Gone are the days that a full-page black and white ad in the local newspaper could sell your listing. In today’s hyper visually obsessed world, professional photography, killer videography, and eye-catching marketing materials are the bare minimum requirements to attract the widest audience and secure the best possible price for your sellers. What about the other stuff? After years of exposure to real estate listings, I’ve noticed a few things that tend to fall through the cracks. Here is a list of 5 things I urge you to consider before going live with your next listing.

1 | YOUR MLS COPY

With so many house hunters finding your listing through MLS, impactful copy is a great place to focus your attention. Rather than trying to fill your maximum character limit with a list of countless selling points, try adding some pizazz by choosing three notable features that make the property really shine. By painting an intriguing picture for the reader you allow them to better envision themselves living in the home rather than overwhelm them with endless features. Here’s our latest MLS rewrite as an example:

ORIGINAL

Beautifully & Professionally Renovated 3+1 Br 2 Bath, Top Of The Line Finishes, Quartz Countertop, Stone Backsplash, S/S Appliances, New Windows, New Floors, Rain Shower, Basement: One Bedroom And One Bath With Full Kitchen And Sep Entrance Walking Distance to Everything.

REWRITE

Welcome to this remarkably renovated home boasting impeccable finishes and design. The main floor features soaring 10 ft ceilings and a custom kitchen with oversized island and walkout to enviable backyard oasis perfect for your next gathering. The second floor is inviting with your master bedroom retreat complete with a huge walk-in closet and spa-like ensuite with clawfoot tub, rain shower and heated floors. A separate entrance leads to a finished basement suite perfect for added income.

Although we haven’t listed every feature of the home (let’s be real, those “s/s appliances” you keep mentioning stopped being impressive five years ago) we’ve created a feeling that living in this home evokes which increases the odds of the reader forming an emotional connection to the home.  As an avid lover of architecture and homes big and small, I can confidently state I’ve never seen a home that didn’t have some unique quality that impressed me. So the next time you are putting together a property description think of a unique story you can tell to paint a picture of a home worth living in.

2 | YOUR EMAIL LIST

Creating beautiful emails that entice and engage has never been easier and less expensive with email marketing providers like Mailchimp that offer low cost and free options. Most people check their email daily which means you have a higher chance of your listing actually being seen.

The key to a great listing email is to keep it short and sweet, highlighting your listing’s unique selling features with just enough photos to entice them to visit the property website or book a private viewing.

When you are crafting the subject line you’ll want to come up with something catchy like “Have you always wanted to see inside a Forest Hill Home?” The key is to stay away from “Just Listed” or “New Listing” as this might get categorized as “yet another piece of spam” and promptly deleted. Find the hook that your listing offers and use it in your tag line, you might say something like “Casa Loma’s Neighbour” or “Living the good life in King West” when you add something of interest to the reader they are more likely to open your email. When done right, email is a fantastic tool to pique interest and get your listing seen.

3 | CONSIDER A PROPERTY WEBSITE

MLS listings are limited and don’t leave much room for creativity and out-of-the-box marketing. A property website allows you to engage the viewer with an expanded property write-up, videos, a 360 tour and area demographics.

Another great asset of using a property website is the ability to use a lead capture tool to grow your audience. You can offer a download to your Buyer’s Guide or another offer to entice potential clients to engage with you.

Well-thought-out property websites are fantastic in that they kill two birds with one stone — They have the ability to showcase your listing flawlessly but also they provide a vehicle for you to display your marketing efforts to potential leads.

4 | STELLAR OPEN HOUSES

I get seriously giddy when I’m scrolling through Instagram and see a realtor has commissioned an ice cream truck on the day of their open house. I mean what better marketing strategy is there on a hot, sweltering summer day than a nice cold soft serve ice cream? If you want your open house to be seen as an exciting event rather than simply attracting a few nosey locals dying to get a peek inside their neighbour’s home then it’s time to think bigger.

Offer Coffee cards to the first 10 people who show up, tempt attendees with a catered lunch or neighbourhood wine and cheese. Have a local band play or put on a BBQ to show off the entertainment worthy backyard. Showcasing the home in this manner does more than make the home seem that much more appealing, it cements you as a master marketer to potential sellers, and when it comes time to make that call who will be front and centre in their minds? The unforgettable agent who fed them delicious burgers or the one who handed out business cards and an info sheet?

5 | LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA

In today’s social-media-driven world (seriously, can we go back to a time when we actually had conversations at the dinner table?) advertising your property has never been easier and less expensive. Getting creative with how you present your listing on Instagram and Facebook is a great way to get more eyeballs on it.

Take people on a behind-the-scenes tour of the staging process, record yourself making toast in the kitchen, taking a nap in the master bedroom (maybe get permission first?), or reading in the backyard. Showcase different areas of the home and why these areas are amazing. Be creative, think outside the box, consider what stood out to you when you first walked through the home and then showcase that or better yet tell your audience why you fell in love with that particular feature or room. Pro Tip: Instagram stories is a great way to show these recorded highlights.

Regardless of what platform you use, remember that creativity wins every single time, so keep it fresh and interesting.

There you have it, 5 things to uplevel your marketing game for your next listing. My goal is to inspire you to think of unique ways you can, not only have your listing seen by the maximum number of people but also to showcase your above average marketing strategy to potential clients.

Happy marketing!