Technology has drastically changed the way people buy and sell homes. And that is a fantastic development for Realtors® who are well-versed in digital marketing.
Print marketing – postcards, newspaper ads and the like are one-way forms of communication that do not allow for more sophisticated targeting. Furthermore, they're quickly out-of-date in a fast paced market. The most effective methods for getting your home sold employ digital marketing strategies.
Digital marketing allows for real-time, two-way communication with carefully targeted audiences, and the results are accessible in real time in order to optimize ads based on results.
The following are just a few strategies that get homes sold:
Professional Pictures
The single most important item is a great set of professional pictures. The internet is very visual and professional pictures make all the difference. The right angles, careful coloring and flattering angles make all the difference in the world in how your house is perceived by prospective buyers.
Great pictures capture the eye and show your house in the best light. Your house won’t sell if the pictures do not bring buyers to your door. I often target expired listings to sell their homes, and the issue I find most commonly is that their listing had terrible pictures.
Captivating pictures not only get buyers to the door to tour your home, but they help them fall in love with the house before they even get there.
Larger homes with nice property should also have aerial photos included. They give the house that regal look from above and show off the property. They’re a must for certain homes.
Video
Video is currently king on social media. The algorithms of social networks grant video incredible reach – both paid and organic, meaning that they are seen by far more eyeballs. Both video and live video are seen by a great number of users, and both should be employed for home selling.
Audience Research
The most outstanding product of internet usage is Big Data – the information gathered by internet usage is invaluable. It informs on various audiences, like the fact that the largest group of home buyers are millennials and the second largest are Baby Boomers. It informs where, when and how those groups access the internet and a host of other very valuable information that helps in targeting ads.
Audience Targeting
Using digital marketing, I can target ads to users by age, income, housing status (renters or home owners), geography, interests and more. I can target people who are most likely to buy a home, people who are in the market for their first home, Northerners considering relocation, military families who are most likely to be looking for a home near base and more. Out-of-state and international buyers are most likely to be cash buyers and they’re best reached by digital channels.
I can also retarget users who’ve visited a page on my website. Have you ever shopped for something online and then you see ads for it everywhere you look? It almost makes you feel like it’s fate for you to buy it, doesn’t it? Well, it’s just someone with my set of skills, and you are fated to buy it, because I’m working double time to make you feel that way.
Keywords
Keywords are useful across various platforms and websites. Besides the traditional search options, there are features some buyers are looking for and the use of keywords is the difference between home buyers finding your listing or not. Does the home offer storage for a boat? An in-law suite with separate entrance? Split floor plan? Guest house? Lake access? Items like these can be great incentives or even deal breakers, yet they aren’t included in the search features, so they must be included in the public description. Furthermore, even the placement in the description matters; when a reader is browsing, the most important items should be at the beginning.
Detailed Results Reports
The analytics available to digital marketers are invaluable in optimizing strategy. Digital marketers have access to detailed reports demonstrating which ads and posts are working, which are not and many other details that help to inform strategy.
Don’t Throw Out the Baby with the Bath Water
Just like the best healthcare combines the newest medical advancements with tried and true traditional wellness, the best real estate marketing strategy combines the best of the old with the best of the new. Networking with local Realtors, pricing strategically, getting the word out locally…all of these strategies and more are employed with the new in order to get your home sold fast and for the best possible price.
