Real Estate Marketing and Your Home...
How tight is the connection between real estate marketing and success in the timely sale of your home? In my experience, there is no room for separation between the two. As of today, September 23, 2010, there are 10,074 homes actively for sale in the Greater Louisville area's Multiple Listing Service. Of these, Jefferson County accounts for 6,289! How much of a role will real estate marketing play in getting your home the attention it deserves?
Now More Than Ever!
Not only do buyers today have one of the largest selections of homes to choose from, they are actually overwhelmed with choice. Sometimes to the point of being paralyzed with indecision! Home's are being deselected online and not given a chance simply by the information gathered through online marketing media. The 2009 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers states that 90% of buyers are using the internet to search for homes at some point during their home purchase process and 36% found the actual home they purchased through the internet. That 36% is the same percentage assigned to those who found the home they purchased through a REALTOR®. So...again...how tight is the connection between real estate marketing and success in the timely sale of your home? Hydrogen bond tight!
I've focused countless hours researching and selecting services to provide the best real estate marketing strategy available, and I will continue to do so for as long as I'm listing homes for sale. It's not about having the newest, trendy tools...it's about having the most effective, time-tested marketing methods. I am constantly networking with successful real estate agents across North America to ensure my listings are receiving the strongest strategy offered in our market!
At a minimum, a strong marketing plan must be focused around some high-quality basics. The spaces in your home must be strategically staged and represented by professional-grade, ‘full perspective' photography that captures the whole room as a buyer will experience it in person. That picture of a table and hanging light fixture hardly showcases your formal dining room, nor does the picture of a window, corner and a closet door serve any justice to that secondary bedroom. Let the buyers see you home as it is...not just to the limits of the camera. These are the basics...if the ball is dropped here, other marketing efforts will simply fall flat.
Beyond Marketing...Promoting my Listings
The marketing is in place and is set to impress all who come across your listing. Photos are online, the descriptive copy captures all of your home's finest details and the virtual tour provides a 24/7 showcase to imprint those details into the minds of sellers. We must now spread the word that your home is out there and ‘open for business'...and target those buyers interested in purchasing your home.
It starts with world-class distribution and syndication of your virtual tour. If there is a site showcasing homes...we need to be there. Your home will be enhanced on Realtor.com, allowing up to 25 photos vice the typical four allowed, as well as your virtual tour linked commanding an additional 40% in traffic. Video Flyers posted to YouTube will ensure that your home is highly searchable online on the top two most visited search engines. Your listing will be featured on social media sites such as Facebook and a full feature on the real estate specific social network of Active Rain.
We're Only Getting Started!
We have only touched on just a few facets of what I consider to be a strong, all-inclusive real estate marketing strategy. The marketing plan representing your home will have made all the difference at the conclusion of your listing period. Are you sold...or are you expired?
Be familiar with your competition and follow-up on the progress of your home's marketing. If you don't feel that your home's marketing surpasses that of every other home in your area, then you need to correct course. You cannot afford to lose months of time on the market...so get it fixed now!
If your future holds a possible move, I encourage you to contact me via e-mail, or at (502) 641-9802, and set aside 45 minutes of your time for a full listing consultation and introduction to a strong, effective real estate marketing strategy. Communication is paramount, so all questions and concerns will be addressed to your satisfaction. Don't forget to visit The Louisville Drop for additional topics relevant to Louisville's homeowners!
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