July 15, 2019
tags : Real Estate Marketing categories: Marketing , Real Estate
Marketing real estate online is a challenging job. Search engines were not designed for the dynamic nature of real estate listings. The good news is that if you do a bit of work, there are lots of opportunities online. Below are 7 techniques to get your property noticed.
Idea 1: Good photos
Good photos are key for marketing your properties and yourself. Apart from people walking or driving by photos are going to be the entry point for potential buyers. Bland poorly taken photos from unflattering angles will drive away buyers. We recommend hiring a photographer or learning to be a great architectural photographer. There are tons of resources online for upping your photo game. Below are a few basic tips for the DIY photographer.
Tip 1: Pick your angles
One of the easiest ways to get a wonderful photo of a home is to take a photo from the corner of the property. This works with most buildings. Try to get the vertical lines of the building lined up straight in the photo and bring a few examples of professional images for reference.
Tip 2: Dawn or Dusk
On a nice day get up early or work late. Photos taken around sunrise or sunset are much more dynamic. However, make sure you bring some lights, especially for the interior. The yellow/orange lighting contrasts the blues and purples from the natural light and makes the home feel warm and inviting.
Tip 3: Wide Angle Lenses
The key is to go wide but not too wide. The wide angle will make the room look bigger and help people understand the flow and layout. However, go too wide and it looks distorted. It's a good idea to take photos from the corners of rooms. Think about using each photo to bring the potential buyer on a tour of the home.
Tip 4: Turn on the lights
This is simple but often forgotten. Especially for exterior photos turn lots of light on. For interiors try different combinations of interior lights to see what gives you the best results. The key is to make sure the home looks warm and inviting.
Idea 2: 3D Renderings
Sometimes no matter what you do that home will not look nice. Is it a teardown? With 3d Rendering, you can show buyers what that beautiful new home will look like. 3D rendering companies may have 3D models of homes that they can drop into a rendering of the property. They can also take the rough dimensions of the rooms and drop in that dream kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom. This option is an investment that can allow you to demand a higher selling price.
Idea 3: Drone Photography
As we covered in point 1 photos are important. Drones are cheap, and there are many companies offering drone photography services. Drone photos can show the proximity of local features such as schools, shopping centres, or waterfront.
Idea 4: Listing Sites (Craigslist, Zillow)
Getting your property listed on as many sites as possible has two major benefits. First, your property will be exposed to more potential buyers. Second, you can get a link back to your main listing helping it perform better in the search engines. Some listing sites make you pay, but it can be well worth the money.
Idea 5: Get Social (Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)
Most social accounts are very easy to set up. Start by following/friending the followers of successful real estate agents. Use your nice property photos and post updates about your properties. This is a long-term strategy but if you can build a following it can be a great marketing channel. Most social media platforms are very visual so your investment in great photos pays off.
Idea 6: Build a Website
Create a website. There are lots of platforms that make it easy to create and maintain property listings. If you have time blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your website. Remember to write for your audience. Think about what questions potential buyers are asking. Create content that you think will help them and don't sell your properties or services in your blog. Once people find your blog they will usually check out who you are. So make it easy for them to find your listing but don't make them front and centre.
Idea 7: Search and Social Ads
Most online ad platforms now let you get laser-targeted. You can target zip code, device, and interest. You can target people of a specific age, in your neighbourhood, who have shown interest in real estate. Or people in your neighbourhood searching for "homes for sale". This is a more advanced option so it might be a good idea to find either a small marketing agency to help you. Remember, online it's a good idea to track everything and focus on what is working.