Even as more sellers rush to list their homes before the current seller's market dissipates, supply remains low enough to keep prices high for now. This may be the last chance to sell before prices inevitably recede. But how can realtors ensure their listings start selling faster than the rest? If you are a realtor that needs to sell a house fast, this guide outlines easy creative strategies that can help you with the property. Real estate professionals in search of truly unique strategies, however, should involve the local community while using true stories to market the lifestyle associated with a particular home. These tactics boast their own merits, and none should be considered mutually exclusive.
It's worth considering each to develop a comprehensive strategy to sell your house quickly and efficiently.
Make Clever Use of Social Media
Just about every industry must incorporate social media to compete in today's market, and real estate is no exception. Utilizing the four big platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) enhances visibility beyond what realtors would gain from only listing their properties on real estate sites alone.
Bear in mind, however, that users browse each of these sites for various purposes. For instance, users typically browse Twitter or Instagram for short posts or photos, respectively. Any video longer than 30-45 seconds likely won't hold their attention. Well-lit, wide-angled photos will fare much better on these platforms.
If opting for videos, try to keep them at 2-3 minutes or less, even on video-sharing platforms like YouTube. More importantly, consider adding a touch of creativity. Rather than just showing off the home itself, take advantage of the latest memes or dance trends to create a video that will entertain as well as advertise.
Factor Local Attractions into Marketing
Advertising the property itself only fights half the battle. Buyers also want to know more about the surrounding area. To this end, realtors should incorporate local attractions or popular businesses into their marketing campaigns. The ways to do this vary endlessly, but try using these ideas as a springboard:
- Feature food from popular local eateries at the open house.
- Make social media posts on the best places to shop within a 10-block radius.
- Promote family-friendly or pet-friendly businesses in the area.
- Partner with lawncare services, pest control experts, or interior designers.
This last bullet point raises an important benefit of this particular strategy. By partnering with other businesses, realtors can utilize clever social media even if they lack influencer know-how of their own. Focus primarily on business with social media followings in the thousands and arrange a quid pro quo partnership in which each party assists in marketing one another.
Remember People Love a Good Story
Good marketing should always cater to the aspirations of the consumer. Any realtor can show off a spacious kitchen or an outdoor swimming pool, but true salesmanship will take this a step further by telling grounded stories about the memories a prospective homeowner might create in their new space.
Take pre-existing memories into account as well. Did the house look different when first built? Does the local historical society have the original blueprints on file? Can the sellers provide pictures of the house prior to any renovations the home's undergone? Any interesting facts about the local area itself will also lend to the feeling that buyers are purchasing a home with a history.
Such stories might be shared in a prosaic Facebook post or an interesting YouTube video. Dealing with buyers in person, however, may require a bit of cold reading. The original owners' more family-oriented memories might not land as well with a divorced buyer who lacks custody rights, or a young couple with no plans of having kids.
Show Buyers the Space is Flexible
Thanks in part to the rise in housing values, most home buyers value flexible space over sheer square footage. When staging the home, consider staging at least one room to demonstrate multipurpose functionality. It might be a bedroom with space for a home office or a study that doubles as a workout room.
Exercise caution with this. Just because the seller has enough space for a creepy doll workshop doesn't mean buyers want to see it, nor will buyers be sold on the plausibility of a trampoline room. One realtor infamously failed to sell a house in a great neighborhood because she made the mistake of advertising the seller's 50 Shades-style dungeons. That last listing shows that any of these tactics can fail when done poorly. The house went viral on social media, and the pictures certainly told a story. The realtor took two dozen wonderfully professional photographs of a beautiful home. Nonetheless, one poor decision tanked the entire sale. Show that the space is flexible, but keep things down to earth.
Involve Neighbors in the Buyer Search
One main issue with the failed listing above was the flak the listing received from neighbors. If the neighbors don't want the house to sell, they may interfere. On the other hand, making allies with the locals can greatly improve a property's marketing. Some realtors achieve this by making postcards that show off a property and mailing them to the neighbors. The hope is that the neighbors will then tell their friends or coworkers about the new property up for sale. Mail the cards to enough people, and they're bound to make it into the hands of someone who knows a person currently looking for a house.
To help ensure these cards don't get thrown out with the junk mail, try including something unique on the back. Ideas include:
- Recipes to make in the kitchen.
- Hot shows to stream in the living area.
- Upcoming local events to enjoy.
- Games to play in the spacious backyard.
- Unrelated puzzles or trivia, just to grab people's attention.
Summary
Realtors looking to sell real estate fast will rarely go wrong by thinking outside the box. Using clever media, relatable stories and strong local connections will make it easier to get those listings off the market while sellers still control the pricing. Just avoid inappropriate rookie mistakes, and you'll find eager buyers in no time!
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