when marketing a home for sale, “Silence Is Not Golden!” Whatever an agent does, they cannot be silent! They must…speak, show, tell, entertain, mesmerize, and share.
There is a voice and vibe for everything including real estate. You must show how your home will improve people’s lives with benefits—not just features! Your home must be uniquely inspiring. The right marketing can not only get your home sold faster with a higher price, but it can also mean the difference between "sold" or "expired."
Selling The Benefits Of Your Home Is Key
In advertising and marketing, it is important to mention the benefits of each feature of your home. If you don't, your home is going to sound like every other home. What is the difference between features and benefits? What is the difference between features and benefits?
- Features tell buyers what your home has - they are aspects of your home that are noteworthy, which could be technical or descriptive.
- Benefits tell buyers why they should have it – they tell why the feature matters for your buyers and how that feature will make their life better.
Let’s look at an example:
Feature: Outdoor living space with kitchen
Benefit: Provides a sanctuary to get away from everyday work stressors and enjoy gatherings with family and friends.
Every Home Is Unique
My approach is to look at each home as the unique and valuable asset that it is to you and your prospective buyers; there is no other exactly like it. Whatever individuality you have created within your home, I will make it stand apart from your competition – market differentiation is key, and we are full circle back to maximizing the 20% that is unique and special – thanks again Dr. Pareto.
Every home is different, therefore, many factors come into play on how I market each property. I personally decide what to do based on: price, neighborhood, city, target buyer, target Realtor, style of home, size of home, and what the seller wants done. Keeping all these factors in mind, I create a unique, personalized marketing plan for your home.
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)
Since I am not specifically talking about one particular property here, rather general terms, I will list items I do for most of my clients, to give you an idea what should or could be done.
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Multiple Listing Service
Since most buyers use a Realtor, I will start here. Many new, part time, and discount agents, have a ‘cookie cutter’ template – sort of a ‘one size fits all’ approach. They put a sign in the yard, put a lockbox on the door, take a few pictures and drop the listing in MLS (Multiple Listing Service) - and then expect buyers, to make an offer. Then like magic “poof” a sale! However, there is much more that must be done to get your home maximum exposure to the most qualified buyers looking at your home. Sure, in a really ‘Hot’ market with low inventory, you will get an offer (if it’s cute and clean). But doing more, will expose your home to the right buyers that will pay you the most money!
Like all agents, I will put your listing in MLS—but with every detail! You would be shocked at how many things are wrong and important details left out of MLS, even by agents that have had their license for years. These are the kind of things that cause homes not to sell—much less selling it quick and at the highest price.
Here are some distinctions that I do for my clients in MLS, that are different from many agents:
- Your home will be priced on an even number, that we agree upon, to get you the greatest possible exposure. See explanation in Chapter 7 ‘Smart Pricing Gets Top Dollar.’
- I will ensure that the square footage and age of the home is correct. See example in Chapter 13 ‘Common Seller Mistakes’ to see how this can impact you if it is incorrect.
- I put much more than the basic information often found in the MLS. I will have all the details of your home listed: amenities, room details including size, features of each room, all interior features and exterior features, green features, HOA information, etc.
- Public and Realtor ‘remarks’ will be filled out completely, maximizing the 20% that is unique and special about your home.
- All documents available will be uploaded: remodel list and expenses; amenities and upgrades list; neighborhood amenities; surrounding area businesses, schools; survey and T-47 Residential Property Affidavit; Homeowners Association documents, Seller’s Disclosure; square footage verification, most recent appraisal; inspection report; floor plan; home brochure; utility bills; C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report; Title search results; agent offer instructions.
- Occupied or vacant, your home will be staged professionally to ensure that professional photos capture the very best look in each room of your home, and so buyers can visualize the purpose of each room.
- The maximum number of professional photos will be uploaded with a written description on each photo highlighting the benefits of each feature.
- Virtual tour videos, aerial or drone photos, and 3D Matterport tours will be uploaded.
- I change the list price frequently, up or down, by a small margin, as approved by you, the seller. Each time the price is changed, it triggers a notification to agents and buyers looking for a property like yours and re-energizes the listing in the market.
Target Marketing to Realtors
Being proactive in marketing to other Realtors is the real key to getting the most exposure on your home. Knowing the specific type of buyer for your home, as well as the Realtors® who work with those buyers, play a crucial role in the execution of many real estate sales. Asking a Buyer’s agent, who is already working with specific types of buyers, to come and look at the property before it hits the MLS, is something that comes with experience, networking, and relationships within the real estate community.
I have a reputation among Realtors for having “Top Notch” listings and they love to show them! First, because they are staged beautifully and priced right! I have hundreds of good friends in real estate that know I am fair and straightforward; that my staff and I are easy to work with; they always know what they can expect—no surprises. Therefore, agents seek out my listings, which create more showings, and in the end, I sell my listings quicker and always get top dollar! Make sure your agent has this type of reputation.
Below are some other pro-active marketing I do for all my listings:
- Reverse Prospecting is a feature in MLS, which allows me to see agents who are working with buyers that are searching for a property matching your home’s features. This is a strategy that is not available to anyone except a listing agent. This allows me to reach out to those agents directly and promote your home.
- Other agents who have, or did have, listings in the same neighborhood, will have a list of prospects they are working with that have looked at their listing, but for whatever reason the home did not work out for that buyer. I contact these agents and let them know your home might be a fit for their buyers
- Email, call, text, or deliver property brochures of your home to agents and offices.
- Set up a private search that updates me daily to let me know within the last 120 days who has or had a listing that is active, pending, expired, withdrawn, or sold in the neighborhood or surrounding area, so I can contact them about your property.
- Realtor Open Houses are a great way to get agents in to see your home. Provide lunch and door prizes…and they will come. Real estate agents love a free lunch!
- Attend networking meetings with agents, such as our local board of Realtors, Women’s Council of Realtors, Texas and National Association of Realtors, builder functions and community training classes for agents, numerous social media real estate groups and many other types of events where we exchange information about our listings.
- Promote your home on the numerous Facebook real estate groups for Realtors that I participate in frequently.
- Depending on your target buyer, I will promote your home to the Realtors that sell to this type of buyer. Example: If your property is a luxury home, I will target Realtors who are ‘Luxury Home Specialists.’ If your home is in a 55+ age community, I will target Realtors who are ‘Senior Real Estate Specialists.’
