Marketing Your Property

Good realtors (No, that is not an oxymoron.) have many secrets to successfully marketing real estate, and we're going to share some of them here.

We'll begin by assuming that you have prepared your property to show well and that you have priced it appropriately.  Those are jobs one and two in the process.  Each is very important.  Be sure you've taken care to get them right before you spend time and money on marketing.

SIGNS

A good place to begin marketing is by putting up a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign.  Historically, realtors have garnered about 10% of their sales from signs.  In "hot" markets, it's sometimes the only thing that's needed.  In most markets, it takes more effort.  In slow markets, it takes a lot more effort.

"Lead-in" signs are a good idea, too.  Put up signs that indicate there's a home for sale by owner with an arrow showing which way to  turn starting from a busy street and leading to your property.  Don't skimp on these directional signs.  Put one at every turn and at any place a person might wonder whether to turn or not.

BROCHURES

Be sure to get a brochure holder.  Place it where passersby can easily access it.  Keep it stocked with brochures that have photos of your property and your contact info for making appointments to view the interior.  A simple brochure can be made by simply printing your Internet listing.  If you are handy with a computer, you can do your own "magazine style" brochure.  Think of a lay-out in House & Garden and present your home that way.

INTERNET LISTINGS 

List your property for sale on a "for sale by owner" (FSBO) multiple listing service (MLS) on the Internet.  Ours is a good one.  There are other good ones as well.  What makes a good FSBO MLS?

1. Be sure you can include lots of photos.  Buyers love them.  Inside photos.  Outside photos.  Photos of fireplaces, skylights, pretty staircases, decks, fish pools, and anything else that looks great need to be included.  It's also a plus if you can describe each photo with a caption that you devise.

2. Be sure there is enough flexibility to include "editorial content"  in your listing.  Of course a buyer wants to know how many bedrooms and baths the property has, but he's also apt to be pleased to hear that it's beautifully landscaped, near great shopping and art galleries, or near hiking trails, or whatever made the property attractive to you in the first place.  Be sure you can add that kind of input to your listing.

3. Be sure the listings are kept current.  Buyers hate to make several calls about listings that look good to them only to be told each time that the property has already been sold.  Buyers don't come back to sites with "stale"  listings time and time again.  A site that buyers come back to will do you a lot more good in your marketing effort.

4. Be sure your listing has its own web address.  You can use this to great advantage in other advertising.

NEWSPAPER ADS

You can use your local newspaper to advertise your property.  Classified ads are relatively cheap.  If your community is a commuting area, consider also advertising in the area to which your neighbors commute.

NEWSLETTER ADS

If you are the recipient of a newsletter that interests you, might it also interest someone who is a logical buyer for your property?  The chances are you can place inexpensive ads in such a publication.

BULLETIN BOARD ADVERTISEMENTS

Are there schools, places of worship, drug stores, grocery stores, book stores and the like that you and your neighbors frequent in your neighborhood?  Can you place a poster style ad there?

ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE

Change the message on your answering machine to include "IF YOU CALLED ABOUT THE HOUSE FOR SALE"  instructions/suggestions.

INTEGRATE & REPEAT MULTI MEDIA PRESENTATIONS

This is a mouthful, but it's simple and important.  Realtors are good at this, and it will pay you to pay attention.

Each place you advertise should relate to other places you advertise.  Many buyers need to see things more that once before they take action, so continue to advertise in the same places over and over.  You want potential buyers to be able to come back and find you again.

Ok.  The repeat part is easy.  Now for the integrate part.  Sounds weird, but it's easy, too.

Your sign should have your phone number and your property's web address on it. 

Classified ads, newsletter ads, bulletin board ads and the like need your phone number and a phrase like "Photos @ fsboamerica.org/00000000" (fill in your property's web address).

Your brochures need to have phone number and web address.

Your answering machine message needs to include the fact that "Photos can be seen @ fsboa.org/00000000."  It also needs wording about how to make an appointment to view the property in person.  This needs to be as easy and quick as possible.

It all boils down to the fact that buyers seek information in different places, but virtually all of them want to see pictures.  If they like what they see, they'll probably want to make an appointment.  Make it simple for them.  And keep your property's information available until it comes to the attention of the buyer for whom it's "perfect."

Note:

Signs, brochure boxes, and other tools that you may need are available on our Seller's Tool Kit page.