Developing a successful long-term real estate investing business requires effort, skills, and positive habits – like keeping your listings attractive
Online listings have been the most common way to sell homes for almost as long as the internet has been around, and agents tend to invest a lot of money to increase the exposure of their listings on various platforms. No matter what channel you choose to put your listings in, marketing a property becomes more manageable if you successfully recognise developing real estate market trends and incorporate a few key features into your listings to meet those trends.
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash.
These handy tips are not just for aspiring real estate agents who want to work their way up the ladder of success, they may also be of interest to veterans who are looking for ways to increase interest in their listings. With these tips, agents could greatly improve their listings in a highly competitive real estate market.
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Photos
Visuals matter
Everybody knows pictures are important – in the context of the online shopping experience, attractive images are the first, and arguably, the most important deciding factor in whether interest in a product leads to action.
If your listings do not include visuals, they’ll be ignored and lost in a sea of thumbnails – so make use of what must be a decent camera on that smartphone, wipe the lens, let some light into the property, and take some photos for the benefit of interested buyers or renters.
Practise, practice, practise
Just as with any skill, photography takes some practice. The photos in your listings do not need to be professional-grade, Time magazine-quality images to draw attention – just ensure that the image quality does not distract the viewer from the details of the property. For those of us who do not live and breathe real estate, the details can be overshadowed by a bad photo.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
Photos of low quality create an impression of an old listing – there have been vast improvements in camera technology and photo compression algorithms in recent years. On the other hand, ultra-high resolution photos take up more storage space and will take longer to appear on the viewer’s device. Strike a balance between image quality and file size that suits your workflow, but keep in mind that something suitable for use on the internet these days would be an image measuring around 1,200 by 800 pixels and less than 2.5 megabytes in size.
Keep it relatable
Take images from eye level. Not too high and not too low – or, if you need specifics, stay within the range of average heights in the region, between 155cm or 165cm from the floor. If you’re uncertain about the content of your images, join a photo-sharing platform such as Instagram to see what kind of visuals people are into.
Photo by Rafael De Nadai on Unsplash.
There are some ordinary aspects of everyday life that most people just don’t want to see – other people's personal photographs, toilet bowls, dirty laundry, half-eaten meals on plastic plates, and semi-clothed photographers are just some of the things you should be keeping beyond the limits of a camera’s lens.
Hire professionals
Decent photography is essential, and if you’re keen to raise interest in a particular listing, you might consider hiring a professional for some attention-grabbing photography. If you’re less confident about your own abilities with a camera, professional photographers could be one of the most useful assets you can employ to sell a listing quickly.
Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash.
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Content
Provide accurate details
While photos are certainly important, most of us need more than just a pretty picture to make an informed decision. Studies of online buying behaviour have reinforced the idea that attractive photos make for more frequent transactions, but it is largely up to readable information to turn passing interest into action. Try to stay away from generic marketing-speak (such as “walking distance”) and only state details you know to be true of the property.
"Well, if you walk in a straight line..." Photo by Raphaël Biscaldi on Unsplash.
Attach testimonials
Through testimonials and reviews from previous clients, people get to know more about you and your organisation – and when provided with a range of positive comments, most people will inevitably develop a sense of trust and seek to do business with you. In this digital, peer-reviewed society, asking happy clients for a testimonial that you can share on your online profiles would not be unreasonable.
Photo by Katya Austin on Unsplash.
Highlight your brand
After accumulating a reputation and becoming a successful real estate negotiator, your brand begins to speak for itself. Instead of simply including factual details in your listings, it is crucial to highlight your brand for those buyers who are just looking for your listings.
Photo by Mitchell Griest on Unsplash.
For instance, while you are promoting a property with a video or a virtual tour, it would be useful to include footage about your company and brand. It can be as self-serving as showing how successful you are – buyers are going to be interested in listings with your brand on it.
Include a Call to Action
Photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash.
Interested clients must have a way of reaching you. Always include a mobile number in your listings so that clients can reach you – and respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. If you’re going away, subscribe to an international roaming subscription so that you don’t lose any potential clients while you’re out of town on a team-building trip.
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Honesty
Stay true to truth
One of the more recent emerging trends to take hold of the internet is a dislike of “fake news” – everybody hates being lied to, especially when the deceit is discovered after a critical point such as the payment of a deposit in earnest. It is damaging to your brand and hard-earned trust for clients to encounter dishonesty when viewing your listings, even more so once cash and keys have changed hands.
"Vintage industrial property with an indoor garden." Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash.
Specify everything, accurately
If a problem is not discussed but brought up later, it could be misinterpreted as dishonesty on your part – and that could be damaging to your brand even after the deal is done. Be exhaustive in your consideration of what questions might be asked and what may be of concern to your prospective clients.
Photo by Nastuh Abootalebi on Unsplash.
The key ingredient in this exercise is being empathetic. If you adopt the perspective of a particular house-hunting client, you may think of a few important details that they might not have brought up, or even considered, when first viewing a property – but they might discover a problem when moving in. For example, if there is faulty wiring or a broken fixture, say so or get some repairs done before showing the property – don’t ignore the problem and hope no one notices.
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Exposure
Put your listings where they’re searched
You would want your listings to be as visible as possible, and if you’ve covered everything from images to the finest of details, you might consider posting your listings on a social media network, on a property listing platform, or even on your own website.
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash.
But consider the channel carefully – your website might not have the kind of traffic you’re hoping for, your listing may have to compete with cat photos for the attention of viewers on a social media network, or you may have to pour money into making your listing more prominent in search results.
Pulling attention away from this is going cost a bomb. Photo by Ludemeula Fernandes on Unsplash.
While social media networks provide access to a wider audience – and conversely, your own website may provide greater control of the presentation of your listings – only property listing platforms such as Propwall.my provide the combination of a house-hunting audience and a format specifically geared for the presentation of real estate listings.
Get the most value for your money
Subscribe to promotional packages when you’re given the chance. Promotions are inherently seasonal and won’t be available all year long, but if you manage to snag a promotional package, you can stretch out the value of the money you put into making your listings more visible.
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay
If you’re interested in getting more for your money, register on Propwall.my to get 25 free listings to display – and you’ll be notified whenever there is a promotional package.
