Marketing real estate listings is more than just specs and data. Real estate agents may feel like they’ve already exhausted all opportunities to sell a home, but there are several compelling and creative real estate promotional tips to make the listings shine. In 2019, it’s not about throwing an MLS listing up and putting a sign in the yard. Its all about an interactive sales experience. We are exploring how to market a real estate listing in 2019.
1. Video is King
Agents wondering how to market a real estate listing need look no further. Video is by far and away the most important step an agent can take when marketing a listing. Why? The
NAR reported that 73% of homeowners are more likely to list with a real estate agent who provides video of their home. It’s a sure-fire way to generate more clients.
The trick is uploading the video twice, once on Facebook (through their video player) and once on youtube. This is because while youtube is great for widely sharing over the internet, Facebook algorithms boost content uploaded to their own, native player. In fact, videos viewed on Facebook using their native player get
10x more shares and
530% more comments!
Most online videos are viewed silently, on a mobile device. Listing videos are perfect for this format as they don’t require voiceovers and only need minimal text.
Bonus: Doing listing tours over Facebook live is another great resource. The
platform has doubled in broadcasts year-over-year since 2016 and it has climbed in search popularity by 330% since it’s launch.
2. Crowdsource Listings
Crowdsourcing is on the rise and many agents are jumping in the game. Why should a real estate agent do all the work of selling a home when social media users want to help? If an agent is already sharing their listing videos and photos on social media, this one is a no-brainer.
Simply tag the homeowners in the listing post on Facebook and Instagram. Their own social networks will help take care of the rest. By seeing a friend trying to sell their home, many users will share the listing on their own profiles. Its exposure for both the listing and the agent.
3. Strong Descriptions
With the majority of home buyers looking online for properties, it is very important to go above and beyond when writing MLS listing descriptions. This one may seem obvious, but descriptions are important. The NAR revealed that
85% of homebuyers found property descriptions to be one of the most important factors when searching online.
A few tips for creating fantastic descriptions include:
– Using search terms buyers are likely to use to find listings. Homebuyers don’t care how Zillow sorts their data, they are more likely to put precisely what they want into search engines. Words like “Cul-de-Sac,” “Lakefront,” “Ranch,” “Basketball,” “Inground Pool,” “Finished Basement,” “Bar,” and “Landscaping,” should be featured for appropriate listings.
-Avoid negative descriptions. While honesty is important, avoid words like “fixer-upper,” “outdated,” “TLC,” and “handy-man special.” Instead, use softer descriptions like, “Ready for a new owner to leave their mark.”
– Include as much information about the school districts, community amenities, and neighborhood as possible.
4. Professional Photography
The #1 thing that helps homebuyers in their online shopping experience is photos.
89% of home buyers found the photos to be very useful. But not all photos are created equal (
as seen by so many fails.) Hands down, an
industry-specific professional photographer should be the one taking the photos. Shots should be taken with a wide angle lens, at dusk if possible (if not, ask for sunset post-production presets), and should always be taken at landscape orientation.
Staging really goes hand-in-hand with great real estate photos. According to the National Association of Realtors, 77% of buyers’ agents said that staging a home made it easier for buyers to view the property as a future home. For staging in 2019, check out
this year’s staging guide which includes pops of color, touches of nature, soft neutrals, and minimalism.
5. Interactive Experiences
It’s no secret that virtual tours and drone videography have taken off over the past few years. I know *insert eye roll*, more money, but hear me out. Virtual tours aren’t just changing the way we look at listings, they are also a great tool for the ever-increasing number homebuyers moving to new states as well as millennial buyers. Realtor.com reported that listings with virtual tours got 87% more views.
But above all else, virtual tours and drone photography/videography are not for homebuyers, they are for home sellers. Using these forms of marketing not only motivate sellers to choose an agent, but they are also a great tool to attract other clients, too.
For more info on interactive media, check out how much agents should be paying for drone photography/videography and our virtual tour brand guide.
6. Single Property Websites
The tricky thing about MLS listings is that they don’t have enough space to hold all of the dynamic content for a listing. When thinking about how to market a real estate listing pulling it all together might be the trick. Photos, videos, virtual tours, open house info, listing descriptions, and neighborhood insights should all be housed in one easy-to-find spot. Brands like
Single Property Sites offer individual websites for listings with custom URLs (like
1122mainstreet.com). These sites are easy to share and hold every piece of media and information in one place.
Closing
Agents wondering how to market a real estate listing can get ahead by implementing video, using interactive media, strong descriptions, professional photography, crowdsourcing listings, and using single property/listing websites.
