As an agent you want your home to sell quickly and at or above your client’s asking price. There’s nothing that impresses a client more. And it’s a sure way to earn life-long, referral-generating clientele. After all, doing this consistently is what makes an agent great. Sometimes, instead of working with one listing, you receive an influx of new listings, all of which you have to sell quickly and for nothing less than the asking price. This can prove to be a challenge for agents who are used to working with one client at a time. Luckily there are marketing techniques that realtors can use to promote new properties and sell multiple listings at once.
Three Listings, 30 Days.
Let’s say you’ve landed three properties to sell in 30 days. All three are family-oriented detached homes located close to schools, shopping centers, and public transportation. With a big push to move out of the downtown core, these homes should be an easy sell for you. However, if you fail to properly market these three properties, they will not sell before the thirty-day deadline. The key is to promote the most important factors of each home. What does every client look for? The number of bedrooms, bathrooms, finished basements, parking, and of course price. If all your posts cover these bases, then you’re on the right track to selling these properties quickly.
Use Your Social Media To Promote New Properties
As soon as you land these three new listings it’s time to get to work. Use your social media pages and let your followers know you are selling three new family-oriented detached properties. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube will be key promotional tools for you. The first objective is to have each home properly staged to sell. Make sure the homes are clean, organized, and camera-ready. Since open houses are off-limits due to lockdowns, all the homes will need to be staged for a virtual experience. If a client is opting to save money and stage the home themselves, make sure they focus on cleaning their kitchens and bathrooms, while making as many improvements as possible.
The next step is to hire professional photographers and videographers. They will provide you with content to fill all your social media channels, including each property’s MLS page. Most photographers will have editing fees built into their price package, but if they do not, then you’ll have to do some photo editing of your own. Make sure each property looks as good as possible. Once you have this visual content, it’s time to share it with your followers on social media.
Creating Content
When promoting multiple properties across your social media channels, remember: grids are your friend! You’ll want to start with Instagram and Facebook posts showing off each property. We recommend posting each property individually. This gives your followers a detailed look at what every home offers. In the example above, there are 11 photos attached to the post. And at the top, there are quick facts about the home’s key selling points.
Attach between 5-7 photos for each property highlighting key areas. Start with an outside image of the home then move inside to the kitchen, bedroom, bathrooms, and living room. Then show off any extra features the properties have. For example, if one of the properties offers an inground pool or home gym, definitely show off these features.
Once you have your images laid out for each property, make sure you tag your posts accordingly. Always use real-estate-related tags. Don’t try to stretch your hashtags to draw more attention to your posts. For example, if you use #Thursday because you’re making your post on a Thursday, you’re not going to attract more attention to your home. And the attention you do attract will not be from serious buyers.
The captions for your posts are crucial as well. You’ll want to give the viewer extra details they can’t pick up from the images themselves. Talk about how old the home is, its location, and what landmarks it’s close to.
You can also use Facebook & Instagram’s live streaming features to give a live virtual walkthrough of each property. This is where potential buyers can ask you questions in real-time. This not only shows off the home, but it allows buyers to get to know you on a personal level. This is essential for building your network and client base.
How To Promote New Properties On YouTube & MLS
You should upload an edited video to your YouTube channel for each property and share the link across your social media channels and MLS page. This video can be a guided walkthrough featuring you. This allows you to virtually walk viewers through the home and provide them with information.
The video could also just show off the home itself accompanied by pleasant royalty-free music or narration from yourself. Narration or a personal walkthrough may be the best choice as this allows you to expand on the features of the property. These formats allow you to give more information about the property as the video progresses. This may entice viewers to visit your MLS or personal website to further investigate the properties.
After uploading each video to YouTube individually, create a playlist that combines all three videos together. A YouTube playlist will seamlessly take viewers from one video to another without having to click away. Think of this as a grid for YouTube. Remember to use the description section for each video to detail key features of each home, much like you do in your Facebook and Instagram captions.
Get Outside of MLS When Promoting New Properties
Once your property is on MLS, the timer starts to tick. The longer your properties stay on MLS, the harder it will be for you to get your clients their asking price. Buyers will view a property overstaying its welcome on MLS as “less desirable.” If it is a good property, it should’ve sold quickly. That is the buyer mentality.
Buyers are always searching for ways to save. Sites like Zillow, Facebook Marketplace, and even Craigslist give buyers the opportunity to sort through “off-market” listings. Buyers seek out exclusive off-market listings to avoid entering bidding wars with other buyers and driving up the selling price of a property.
If you get your property in front of these buyers, they’ll be more inclined to pay the asking price for the property because they’re saving themselves from expensive bidding wars. Hosting your listings on these sites before posting to MLS will postpone your property’s entry into the market. This gives you bonus time to test market waters, and make price adjustments if necessary.
Even on Facebook Marketplace, grids are your friend. You don’t have the luxury of showing off multiple photos of your home until the viewer clicks for more info. Be sure to lead with the strongest photo for each property and the most crucial information.
Email Newsletters
Another great way to promote new listings is through an email newsletter you send out to your client base. Email newsletters are designed to inform your client base about new developments in the real estate industry. They are also a great tool for highlighting new properties you are selling.
Again, grids are your friend here. You can adopt the Facebook Marketplace format and show recipients the best photo of a home. You can then feature a link to take viewers to your YouTube channel where they can see everything the home offers through a virtual tour. Always highlight your contact information so your clients can get in touch with you if they have any questions or are interested in purchasing the property. There’s nothing worse than letting down a client who is genuinely interested in your property but cannot reach out to you.
Going Back To Print
One more way to advertise your new listings is through print mailers sent out to neighborhood locals. Mailers are a fantastic opportunity to get your properties and brand right in front of potential buyers. Instead of buyers finding you, you find them. Think of these mailers as short-form newsletters. A quick industry update followed by, you guessed it, more grids. Again feature your contact information to make it easy for potential clients to contact you. It’s even more important because the mailer is in physical form. Assume your client has no internet access and give them all your contact information.
Having to sell multiple listings at once can be intimidating for new and even seasoned realtors. However, with the number of marketing tools available today, selling multiple properties is simple and efficient. With the right technique and use of grid systems throughout your social media and print marketing, you’ll provide customers with essential selling features of your homes. As long as you provide buyers with this information and share it across multiple platforms, you will be able to satisfy your clients’ needs and effectively sell their properties. This will help you build a broader network of dedicated clients.