It’s a given that marketing a home for sale online offers incomparable exposure to the people whose attention you want to catch; buyers and buyer’s agents. Where else can you advertise your home to so many thousands or more, who will see the property simultaneously, and there is no more effective online exposure than that provided by a realtor’s Multiple Listing Service, (MLS).
Essentially a marketing database that is set up by cooperating real estate brokers, the realtors Multiple Listing Service provides the informative data that allows each property to be evaluated in accordance with buyers individual requirements, as well as to communicate compensation (commissions) paid to buyer’s agents who may show the property to their clients. The importance of the Multiple Listing Service in marketing a home online cannot be overestimated, as it has been proven over the years that the vast majority of successful transactions involving residential real estate have begun with an MLS listing.
Listings descriptions should not be overlong, since most buyers scan quickly, and should be to the point, but not so short as to eliminate the most important factors – number of bedrooms, bathrooms, amenities, etc. – that a buyer wants to know before deciding if the property is worth pursuing.
A clear photograph of the exterior of the home is a must. A fuzzy image or a photo of a home partially obscured by trees and shrubs can make a buyer or agent suspicious of the property’s appearance and condition. The photo should show the home at its best, nicely landscaped and uncluttered, meaning get rid of the garbage can and bikes in the driveway and park your cars in the garage, not in front of the house.
A “virtual tour” of the homes interior can go a long way toward convincing a buyer or agent to pay a visit. Once again, the rooms should be uncluttered, look fresh and clean, and if possible, taken during a sunny day, when rooms will look bright and cheery.
A virtual tour can be an extremely effective online marketing tool, for the simple reason that it can give a prospective buyer a good look at the homes features and get a “feel” of how the home would fit with the family lifestyle. A satisfactory virtual tour is usually sufficient to prompt a buyer to visit the property.
A request for information form is still another important online marketing tool that allows a potential buyer to communicate online with the realtor. If properly constructed, this form can be the start of a dialogue that can furnish the information needed to begin a customized search for a home suitable for the client. The form should include a short description of how this information would be of benefit to the client. Once this information is received, a timely reply to the potential client is important, and gives the sender an indication of his or her importance to the realty agent.
When seeking to purchase a home, research tells us that 88% of buyers start their search on the Internet. Sitting comfortably on a chair in front of their computer, potential home buyers have the ability to log onto a number of real estate websites and be taken on a virtual 360 degree tour of numerous houses. In the past, buyers had to rely upon classified ads in newspapers to search for the home of their dreams. Even though there are now real estate magazines featuring full-color ads of properties, the Internet is the preferred means for home seekers.
Marc Rasmussen
Realtor with SKY Sotheby's
International Realty selling
Sarasota, FL real estate
