If you’ve been in the real estate game for a year or two, you know how hard it is to be creative when developing a listing strategy. Here are some fresh ideas that will bring in top-dollar offers.
Create a shot list for your photographer. While your photographer may be technically skilled, they may not know what features to highlight for each property. Are there hand-painted colorful tiles in the bathroom? Ask the photographer to take a close-up of this unique feature.
Does the flower garden look particularly striking at sunrise? Ask your photographer to arrive while there’s still dew on the flowers.
Your photos will be so amazing that you’ll hardly need any text in the listing.
Words are important, too. You don’t have to be a poet to write a great real estate listing. In a saturated market, consider descriptive keywords and phrases a person may use when searching for the perfect home. For example, some buyers might zero in on properties with accessible bathrooms or main-level laundry. Appeal to gardeners with “unobstructed morning light” or “established flower gardens with tons of perennials.”
Learn about search engine optimization to make your listings more searchable. Also, look at the “people also ask” listings in Google to determine what features or neighborhoods appeal to buyers in your area.
If you’re not a strong writer, hire a freelancer.
Try virtual staging. If you don’t have the time or budget to stage the home, consider online staging. You can use DIY digital staging software or hire a service. You don’t have to digitally stage each room—two or three might suffice.
Use local images. Show buyers what it’s like to live in the community by including photos of walking trails, pickleball courts and community parks.
A well-shot image of a cute downtown or entertainment district may attract the buyer to the listing.
In short, sell a lifestyle. Help your buyers envision what their lives will be like when they buy a house in the community.
Include research about the neighborhood. Successful real estate agents always have an ear to the ground because it’s their job to be community experts. Share your research and information with prospective clients. Consider adding details about future development projects, crime statistics and the scuttlebutt on the local schools.
Use history to market a property. Some buyers will overlook smaller bathrooms and kitchens if that means buying a property with historic charm. Try to find exterior photos of the home throughout the decades. This strategy will place the property in a larger context and inspire those who want to put their mark on the house.
Stay up to date with the latest news, insights and tools for the real estate industry by visiting www.colibrirealestate.com.
Tina Lapp is head of customer experience and instruction for Colibri Real Estate. With nearly 30 years of professional education experience in the real estate sector, Lapp empowers aspiring and seasoned professionals to thrive in their careers. Lapp was inducted into the RISMedia Newsmakers Hall of Fame in 2022.
