Mastering Success: The Ultimate Real Estate Listing Marketing Plan
- Kevin Ma
- Feb 5, 2024
- 10 min read
February 4, 2024 @armkeysuccess
Selling a property involves much more than placing a sign in the yard and waiting. To ensure a successful sale, you need a comprehensive marketing plan that leverages various strategies. Here's your guide to crafting the ultimate real estate listing marketing plan:
1. Get to Know Your Listing: Uncover the Unique Selling Features
In the realm of real estate, it's not just about showcasing a property; it's about strategically unraveling its unique selling features to yield substantial returns for your client. Your listing marketing plan should kick off with a thorough exploration of these distinctive aspects, ranging from lifestyle and location to the property's history.
Lifestyle: Delve into the mindset of your target buyer. Identify what holds significance for them and where they choose to spend their leisure time.
Location: Highlight the property's proximity to key amenities such as transportation routes, highways, parks, schools, and shopping centers. Make the property's location shine by showcasing its best attributes.
History: Give the property a narrative by placing it within a broader historical context. For instance, if it has a rich history within a family, compile a photo book illustrating its evolution and contribute an article to the local newspaper, emphasizing its impact on the community. This narrative appeal can attract buyers who appreciate the historic charm and wish to continue the property's story.
Research the Neighborhood: Thoroughly investigate factors influencing a home's value, including zoning use, future city planning, easements, and water and mineral rights. Abide by fair housing rules while describing the neighborhood, providing potential buyers with an accurate and appealing picture of its finest features.
Set a Price: Pricing isn't merely a financial decision; it's a pivotal marketing strategy. Understand the impact of your pricing on generating interest. Explore various pricing strategies, such as:
Price Slightly Above Market: Align with the standard pricing model by positioning the home slightly above recent comparable sales, accounting for market appreciation.
Price Well Above Market: Ideal for long-term listings, allowing the market to catch up to expectations or sellers' motivations to evolve. Consider the appraisal aspect for financing considerations.
Price Below Market: Foster demand by pricing slightly below market value, potentially attracting multiple competitive offers. Aim for 1% to 2% below fair market value to make your property stand out.
By delving into these intricacies, you set the stage for a comprehensive listing marketing plan that not only presents the property but strategically positions it for success.
2. Prepare Your Listing for Sale: Elevate the Appeal with Strategic Steps
A well-prepared property is more likely to attract buyers. Address any necessary repairs or improvements to enhance the appeal of the home.
Touch-ups & Repairs: Be a valuable resource for your sellers by providing guidance on repairs or updates that can significantly enhance the property's value. If sellers are hesitant to proceed with changes, consider adjusting the pricing accordingly. For those willing to invest in improvements, offer a curated list of trusted contractors or go the extra mile by arranging a few complimentary hours with a reliable handyman. If you're committed to a full-service approach, efficiently coordinate the entire process, ensuring the work meets your high standards.
Staging: Even homes maintained with utmost care may benefit from decluttering, organization, and occasional updates. Assist sellers in navigating this process to ensure their property is primed for showcasing. If you possess a flair for design, go beyond by providing a complimentary staging consultation, or consider offering comprehensive staging services as an additional service.
Virtual Staging: For vacant homes, virtual staging emerges as a powerful tool to help potential buyers envision themselves in the space. This proves particularly effective for homes with outdated or less appealing furniture. Save costs compared to traditional staging by opting for virtual alternatives.
Our top recommendation for impeccable virtual staging is Apply Design. Boasting user-friendly drag-and-drop technology and delivering realistic results, Apply Design allows you to virtually stage any home at a cost as low as $10.50 per image. Elevate the visual allure of your listings with this innovative approach.
3. Create Captivating Visual Assets for Your Listing Marketing Plan
High-quality visuals are essential. Invest in professional photography and, if applicable, consider virtual tours or drone footage to showcase the property from unique perspectives.
Professional Photography: Elevate your property's appeal with stunning photographs – the cornerstone of your listing marketing strategy. Since property photos serve as buyers' initial impressions, prioritize excellence. If you lack proficient editing skills, consider hiring a professional or adhere to our DIY tips for optimal results. More is better; capture intricate details of custom homes, from upgraded door handles to charming flower gardens. If your MLS limits photo features, host additional images on an exclusive single property website or share enticing glimpses on social media.
3D Tours: Immerse potential buyers in a virtual walkthrough using 3D image technology, allowing them to explore each room and visualize the overall floor plan. This is especially beneficial for attracting out-of-town buyers. Explore Asteroom for exceptional interactive Do It Yourself 3D Tour Kit priced just above $100.
Video & Virtual Tours: Embrace the power of video tours beyond luxury listings. Create a simple walk-through video by asking a friend to help showcasing the property's features. Share it across your social media platforms to maximize visibility.
Aerial Photography & Video: Experience a new era in listing imagery with affordable high-resolution cameras and drones. Showcase proximity to parks or the allure of a golf course through captivating flyovers. Transform your listing marketing with these dynamic visual assets.
4. Create a Listing: Optimizing Your Listing for Success
Craft a Captivating Property Description: For agents less inclined toward writing, platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer copywriters for as little as $40 per hour. Elevate your listings with polished, professional property descriptions that not only inform but evoke emotion, impressing sellers and attracting a wider pool of potential buyers.
Detail Matters: Ensure a comprehensive listing by avoiding omissions of crucial details such as measurements, lot size, and inclusions. Prior to MLS posting, engage a trusted agent to review and refine the listing, addressing any oversights before it goes live.
Strategic MLS Enhancement: Beyond the customary MLS posting, consider these bonus tips:
Extend your listing to multiple MLSs, particularly beneficial for properties on the border of two MLS areas or outside major cities, aiming to attract metro area agents.
For properties with dual residential and commercial appeal, leverage national commercial MLS systems like LoopNet in conjunction with local residential MLS for broader exposure.
Factor in optimal timing for your MLS listing, tailoring it to market dynamics for maximum impact.
Syndication Efficiency: Maximize visibility by capitalizing on automatic syndication features of most MLS systems. Ensure your listings reach hundreds or thousands of websites, including Realtor.com, Zillow, and competitors’ sites. Adjust syndication preferences within your listing settings or take charge with platforms like ListHub if your MLS lacks syndication capabilities.
Create a Comprehensive Listing Book: Assemble all essential information into a comprehensive listing book to share with potential homebuyers. Include striking photos, disclosures, and receipts of recent upgrades. Strategically place these books at showings and open houses, particularly beneficial for unique properties or luxury homes, enhancing buyer engagement.
5. Strategic Open House Planning
Host engaging open house events to provide potential buyers with a firsthand look at the property. Create a welcoming atmosphere and be prepared to answer questions.
Schedule the Open House Date: A cornerstone of real estate marketing plans, open houses remain effective with proper planning. Ensure alignment with sellers' expectations and consider various types:
Traditional Open House: This classic approach involves strategic sign placements, balloons, snacks, and water—a passive yet tangible commitment to marketing the listing.
Virtual Open House: Even as the pandemic subsides, virtual open houses retain relevance. Promote them similarly to traditional events, leveraging live sessions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Zoom. Share snippets on social media to extend reach.
Open House by Appointment: Offer an exclusive experience by transitioning to scheduled private tours rather than a free-for-all. Allocate 15 to 20 minutes for each appointment within a three- to four-hour timeframe.
Business Development Opportunities: Beyond showcasing the property, open houses serve as valuable business development opportunities. Leverage technology like Curb Hero to capture visitor contact information efficiently, eliminating issues associated with paper sign-in sheets. Seamlessly integrate these contacts into your customer relationship manager (CRM) for a pipeline of promising leads.
6. Digital Marketing Strategies
Harness the power of digital platforms. Utilize professional real estate websites, social media, and online listings to reach a broader audience.
Craft Ads for Facebook & Instagram: Leverage the extensive user data collected by Facebook and Instagram to precisely target potential buyers. With generally reasonable ad costs, these platforms offer a pay-per-click model, allowing you to manage expenses and witness a favorable return on investment.
Create a Google Ad: Harness Google's user data to elevate your website and landing pages in potential buyers' searches. Lead generation websites like kvCore facilitates the capture of contact information for your listings, ensuring effective engagement with potential buyers.
Initiate a Remarketing Ad Campaign: Employ remarketing to remain top-of-mind with potential buyers. By utilizing pixels from Facebook or Google, capture the IP addresses of website visitors and track their interactions online. Remarketing, with a remarkable 1,046% efficiency rate, can be easily set up through Google with a specified budget.
Develop a Single-Property Website: Go beyond a conventional listing tool by creating a single-property website. This online hub compiles all marketing collateral, showcasing the property's unique features, history, virtual tour, 3D floor plan, additional photos, and neighborhood insights. Additionally, by adding a Facebook or Google pixel, you can gather visitors' IP addresses for future remarketing campaigns.
7. Traditional Media Marketing
Don't overlook traditional marketing channels. Consider TV advertising, Radio, flyers, and postcards to target potential buyers who may not be active online.
TV Advertising: Despite concerns about budget constraints, TV advertising can be surprisingly affordable for your real estate listing marketing plan. Consider running a 22-minute infomercial at a cost-effective rate on local stations and cable networks. Collaborate with fellow listing agents for a monthly listing show, showcasing your current inventory. Share the video on your website and across social media channels for extended reach.
Radio Promotion: In 2023, radio remains a relevant component of a listing marketing strategy, especially in rural markets. Radio shows in these areas often allow agents to call in and promote their listings for a modest fee. This approach is particularly effective for distinctive listings like waterfront homes, farms, and equestrian properties. Amplify your reach by sharing radio promotions on social media and your website.
Home Magazines: Contrary to expectations, home sale magazines continue to be a viable platform for advertising listings. While overall readership may have declined, rural areas with limited MLS coverage maintain strong readership. Platforms like Homes & Land offer both print and online versions, along with a buyer home search portal to capture valuable buyer leads.
Listing Flyers: Create visually appealing listing flyers incorporating beautiful photos, compelling property descriptions, and website links. Enhance buyer engagement by including multiple financing options, providing insight into down payment and mortgage possibilities. Utilize reputable providers like LabCoat Agents Marketing Center, Coffee & Contracts, and Agent Crate for impressive, on-brand flyer templates.
Newspaper Display Ads: Appeal to sellers by featuring their homes in newspaper display ads, a tangible and effective marketing tool. Target the right audience, as 84% of newspaper readers are homeowners, according to the National Newspaper Association. Collaborate with other listing agents to share ongoing display ad costs for prominent visibility. Explore smaller or specialty newspapers catering to specific demographics, regions, or neighborhoods for cost-effective alternatives.
8. Neighborhood Marketing Strategies
Target the local community with neighborhood-specific marketing. Showcase the property's connection to amenities, schools, and other attractions.
Eye-Catching Yard Signs: Your real estate sign serves as a crucial reflection of your brand. Opt for bright, clean, and branded signs to not only attract potential buyers passing by but also showcase your professionalism. A well-maintained sign enhances the overall appeal of the property.
QR Code Integration: Harness the resurgence of QR codes by incorporating them into your real estate signs and marketing materials. Direct buyers to your website, and if integrated with lead capture systems, QR codes can effortlessly gather buyer contact information, seamlessly adding them to your CRM.
Branded Directional Arrows: Despite the prevalence of online resources, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that 39% of buyers still rely on yard signs for information in their home search. Integrate directional arrows into your listing marketing plan to guide buyers from busy intersections to quiet neighborhood homes. This not only aids potential buyers but also reinforces your brand to other local homeowners.
Postcards & Door Hangers: Inform neighbors and contacts within your sphere of influence about your listing through postcard mailers. Capitalize on the potential interest of family members or friends looking to move into the neighborhood. Consider mailing 100 postcards or distributing 50 door hangers as a valuable component of your real estate listing marketing plan.
Door-to-Door Outreach: Take your marketing materials, including listing flyers, door hangers, and just-listed postcards, and personally distribute them door to door in the neighborhood. This hands-on approach demonstrates your commitment to selling their neighbor's home and serves as a friendly reminder for them to share the listing with their acquaintances.
9. Sphere of Influence Marketing - Elevate Your Listing Visibility Within Your Network
Promote in Your Office or with Your Team: Boost your listing's exposure by sharing it with fellow agents in your office or team. This not only provides an opportunity for your colleagues to sell the property and increase your brokerage's market share but also ensures a transaction with a professional and ethical agent, assuming a shared commitment to professionalism within the office.
Engage Local Agents: Expand your listing's reach effortlessly by reaching out to local real estate professionals who have recently closed deals in the neighborhood. Craft a personal and polite email inviting them to explore your listing, fostering collaboration within the real estate community.
Utilize Local Realtor Association: Participate in weekly marketing meetings organized by local Realtor associations, where agents showcase their new and upcoming listings. These meetings can be instrumental in closing deals and expanding your network, as personal experiences have shown, including a successful million-dollar sale facilitated by a three-minute association presentation.
Email Newsletter Campaign: Leverage your database of active buyers and investors by targeting those searching for homes in your listing's price range and area. An email newsletter is a powerful tool to engage your sphere of influence (SOI) and stay top of mind. This method allows you to reach out to past clients and potential buyers gathered from advertising efforts.
Social Media Promotion: Enhance your listing's visibility on various social media platforms:
Facebook: Post in local Facebook groups, agent groups, and utilize Facebook Messenger. Add the listing to Facebook Marketplace for broader exposure.
Pinterest: Utilize Pinterest's visual appeal to showcase professional listing photos. Set the destination link as a lead capture page to facilitate quick connections with motivated buyers.
Instagram: Leverage Instagram's focus on imagery to attract homebuyers and convey your commitment to effective real estate marketing.
TikTok: Embrace the growing popularity of TikTok for real estate marketing. Share short videos featuring unique listing features to reach a wide audience.
LinkedIn: Capitalize on LinkedIn's professional atmosphere to share valuable insights about your property, such as its history, potential usability, or income potential.
Choose two or more social media outlets that align naturally with your property, focusing your energy on making impactful promotions.
10. Update Owner Weekly
Keep the property owner informed with regular updates on the marketing efforts and any feedback received. Transparency builds trust and collaboration.
Crafting a successful real estate listing marketing plan involves a blend of modern techniques and timeless strategies. By incorporating these steps, you'll create a holistic approach that maximizes exposure, attracts potential buyers, and ultimately leads to a successful sale. Ready to elevate your real estate marketing game? Implement the ultimate listing marketing plan for unparalleled success.
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