Branding, marketing, and advertising are three terms that often get confused.
When it comes to making your listing stand out from the crowd, it’s crucial to understand the differences between them and how to generate more interest from potential buyers so they are lining up at the door.
Branding
Your agent’s brand plays a massive role in showcasing the listing. Branding goes far beyond just colour, font and a logo.
As we have transitioned to a digital landscape, your agent’s brand represents the home.
It can encompass something as simple as a pre-market video showcasing the listing on social media and highlighting its unique features, or it can involve engaging more buyers with your brand online, ultimately exposing the home to a larger audience.
Here are three ways to ensure your brand is on point, making your listings stand out:
- Digital health check all your digital profiles online – is it easy to find your number and email and is there any content that’s out-of-date and needs removing?
- Ensure your unique selling point as an agent stands out so potential clients looking in your local market can instantly engage with you.
- Make sure your listings have a headline to make a buyer read more on all channels.
Marketing
Marketing, in its simplest terms, is the use of various channels to showcase a property to potential buyers.
There are two types of buyers that you will aim to connect with:
Passive buyer
These buyers are generally in the market but may not be actively browsing property portals.
However, if a property matching their requirements comes to their attention, they will be motivated to make a move.
Active buyer
These buyers are actively engaged with property portals and consistently search and scroll daily for their dream property.
A world-class property marketing plan and a strategic buyer marketing plan are key to connecting both active and passive buyers to a home.
A healthy plan looks like this
Direct buyer marketing. This includes photos, copy, floor plan, and additional materials if required, such as a 3D tour or drone shot.
Text message campaigns:
1. Neighbouring text. Text every neighbour in the street and surrounding area, alerting them that the property has been listed and encouraging them to share with family or friends who might be looking to move nearby.
2. Prequalified buyer text message. Send messages to potential buyers in your database who may be interested in the home.
Email campaign. Try to avoid using the generic ‘just listed’ approach. Instead, focus on a pre-market strategy, showcasing the home to your qualified buyers before you place the property online. This creates a sense of exclusivity and drives more interest.
Direct letter to the neighbours. Once again, try to avoid the typical ‘just listed’ message. Write directly to your neighbors, inviting them to a VIP viewing. A handwritten card works best.
Social media campaign. This involves more than just posting the property on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Implement a strategic ad campaign with advanced targeting to connect the property to active buyers on various social media platforms.
Signboards. Remember, a signboard’s ultimate goal is to reach passive buyers. Consider how you can encourage people to stop and read more about the home, or if you are using the signboard solely for open home traffic.
Property portals. To make a great listing stand out on each platform, it is crucial to showcase the unique points of the home in both the photos and the written description. Additionally, try to avoid using too much real estate babble.
Advertising
Lastly, the most crucial aspect is advertising. In simple terms, advertising is, “Who are you paying to amplify a message or product?”
There are numerous real estate marketing products and websites available to showcase homes.
In the digital domain, almost everything requires paid promotion.
So, apart from the main property websites, which other companies are you paying to extend the reach of the home to potential buyers?
Facebook and Instagram stand out as the best platforms to run ads targeting buyers within the vicinity of the home, and if executed correctly, they can drive significant engagement.
Although most of us concentrate on the online presentation of properties, making your listing stand out from the crowd with strategic thinking can leverage rapid results.
