Today I want to share some of my favorite “secret” home-sale marketing techniques with you – but only if your promise not to use them against me if you decide to sell a home in my neighborhood.
As it stands now, when I remodel a home and put it on the market to sell – that home stands out and is seen by more people than any other home around.
No, it’s not magic.
It’s creative proactive marketing and it’s above and beyond what most real estate agents will ever do.
However, if you are serious about taking control of your destiny and not just “waiting” for a buyer to come to you then this article is for you.
If you’ve ever used a real estate agent to sell a home, you know that they have a number of important jobs. They:
- list the home
- put the sign in the yard
- show your property to prospective buyers
- market to the best of their ability
- and handle all the paperwork.
I am a big fan of using a skillful real estate agent to sell properties and selfishly, I want them to devote all their time to selling my property – but the simply fact is: my agent has other listings. My property is probably not my agent’s number one priority and it would make no financial sense for him or her to devote all their time to selling just my stuff.
Furthermore, my listings are a small fish in a big pond. While the market might be different where you live, the competition is fierce around my town due to the vast number of homes on the market and the very few buyers who can purchase. My most recent home listed just two weeks ago is one of hundreds within the community and is easily lost in the “pond” of the MLS. While I have done my part in making sure it looked the best and was priced to sell – it still is just one in a vast sea of homes.
Therefore, I have begun using several unconventional methods to make my home stand out above the competition. There are numerous “out of the box” techniques that can be used to sell a property but most agents simply stick to the list I’ve given above (and I don’t blame them – these techniques would be very difficult to scale for a big agent with lower-priced homes.) By using creative techniques to sell my homes I am aiming to put my property in front of as many eyes as possible and bring in a quick sale.
So, without further suspense, I give you:
Three Marketing Ideas Your Real Estate Agent Probably Won’t Do (But You Can…)
1.) Dedicated Website
Beautiful websites serve the same purpose as incredible curb appeal: because first impressions matter. (Click here to Tweet this quote!)
When I say “dedicated website” I’m referring to a web address specifically designed for the property. Most agents will list the home on the MLS and perhaps even on their company website but few agents have the ability or desire to create a specific website just for your property (such as www.12345ElmStreet.com – not a real site). While I’ve seen this technique used a few times over the years (especially with higher end listings) – honestly: the design generally sucks.
Most real estate agents are not designers and the websites usually look like they came out the internet circa 1997. However, incredibly good looking websites today are easy (and fast) to make and publish without using any code at all. I’m not saying the website needs to be designed by a graphic artist – but basic a basic aesthetic appearance shows you buyer you are offering a quality product.
Check out an example by visiting the most recent website I created for my recent listing: www.752WMarcy.com. Total cost of this website was under $100.00 for an entire year and that included $125 worth of online advertising, which brings me to my next marketing idea.
2.) Facebook Advertising
I’m going to make a guess and say that you probably have a Facebook page; as do I, my business, your business (you better!), your neighbor, your family, and the guy who is going to buy your next house. So why not target that guy using the same social media? You can even send him directly to the dedicated website you created from above!
I’ve written extensively on Facebook ads before (check out this article to read more) and the world of Facebook ads have gotten even better since Facebook’s decision to allow users to “promote” their status’ for as little as $7.00.
Facebook ads allow you to target individuals who live in a specific geographic location – which in turn allows you to create ads that target and mention those locations specifically. These type of ads are clicked on much more often due to the “local” feel that ad has. For example, here is the most recent ad I used to market a recent home:
I used this ad to target individuals who lived only in the city of Aberdeen, WA between the ages of 24 and higher who want to move from the city (higher crime, drugs, and rough living) to the nicer suburb town of Montesano. I also included the price (to minimize the number of people clicking just to find out the price) as well as a specific call-to-action. Total cost: $.35 per click and 42 clicks in four days = about $15.00 (so far). However, when I signed up for my hosting plan I received $75 in Google ads and $50 in Facebook ads – so I’m still below that number!
3.) Staging
You’ve all heard of “staging” before and probably have seen amazing pictures on television shows like Flip That House or websites like “123Flip.com” so I don’t need to belabor the point. However, staging is incredibly important for making your home stand out above others in a crowded market but unless your home is selling at the top of the market don’t expect your real estate agent to offer any staging help.
If you don’t have staging furniture of your own or don’t sell enough property to make it a worthwhile investment, consider renting furniture from a “rent to own” furniture company like Aarons or Colortyme. I recently rented the furniture set in the photo below for just $110 per month – which included delivery and pickup when the home sells.
Final Thoughts
While those aren’t the only marketing strategies I’ve been experimenting with lately, they are some of my favorite techniques that utilize both classic and modern methods of marketing to allow your home to be seen by the highest number of people possible. The more people who are exposed to your home, the greater the chance you have of selling. Marketing is not an exact science, but rather a fluid art that changes with each experiment – so play around with these techniques and let me know how they work for you!
Now it’s your turn! What are your favorite methods to market your properties? Do you do anything extra or just let the real estate agent take care of it all? Let me know below in a comment!
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