7 Tips for Chehalis / Centralia Home Sellers: Tip 5 Marketing to Modern Buyers

7 Tips for Chehalis / Centralia Home Sellers

Tip 5 Marketing to Modern Buyers 

Hello, I’m Eren Millam Realtor, creator and curator of Lewis County Homes dot com. The Place for Lewis County Real Estate! Last week I provided some great tips on DIY staging and you can find that video here. Today we talk about the modern buyer and how to market to them.

Pre-internet, if you want to buy a home, you went into a Real Estate office and looked at a book of current listings. Once you found something you like, you went out and toured it with your agent. That’s no longer the case. A buyer starts their search online and can look at any listed home in the world from their home computer. Question is, do you think the change in how buyers search and find their homes requires a different type of marketing than was used prior to the internet? 

The answer is most certainly, yes!

This doesn’t mean that all old forms of marketing no longer work and shouldn’t be used, but it does mean that in order to get the highest price for your home, you need to expose your listing online using modern marketing techniques! If you select an agent who only markets your home in print advertising, you’re missing 90% of the market. So, what does it take to market to online buyers? 

Let’s ask them how listings grab their attention.

ü  Buyers want photos that show the property, but also show it well without intentionally misleading them.

ü  Buyers want lots of photos. Studies show properties with more photos tend to get more interest because the fewer the photos, the more buyers believe something is being hidden.

ü  Buyers want listings to be advertised where they’re at. Not just online, but social media and dedicated real estate sites.

ü  Buyers want listings to show up when they search for them. How frustrating is it to come across a home and not be able to find it again?

ü  Buyers love video and want tours of listings as still images don’t necessarily give an insight to the feel and flow of the home.

ü  Buyers want access to all pertinent information of properties, and they want it all in one place and easy to access.

If your agent doesn’t know this, or doesn’t know how to provide this to buyers, how well do you think they’re going to market your home?

I’ve heard complaints of other agents from buyers and sellers alike, that are frustrated with the quality and amount of pictures. Most do and say nothing because they assume it doesn’t get any better. As a Realtor, it is my job to professionally market your home, so why wouldn’t I get professional photos? Do you think professional advertisers use their cell phones to sell their products?

The majority of modern buyers no longer read the newspaper or real estate magazines. If they do, it’s an online version. Multiple, consisting social media posts is no longer the exception, but the rule. Even better, is a post that sends an interest buyer to a single property website that features your home and all its information, pictures, and video tours! They can then share this information with their family and friends, further exposing your home beyond its initial reach.

Finally, a buyer’s typical search on Google goes something like this: “chehalis homes for sale between 150-250k”. Typical results are Zillow, Trulia, etc. and send them all available options. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get your specific home at the top of the results? And instead of sending them to Zillow, they’d go directly to your home’s video tour? You’ve now got the buyers attention for 3 minutes rather than the usual 5 seconds and they have a reason to come back or share it.

If you want to get top dollar for your home, you need to market to the modern buyer. Without the enhanced marketing techniques, you’re missing a great deal of potential buyers and exposure. Buyers set the market, so why not make them compete for the chance of owning your home? Next week we’ll cover agent communication and why it’s important for you not to settle for less than Extraordinary. You know the drill, go out and make it an Extraordinary day!