If there was ever an industry that depended heavily on visibility, it’s real estate. Visibility is crucial because it directly impacts your ability to attract buyers and sellers, generate leads, and ultimately close deals. In real estate, the competition is fierce, and getting your listings noticed is absolutely crucial. After all, it’s the lifeline of your business.
In an era where digital platforms play a significant role in real estate, maintaining a robust online presence is more important than ever. Most buyers start their home search online, and having high visibility on these platforms can make a substantial difference in attracting potential clients. This includes optimizing your website, utilizing social media effectively, running ads and ensuring your listings appear in relevant online searches.
Why Visibility Matters
Firstly, visibility ensures that your listings are seen by the right audience. Potential buyers need to be aware of available properties, and sellers need to see that you can effectively market their homes. Without visibility, even the most attractive listings can go unnoticed, resulting in missed opportunities and extended time on the market.
Secondly, visibility builds your brand as a real estate agent. Consistent and widespread exposure helps establish your reputation and authority in the market. When people frequently encounter your name, face, and listings, they start to recognize you as a prominent and reliable figure in the industry. This recognition can lead to increased trust and a higher likelihood of being chosen over competitors.
Visibility drives engagement. The more people see your listings and marketing efforts, the more inquiries and showings you are likely to receive. Increased engagement often translates to more offers and better deals, benefiting both you and your clients. Effective visibility strategies can include online advertising, social media presence, email marketing, and local community involvement.
Ultimately, visibility in real estate is not just about being seen; it’s about being seen by the right people at the right time. It’s about creating a strong, recognizable brand and maintaining an active presence in the market. By prioritizing visibility, you can enhance your business growth, improve client satisfaction, and achieve greater success in the competitive world of real estate.
Making Your Real Estate Listings Stand Out
To get your properties in front of as many potential buyers as possible, you need to master the art of marketing for real estate.
This means using the right keywords, creating compelling descriptions, and ensuring your listings are optimized for mobile searches. Great photos and virtual tours can also help keep people on your real estate website longer, which boosts your ranking even more.
Ninja Tip: A comprehensive marketing plan includes social media, email campaigns, and more traditional methods like open houses. By combining these strategies with the power of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you make sure your listings are seen by the right people, at the right time.
Remember, listings don’t sell themselves. It takes a well-thought-out and executed plan to make them stand out and attract buyers. So, invest the time and effort into your marketing, and watch your listings stand out!
How To: Real Estate Marketing
Marketing a listing is not just an optional extra; it’s a fundamental part of selling real estate. Without proper marketing, even the most attractive properties can languish unsold. Effective marketing strategies help to highlight a property’s unique features, reach a broader audience, and create a sense of urgency and desirability among potential buyers. By actively marketing a listing, you can control the narrative, emphasize the property’s strengths, and address any potential concerns before they arise.
Listing a property is not just about adding it to the MLS® then sticking a “For Sale” sign in the yard and hoping for the best. The real magic happens behind the scenes, with a strategic blend of preparation, online savvy, and old-fashioned networking. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting in the real estate world, knowing the essential marketing steps can make all the difference in getting that property noticed, loved, and sold. Let’s dive into the must-do steps every agent should take to turn a new listing into a hot property on everyone’s radar.
Tease New Listings
There’s something about being a part of an exclusive group that just feels good. Whether it’s an invite-only party, a VIP lounge at a club, or a secret society, people are naturally drawn to things that are off-limits to the general public. From a marketing standpoint, it leverages the psychological principles of scarcity and social proof, which can significantly influence consumer behavior.
So how does this translate to real estate? You can create a sense of exclusivity by teasing new listings before they’ve officially hit the market and making your audience feel like they’re getting access to something before anyone else.
Sneak Peeks & Exclusive Previews
When something is exclusive, its limited availability naturally creates a sense of urgency. It makes people feel like they must act quickly to not miss out on the opportunity, which can drive faster decision-making.
To capitalize on this effect, get your social media followers excited by sharing cropped images that give sneak peeks of the property. Show off details like a close-up of a fancy countertop that screams luxury, or a corner of a beautifully styled living room that’s just begging to be lounged in.
Take it a step further by sharing photos or a video tour that is only distributed to your newsletter subscribers. Blast this offer across your social media to encourage newsletter signups. You’re not only rewarding your loyal subscribers but also creating a buzz that motivates others to join your newsletter community — two birds with one stone!
*Be sure to follow board guidelines! For example, you can show a photo but can not share the address or price. It’s just a teaser.
Blurred Photos
Post photos that are deliberately blurred or partially obscured. By strategically withholding full details, you create a sense of mystery and excitement, not so different from the Apple Events.
When Apple gears up for a new launch, they host a massive conference that generates a ton of buzz. They tease out unique features, design upgrades, new products… you name it! The lead up to the event — as well as the product’s launch — not only heightens curiosity, but also builds suspense. It gets their audience excited and, more often than not, has them counting down the days until they can hold the product in their hands.
In the same way, by holding back certain information, you enhance the perceived value of the property and create a narrative that keeps your audience eagerly anticipating the full reveal. This approach lets you paint a picture slowly, showing off its unique features like stunning architecture or luxurious interiors bit by bit. It’s all about sparking curiosity and making them feel a connection with the property before they even step inside!
Going Live on the MLS®
After all of the preparation, planning, and anticipation, the big day has finally arrived for a home to officially be launched to the public. *cracks knuckles* It’s time to get to business.
Create High Quality Visuals
High-quality images and videos of the property is an essential step in creating an impactful listing. By using lighting, angles, and composition to make rooms look spacious and inviting, you can emphasize key features such as hardwood floors, updated kitchens, or cozy fireplaces. Look through Pinterest for some inspiration on how to frame each room to have it looking its best.
When posting your listing to the MLS®, be sure to always include some visuals. Once it’s published, buyers who have set criteria up that match that listing get notified. However, when there are no photos, there is often less interest than usual. With limited text, having a high-quality photo really is worth a thousand words. Not having photos can also limit where the property is shared online.
Take it one step further by utilizing a drone to capture aerial views of the property and surrounding neighborhood. This footage is sure to showcase the location and its features from a unique and cinematic perspective.
Promote, Promote, Promote
The competition for real estate visibility is tough, especially in today’s age where buyers have numerous platforms at their fingertips. To make your listings stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to scream your listings from the rooftops. Maybe not literally, but it will feel like you’re repeating yourself over and over again. While you might start to worry that you’re overdoing it with your posts, it’s important to remember that not everyone is going to see every single one. Plus, research shows that people typically need to hear about something at least three times before they’re inclined to take action.
Let’s start with going live with the listing.
As soon as it hits the MLS®, you’ll want to hit the ground running with pushing it on ALL your marketing channels:
- Add the listing to your website (Done for you automatically if you’re on RealtyNinja).
- Spotlight the listing in your blog.
- Include a link in your email signature.
- Boost the listing on major real estate websites, like REW.ca.
- Stream a virtual open house on your social media platforms.
- Share it on ALL your social media platforms – yes, even LinkedIn.
- Create Pinterest boards and pin your listings.
- Feature the listing on your website’s homepage (for example the main banner) and in your newsletter.
- Create a video tour of the property, leveraging Instagram Reels and TikTok.
- Launch a property-specific email campaign. Need a refresher on how to set up your email marketing campaigns? Check out this blog post!
Order Social Media Listing Ads
*NEW* For RealtyNinja website customers: Let us professionally set up and run Facebook and Instagram ads that dramatically increase the reach of your listings to prospective buyers! We’ll customize the ads to match your branding and website, and send targeted traffic right to the listing on your site. We’ll even create a branded report you can send to your clients.
Schedule an Open House
First, set a date and time that will maximize attendance, typically late morning or early afternoon on weekends when people are most likely to be available. Make sure to avoid conflicts with local events or holidays that might draw attention away from your open house. Schedule the open house a week or two out so you have ample time to prep and promote.
Don’t be afraid to post your open house advertisement on your personal social media platforms. Word of mouth that spreads through neighbors is important, but with millennials & Gen Z breaking into the buyers’ market, tags, shares, and likes may be an even more powerful marketing tool.
Ninja Tip: When the big day rolls around, use an excessive amount of signage throughout the neighborhood. There’s nothing more annoying than finding a house you love on the internet only to have to drive around trying to find it!
Many homeowners are hesitant to put signage on their lawns and around their neighborhood for fear that it will appear tacky and drive away buyers. However, successful open houses will have between 3-5 signs, or more if you can.
Keep your message simple, but make sure it contains all the essential information. The more complicated your message, the less likely people are to read it. A sign that says “open house” along with your real estate agent’s phone number and an arrow can be very effective—just an arrow by itself won’t cut it.
What To Do If Your Listing Hasn’t Received Any Offers After Two Weeks
As with most marketing strategies, it’s important to base decisions on solid data rather than making hasty changes. For example, if you don’t receive a flood of offers within the first 24 hours, there’s no need to panic. Give it at least 10-14 days to gather data and gauge the performance of your listing before considering any significant adjustments. This time frame gives you a clearer picture of how potential buyers are responding and allows your marketing efforts to take effect.
Optimize Your Ad Campaigns
After two weeks without any offers, consider expanding the targeting on your ads. Remember, exposure is key! If you’re working with a limited budget or aiming to reach a highly specific audience (example: young professionals working in the tech industry in Vancouver looking for luxury condos around Yaletown), the pool of potential viewers for your ads becomes even smaller.
Ads reaching a small group of people = limited exposure and campaign effectiveness.
By broadening your target audience and increasing your ad budget, you’re giving the ad campaign platforms more resources and data to broaden your reach. This can be particularly beneficial if your property has features that appeal to various demographics.
Additionally, a higher budget allows for more frequent ad placements and potentially higher bid amounts in competitive markets (marketing lingo for being shown in more places and ranking higher). This increased presence means your ads are more likely to be seen multiple times by the same users, reinforcing your message and increasing the chances of engagement. Consistent exposure builds familiarity and trust, which are crucial factors in the decision-making process for potential buyers.
Incorporate Different Ad Types
- Facebook & Instagram: For many, advertising on Facebook is the most popular option, followed by Instagram. Both these platforms are highly visual, which is perfect for a visual industry like real estate. However, branching out into other platforms can help you reach a broader audience and maximize your marketing efforts.
- Google Ads: This platform offers search ads that appear at the top of Google’s results pages when users search for relevant keywords. We highly recommend advertising on Google, since this is where most people start their real estate journey. Show up where your target audience is hanging out!
- Retargeting Ads: This ad type aimed at re-engaging users who have previously visited your website or interacted with your content. By tracking user behavior through cookies or pixels, retargeting ads can display relevant ads to these users as they browse other websites or social media platforms. The goal is to remind them of your services and encourage them to return to your site to complete the conversion process. This tactic is worth implementing because it targets an audience that has already shown interest, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
- TikTok & YouTube: Property tours and virtual walkthroughs are best leveraged on video platforms. TikTok’s rapidly growing user base, especially among younger audiences, offers agents a platform that can easily reach people who may be in the market for their first home. And YouTube? It’s the go-to spot for anyone searching for property tours and virtual walkthroughs. Both platforms let you target specific audiences, so you’re not just throwing stuff out there—you’re hitting the right buyers at the right time. It’s a killer combo to bring in more leads and seal more deals in today’s competitive market.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn stands out from other social media platforms due to its core emphasis on professional networking and business relationships. This is what makes it an excellent platform for real estate agents who specialize in commercial real estate or investment properties! Plus, unlike platforms like Instagram, TikTok or Facebook that are saturated with dog photos and more, LinkedIn users tend to engage with more business-centric content. This focused environment increases the visibility of your content among your target audience, providing a distinct competitive edge in reaching potential clients.
- Print Ads: And while it might seem archaic, don’t discredit the power of print marketing! Yes, we’re talking brochures, bus ads, billboards, newspaper listings, and “just listed” flyers. In a world dominated by digital content, users are bombarded with ads non-stop, leading to what experts call “digital ad blindness.” This phenomenon occurs when viewers are exposed to so many ads that they start ignoring them, making the ads ineffective. Print marketing materials, however, disrupt the saturation and pattern of digital ads and capture consumers’ attention simply by being physically printed.
More Open Houses
Effective open houses require consistency. Sure, all it takes is one offer to make it worthwhile, but the more often you hold these events, the better your chances are of attracting leads. Whether it’s an open house once a week or every two, the consistency increases visibility and buzz around your listing.
If you’ve gotten feedback from open houses or chats with potential buyers, be sure to pass it along to your client—both the positives and the not-so-great stuff. Your client can’t make smart decisions without all the facts, especially when it comes to any maintenance issues or repairs that might need attention. Buyers definitely pick up on these things, so it’s crucial your client knows if anything’s holding them back from getting offers on the table.
Reviving A Stale Listing
The longer a listing sits on the market, the more frustrated you and your client are bound to become by the snail-pace of activity. The definition of “too long” depends on your market and the sub-market/neighborhood where the home is located. That means it could be considered stale at 45 days or six months, depending on the unique circumstances of your market.
Reassess Your Visuals
- Take new photography. A different photographer will have a different perspective of the property, which will translate through the new photos. If your listing went on the market in August (summer), but now it’s October (fall), take new exterior photos to showcase the current season.
- Update your media. Add floorplans and video tours so buyers have different options to get to know the home. Sometimes something as simple as reordering content is all it takes.
- Sell the lifestyle. Add neighborhood photos and videos. Include restaurant or weekend recommendations in the listing description. Paint the picture of what the new homeowners life could look like in this neighborhood.
Rewrite the Property Description
Your description needs to sell the lifestyle just as much as your photos. When rewriting the property description, ditch the dry list of features and specs.
Imagine waking up to the morning sun pouring through the big windows, cozying up in your comfy living room where the fireplace is perfect for those chilly evenings. The kitchen is a dream with its sleek counters and top-notch appliances, making every meal a fun experience and every get-together a breeze.
Step outside to your backyard oasis, perfect for summer barbecues, weekend gardening, or just chilling by the fire pit under the stars. When it’s time to unwind, the master suite is your personal retreat with a spa-like bathroom and views of the serene backyard.
And the neighborhood? It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name. Walk to local parks, cute cafes, and quirky shops, or enjoy the easy access to great schools and major highways.
Remember: you’re not just selling a house; you’re selling a lifestyle.
If you don’t feel like you’re the best storyteller for the job, give our free AI Listing Description Generator a try.
Host A Special Event
How about throwing a broker open house or a special event to really shine a spotlight on the property? Team up with other local agents to host a joint event that’s sure to turn heads. And to sweeten the deal, offer cool incentives like gift cards to draw them in.
Use targeted lists and run some ads on Facebook to pack the place with agents. Don’t forget to tap into your professional network and nudge them to swing by—tell them it’s all about seeing the house up close to help seal the deal. This personal touch can make a big difference.
By stirring up some excitement among local agents and giving them a good reason to show up, you’re not just boosting exposure—you’re paving the way for potential offers to start rolling in. It’s a proactive move that could really pay off when it comes to selling the property fast and at the right price.
Compare Pricing
Check out recent sales in your area to see if your property is priced accordingly. It will give you a good sense of what’s going on in the market right now, as well as if you’re scaring away potential buyers.
In this market, being flexible with your pricing and staying on top of changes can make all the difference. It’s about finding that sweet spot where your property stands out and appeals to potential buyers looking for a great deal in a competitive market. Keeping your finger on the pulse of the market ensures you’re ready to adjust and make the most of selling your home in any conditions.
As always, educate your sellers to help them understand your reasoning behind the price. The real estate market can be unpredictable, with fluctuations in supply and demand, economic conditions, and local trends affecting property values. Sellers need to be aware of these factors and have realistic expectations when setting a competitive price for their home.
As an agent, it’s your responsibility to guide sellers through this process. If a property is priced too high, it can sit on the market for an extended period, becoming stale and less attractive to potential buyers. Over time, buyers might perceive something is wrong with the property, leading to even less interest and potentially lower offers.
Unfortunately, many sellers may not initially realize this. They might be emotionally attached to their property or influenced by their financial needs, leading them to set an unrealistic price. This can result in frustration when the property doesn’t sell as quickly as hoped. By helping sellers understand the implications of overpricing, you can foster a more strategic and effective approach to selling the property, ensuring better outcomes for all parties involved.
Bottom Line
Creating a successful real estate marketing plan takes effort, determination, and the willingness to try new things. By following the steps outlined in this article, real estate agents can create a solid marketing plan that helps them promote their services and listings effectively.
