A serious discussion about marketing your home for sale
Invariably, the number one question home seller’s ask me is the following: How will you bring me a buyer? Or better put, what kind of marketing will you do for my house? And as someone that sold a house before I was an agent, I can attest to this sentiment – I asked some of the same questions. I did carefully look at an agent’s experience, recent results, and general vibe, but I do recall thinking I could somehow be a part of the of marketing process and even went as far to make suggestions. You see, this was my first house, and I was selling due to unforeseen circumstance and really needed to get top dollar. I suggested the agent send postcards to nearby apartments, because they already like the area – maybe the renters would be soon to be buyers? Logical, but not practical. I asked if my agent was going to do open houses. He explained if we did not get an offer within 3 weeks, he’d consider it (as I now know, only 7% of buyers come from open houses – and I think that’s actually kind of high).
So let me respond to the question that you may be asking me: “Phillip, how will you market my house? And to which I respond: “I will present it professionally on the local MLS and fully represent you in the sale of your house.”
You don’t need me to tell you the Internet has, you know, kind of changed the way we consume media, buy and sell, and so on. While the Internet has not eliminated the real estate agent, it certainly has changed a portion of it’s role: marketing. Overwhelmingly, serious home buyers have real estate agents representing them – and those agents are connected to the MLS. And serious buyers have very specific searches and use online websites to segment their searches. Do you really think a postcard about a house for sale to an apartment complex is going to peak the interest of a buyer? Probably not. And even if it did, that person probably would be buyer much later down the road (maybe 6-12 months at best, once their lease expires). Do you think really think an advertisement in the local newspaper is going to sell your house? Probably not, and boy that is expensive. What about social media advertisements? Would a Facebook or Instagram advertisement grab the attention of a non-buyer and convert them into a NOW buyer? Probably not. The advertising and resources the large majority of real estate agents goes into promoting homes for sale in the wrong places, which is very expensive and very, very ineffective for the sale of your home. I will tell you who it does benefit: the agent. All of the newspaper advertisements, radio advertisements, and more is getting the agent’s name out there – not necessarily your house. Here’s where advertising in the right place, and how to advertise in the right place matters.
Yellow Pages for Real Estate Listings = Zillow.com, Realtor.com, Trulia.com
You know Yellow Pages are basically extinct (although I did receive on the other day – still amazes me that I got one)? It’s because consumers know if they want to find something – a local hair salon, a local plumber, or anything else – they go to Google, Yahoo!, or Bing. A large majority of home buyers are doing the same thing: they’re going to Zillow.com, Realtor.com, or Trulia.com. There are other sites that have popularity, but these are definitely the major ones. Access to information has changed the way people buy homes – a lot of the data available to anyone today was much harder to obtain 20 years ago. Again, the Internet has changed things. Listings in the local newspaper made sense – that was a convenient way to browse new homes for sale. Now you just go to one of these websites, which is largely inexpensive. So I think the big question should be: how can you effectively market your home on these websites? Let’s talk about maximizing your home for sale on these platforms, since we know that is where serious home buyers are.
There are several ways to present your home well, and that involves with getting your house ready for sale: decluttering, cleaning it, curb appeal, etc. Marketing an unprepared home is worthless – it’s like paying to take a test without studying it. You’re doomed to fail, and actually worse – your listing will be stagnant. Don’t make that mistake.
Assuming your house is ready to actually be shown, getting amazing photos and amazing video is important. If your house is vacant and you have the money, you could stage it if you deem it necessary. You could have a lively description and/or provide detailed insight into the property that makes it stand out from the others in your neighborhood. For example, maybe you are the original owner. That makes a difference to some people. Maybe you’ve you replaced the roof within the last couple of years. You get the idea.
Again, stop thinking about how to “market the property.” Focus on how to “present” the property. Perhaps it’s all in the same; however, I perceive it as a difference and that is why I approach selling homes differently. Having high-quality flyers as leave behinds for people viewing your homes isn’t a terrible idea – that’s physically reinforcing your property to them. Additionally, and it’s required in Virginia, but having a quality for sale sign is important, too. Occasionally, buyers will find your house by way of your sign.
Focusing on the "listing and presentation" -- much like an eBay or Airbnb listing -- is the "marketing" piece you need to execute -- not the advertisement side of things. Advertising platforms are here; just market well on these platforms.
So let me respond to the question that you may be asking me: “Phillip, how will you market my house? And to which I respond: “I will present it professionally on the local MLS and fully represent you in the sale of your house.”
You don’t need me to tell you the Internet has, you know, kind of changed the way we consume media, buy and sell, and so on. While the Internet has not eliminated the real estate agent, it certainly has changed a portion of it’s role: marketing. Overwhelmingly, serious home buyers have real estate agents representing them – and those agents are connected to the MLS. And serious buyers have very specific searches and use online websites to segment their searches. Do you really think a postcard about a house for sale to an apartment complex is going to peak the interest of a buyer? Probably not. And even if it did, that person probably would be buyer much later down the road (maybe 6-12 months at best, once their lease expires). Do you think really think an advertisement in the local newspaper is going to sell your house? Probably not, and boy that is expensive. What about social media advertisements? Would a Facebook or Instagram advertisement grab the attention of a non-buyer and convert them into a NOW buyer? Probably not. The advertising and resources the large majority of real estate agents goes into promoting homes for sale in the wrong places, which is very expensive and very, very ineffective for the sale of your home. I will tell you who it does benefit: the agent. All of the newspaper advertisements, radio advertisements, and more is getting the agent’s name out there – not necessarily your house. Here’s where advertising in the right place, and how to advertise in the right place matters.
Yellow Pages for Real Estate Listings = Zillow.com, Realtor.com, Trulia.com
You know Yellow Pages are basically extinct (although I did receive on the other day – still amazes me that I got one)? It’s because consumers know if they want to find something – a local hair salon, a local plumber, or anything else – they go to Google, Yahoo!, or Bing. A large majority of home buyers are doing the same thing: they’re going to Zillow.com, Realtor.com, or Trulia.com. There are other sites that have popularity, but these are definitely the major ones. Access to information has changed the way people buy homes – a lot of the data available to anyone today was much harder to obtain 20 years ago. Again, the Internet has changed things. Listings in the local newspaper made sense – that was a convenient way to browse new homes for sale. Now you just go to one of these websites, which is largely inexpensive. So I think the big question should be: how can you effectively market your home on these websites? Let’s talk about maximizing your home for sale on these platforms, since we know that is where serious home buyers are.
There are several ways to present your home well, and that involves with getting your house ready for sale: decluttering, cleaning it, curb appeal, etc. Marketing an unprepared home is worthless – it’s like paying to take a test without studying it. You’re doomed to fail, and actually worse – your listing will be stagnant. Don’t make that mistake.
Assuming your house is ready to actually be shown, getting amazing photos and amazing video is important. If your house is vacant and you have the money, you could stage it if you deem it necessary. You could have a lively description and/or provide detailed insight into the property that makes it stand out from the others in your neighborhood. For example, maybe you are the original owner. That makes a difference to some people. Maybe you’ve you replaced the roof within the last couple of years. You get the idea.
Again, stop thinking about how to “market the property.” Focus on how to “present” the property. Perhaps it’s all in the same; however, I perceive it as a difference and that is why I approach selling homes differently. Having high-quality flyers as leave behinds for people viewing your homes isn’t a terrible idea – that’s physically reinforcing your property to them. Additionally, and it’s required in Virginia, but having a quality for sale sign is important, too. Occasionally, buyers will find your house by way of your sign.
Focusing on the "listing and presentation" -- much like an eBay or Airbnb listing -- is the "marketing" piece you need to execute -- not the advertisement side of things. Advertising platforms are here; just market well on these platforms.