For some reason, spring always gets me thinking about listings. It must be the warm weather and the fact that the busy season for real estate is just around the corner.
Marketing for real estate listings is something that you can develop a system for. You can make sure you always take certain steps to get the word out – Just Listed postcards, open houses, letting other Realtors® know about the property, and so on.
But I like to think outside the box too. So today, I’m sharing some creative ways to market your listings this spring.
Offer an Immersive Neighborhood Experience
Buyers looking at real estate listings often have a hard time imagining themselves living in a new community, and they may worry about what there is to do or whether they can fit in. One great way to set yourself apart and help the buyers see themselves in the new location is to offer an “Uber and Dinner” package to serious customers.
This just involves making a reservation at a local restaurant – the more unique, the better – and ordering an Uber to take the buyers to and from the dinner. Having a ride allows the customers the chance to notice things they might not see otherwise. And a nice dinner helps them relax.
Of course, this is a “Wow” experience that sets you and your sellers apart as you compete for the buyer. It will impress sellers that you think outside the box and help you win listings as well.
If you don’t like Uber and Dinner, you can offer a guided tour of the neighborhood or take advantage of any local, fun activities that would help the buyer feel like they’ve experienced the area in a new way.
Hold an Event Instead of an Open House
Open houses seem to be on their way out, for safety reasons as well as because they’re poorly attended. People prefer to look online at pictures and videos, view the house on their own time, and then make a buying decision.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t give you the opportunity to build buzz about your real estate listings, get more prospective buyers in, and create interest. So, try something new – hold an event instead of an open house.
You can choose and host the event yourself, or you can contact charities or organizations you know that are looking for a space to hold a fundraiser or public activity. Work with your homeowners to see what they’re most comfortable with – maybe they’d prefer a backyard affair with tours available, for instance, rather than an indoor event.
Inviting people from the neighborhood is a good start, and then you’ll want to let other Realtors® know about it. Realtors® will be a lot more likely to bring buyers over if there’s something fun going on, so your event will attract a lot of attention!
Hold a Virtual Open House on Facebook
Facebook allows you to host events online. You can invite people you know, or even target people using Facebook’s demographic and psychographic tools.
Facebook has an excellent guide for creating and managing events on their platform. Also, consider these ideas:
- Use Facebook Live to do a virtual home tour. Because it’s live, people can ask questions and you can answer them in real time. You can highlight areas that people ask about and share specific features. Best of all, when you’re done, the video will be available to others who visit your event page.
- Invite the friends and family of your sellers, and ask them to invite people they know. You can get a big organic reach by starting with who you know and moving outward from there.
- Use Facebook ads to reach those who live in the area, are in the target demographic, and/or are likely to move soon. It’s amazing how specific you can be when you use Facebook for targeting. Don’t miss the opportunity to bring in a very specific audience!
A virtual open house saves you and your sellers time and money. It secures your safety and the security of the home. It also shows that you’re savvy with technology, which can help you win a listing from an uncertain seller. Win-win-win!
These three ideas are just the surface of what you can do to be creative in your marketing. Of course, you should do the things you already know work – postcards and flyers, featuring the property on your website, networking, and more. These new ideas just add to your arsenal!
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