No matter how wonderful your home is, it often takes a few added touches to get it sold. Even if that “For Sale” sign in the yard attracts an immediate buyer, you’ll benefit from having a number of qualified buyers interested in your property. The more interest generated, the more likely you will get a closing price that meets or exceeds the listed amount. Attracting qualified buyers means a solid real estate marketing plan. This strategy involves a lot of working parts, each utilizing a specific set of skills from your agents at The Wall Team Realty Associates.

 

One of the most important aspects of a marketing plan in nearly all markets is building anticipation. Particularly in coveted neighborhoods, eagle-eyed buyers will be watching and waiting for a home to hit the market. Part of this excitement comes from listing your property as a pocket listing, or Coming Soon. A listing that is coming to the market often will have little or no prep at the point of signing the listing agreement. Sometimes there won’t be any photos and limited details on the property. This anticipation helps drum up the enthusiasm that will hopefully bring in a number of qualified buyers. The right agent will have a plethora of contacts to start marketing your property before it hits the market.

 

It used to be enough to have a home advertised in print media to attract buyers. Home listings were compiled in the local market and sent in monthly guides with a weekend newspaper edition, giving prospective buyers the MLS listings to peruse.

Today’s real estate market is vastly different, with a multitude of options for real estate exposure. Social media has certainly been a driving force in this change of direction, as most potential buyers will begin their home search by going online. And basic internet searches will only be good for so much. Sellers are finding enormous success when they have an agent who recognizes the valuable marketing tool known as social media.

A savvy real estate marketing plan will include multiple social media platforms. From more traditional social media like Facebook to platforms trending with younger buyers like Instagram and TikTok, real estate agents stay current with services to reach multiple generations of buyers and the ability to appeal to them from various angles.

Studies show that the vast majority of people in the United States under 49 are on at least one social media site, with a solid number of this demographic utilizing multiple platforms. A real estate marketing plan will involve advertising across many platforms so that a greater number of qualified buyers can be reached.

Photos and videos can be posted along with pertinent home and neighborhood data to assist buyers and their agents in narrowing their searches. But another marketing strategy needs to be implemented to get these homes looking their absolute best online.

 

The first impression many buyers will have of your listed property is from the photos posted online. In the past, homes were listed in print with perhaps only one photo of the exterior. In today’s real estate world, hundreds of photos are taken, only to be culled to include the best ones. This commonly results in a dozen or more shots of the home's interior and exterior, showing off its best features while giving potential buyers a clear picture of what your home offers. Often times the photos tell a story, guiding the viewer from room to room creating a flow throughout the home.

Though you can certainly take photos yourself, your agent will likely recommend one of several professional real estate photographers for this task. They have the necessary equipment and experience for the job, as photographing real estate is much more challenging than some other subjects. More importantly, they have the skills to capture your home by using the proper lighting, angles, and more to make it look its best on camera. Additionally, a qualified photographer will have an eye for staging and decluttering, which will make the photos pop to potential buyers.

The photographer will take a number of shots from various angles, going from room to room to capture the entire essence of your home. After the shots are completed, they will spend a painstaking amount of time selecting the right ones and carefully editing them. Your selling agent will be given access to them, and they will be loaded to the online listing.

 

A real estate marketing plan can sometimes include a visual component more than just photos. While photos can offer a great glance at what your home looks and feels like, there’s nothing like a full video tour to complete the picture. This is where the skills of a professional real estate videographer will come in handy.

Videography is important because it allows a potential buyer to see the flow of your home that pictures alone cannot capture. As many buyers looking to relocate will buy a home sight unseen, these videos will allow them to get the best look possible without needing to travel across the country to view it before making an offer.

 

Lastly, the marketing strategy will likely include one, if not many, open houses. Though an older marketing technique, selling agents find that allowing prospective buyers to view a home without the hassle of an appointment is a great way to attract interested individuals and buyer’s agents. This also shows prospective buyers that there are many interested parties, and to come with their strongest offer sooner than later.

Buyer’s agents will routinely tour open houses to become as familiar as possible with the available housing stock in their market. This helps them help their clients, who might be steered to your listed home if it meets their client’s criteria. Savvy sellers will typically opt to schedule several open houses, for both agents and prospective buyers, prior to entertaining any offers. Your agent will help you decide if its better to strike early or hold out for more/stronger offers. This finesse is reserved for the most experienced and prepared real estate agents, who readily know trends in their market. This is yet another reason why partnering with the right agent can make or break a transaction.

Homes are often staged for open houses by professional home stagers. Then, the event itself is marketed by the real estate agent by tapping into their massive email lists, word-of-mouth to other agents, and advertising the event on various social media platforms.

 

The quality of your real estate agent can be measured in part by the formulation of their marketing plan. As selling any home is a decision that needs to be carefully considered and strategized, you will greatly benefit from the skills and dedication of a real estate professional. If you want to list your home for sale, Wall Team Realty Associates can help. Our team has a proven track record of successfully representing both buyers and sellers in various economic markets and will bring their expertise and negotiating strategies to the table to get you the best deal possible. Contact the team today to get started!