You’ve got a house to sell, and you’ve listed it.
Now what?
With so many homes on the market, how do you make sure your listing isn’t drowned out by all the noise?
It’s not an easy task to market your listing in a way that will get it noticed. Below are some relatively simple real estate listing tips for getting that listing noticed, and sold, faster.
Use good SEO practices
Search engine optimization is essential for getting your listing noticed online. You need to conduct thorough keyword research and choose the right keywords—or, phrases that very narrowly define your listing so that the niche audience you’re going for will find it in search results.
As a real estate agent, you’ll want to use keyword phrases between two to four words long that ideally include location terms such as the city, state, or neighborhood where your listing is located. Put yourself in the customer’s position, and figure out what they’re likely searching for. Then, work that keyword phrase into your listing and marketing materials.
Take excellent photos
If you really want your listing to be noticed, a mind-blowing photo of that backyard pool or huge gourmet kitchen is really going to get eyeballs. Get a good tree service to trim the trees it makes a difference.
So rather than snapping a few pictures with your mobile phone, get a decent camera and some artificial lighting to take professional-looking shots. Take some classes on shooting techniques if you have to. And if you don’t have the time to do all that, hire a professional.
Use your email list
Email is a great way to get your listing in front of potential clients, so take advantage of it.
Drop that listing in their inboxes with an eye-catching headline such as, “Just listed: ranch house in Bridgeville with hardwood floors, 2-car garage.” Embed those awesome photos you took into the email as well.
Share your listing on social media
I don’t have to tell you just how important social media is in marketing in today’s world. So why aren’t you doing it?
Maybe you aren’t really sure how. It’s daunting to figure out ways to cut through the clamor of social media in a meaningful way. But chances are, you already have a social media account set up—maybe it’s Facebook, maybe it’s Twitter—where you’re connected with a lot of friends and family, or even colleagues.
A quick, simple post letting people know your listing exists, as well as a plea for any tips on someone who may be in the market, can be an effective way of finding that elusive client.
Reach out to your personal network
Sometimes it’s best to get away from the computer and into the real world to market your listing.
The great thing about real estate is that everyone is a potential customer. Start with people you know. Meet friends or family for coffee and talk about your listing. Perhaps they know someone who is in the market.
Leave no stone unturned. The more people you contact about your listing, the more likely you are to eventually find someone with real interest in it.
Connections are absolutely vital in the real estate business, and the connections you make with this listing could lead to opportunities down the road as well.
Cold call and knock on doors
Cold calling is tough, but it can be an effective way to find new clients. Keep calling until you get someone with at least a passing interest, and offer to meet with them in person to talk about their needs. Give them a chance to tour the house.
Keep track of everyone you call on a spreadsheet so you can clearly see who you’ve already contacted, and who might be worth a follow-up call.
Reach out to past clients
By now you probably have plenty of past clients who happily purchased a home from you. They are an excellent source to connect with as they may know someone who’s in the market for a home and can puff you up as an excellent real estate agent to work with.
Host an open house
Someone out on a leisurely Sunday drive through the neighborhood sees the bright balloons and the “open house” signs, and says, “Why not?”
Open houses are a great way to get people who are from the area and in the market for a home to check out your listing. And there’s no better marketing than actually showing someone the inside of a house rather than just a few photos. It’s also a great way to build your network—even if they don’t want to buy this home, you’ve found someone who’s interested in buying a home.
Persevere
Making a sale in real estate is all about persistence. It’s cold calling and knocking on doors. It’s having hundreds of conversations with people who may never buy from you. It’s following up and following up and following up with that home buyer that doesn’t quite have the nerve to push ahead with such a big decision.
The difference between a successful real estate agent and someone just selling enough to get by has nothing to do with a magic formula and everything to do with their perseverance to get out there and do the hard, grinding work to make a sale happen, day after day.
But it gets easier: the more sales you make and the more relationships you forge, the less effort you’ll have to make to get your real estate listing seen in the future.
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