7 Marketing Methods a Listing Agent Must Offer Before You Hire

When interviewing listing agents to sell your home you’ll receive books with marketing plans telling you about all the amazing things the company will do for you. Some of it is great, some of it a bunch of nonsense, and the most important stuff won’t be in there at all.

There are essential marketing strategies that must be incorporated into promoting your home when it comes on market. Ensure all of this is included before you say “Yes” to any agent:

1. Professional photographs. Agents are not photographers, usually. I don’t care what camera an agent has, a professional photographer will do better. If you think this is not important, go online and look for yourself.
If you are selling a smaller home or condo, this service is even more important, although less likely to be available to you. Smaller spaced demand excellent photography, otherwise your home will look smaller in pictures.

2. Staging your home. There is always something to be done to improve how the home looks. This doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate, but your agent should either give you a to-do list of getting your home ready, or insist you hire a staging professional. Otherwise, the photos won’t look nice, buyers are less likely to come, and buyers will pay less for an un-staged home. You are losing thousands of dollars if you don’t invest the time and money to get the home ready to be photographed and shown.

3. Floor plans. Buyers looking online often have specifications they want and room dimensions are extremely helpful. For example, when a buyer needs a living room large enough for a grand piano, without a floor plan the listing will be skipped even if it is a perfect fit. Giving potential buyers and their agents as much information as possible helps bring the right buyers in and keep the wrong buyers from wasting your time.

4. Video. We love videos. So much information is consumed through video, and it is easier to connect with a property through a video.

5. Online Exposure. By far, the most important way to reach buyers is with online exposure to your home. Your agent must be aware of where the listing will be uploaded by MLS, or through the company through syndication, like Google Base, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, etc. There are other sites, such as Craig’s list, that require a weekly update. And what about a single listing website? Those are a great way to promote a home on the market yet few agents are using this service. Ask what the agent and the company provide and how well they are versed with the online marketing strategies of listing a home. Keep away from anyone claiming technical ignorance. Failing to understand the internet’s role in marketing property unacceptable. You don’t have to know it, but your agent does.

6. Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Every agent will put your listing in to Multiple Listing Service. But how will it be done? MLS plays a huge role in the sale of your home. First, it is the means of communication with other agents. Second, it is sent directly to buyers. Third, it is syndicated to other popular websites where buyers search for homes. But put together a poor MLS listing, and you have squandered your most important marketing opportunity.

Bad MLS behavior includes posting a listing without photos, not including all information, poorly written or uninspiring description, or posting open houses late, (like Saturday night instead of Thursday morning). If your agent is not going to take MLS seriously, run.

7. Marketing to Agents. Marketing proposals from agents will say a lot about how to present homes to buyers. But the overwhelming majority of buyers will be represented by an agent. Everyone overlooks the importance of marketing direct to agents. A broker open house is just part of it. Other parts include flexibility to show the house, paying a premium commission and direct mailings to agents.

Marketing your home is the role of your listing agent. A marketing plan must include updated methods and a full spectrum of services. Think of every failure to meet one of the standards above as lost money, because it is.

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