How to Market and Sell Your Home
Do you know what goes into the successful marketing of a home? Your real estate agent probably does, but you should too. Here’s a breakdown of the most common marketing strategies a real estate agent will use to sell your home.
MLS
Short for Multiple Listing Service, the MLS is a searchable database of available homes in your area. A typical home listing includes a photo, description, sale price and the listing agent’s contact information. It is often the first place real estate agents and potential buyers look when searching for homes, and is therefore usually the first and most important marketing tactic that a real estate agent will employ when trying to market your home.
Real Estate Magazines
Regional real estate magazines are another important venue for marketing your home. Like the MLS, these magazines offer a description of your home, as well as one or more accompanying photos. These magazines are published frequently to provide buyers with up-to-date information, and are readily available at local newsstands at no cost to the consumer. These magazines typically boast a large circulation, and should therefore be regarded as an important part of your home’s marketing strategy.
Local Publications
To reach as many people as possible, local publications should also be a part of your real estate agent’s marketing strategy. Expect your real estate agent to run ads in one or more of your local newspapers and/or magazines. These ads may not be as flashy as the ads in a real estate magazine, but they can really deliver—particularly when listed in a free publication that goes out to the entire community.
The Sunday paper's real estate insert is another important place your real estate agent should market your home. Prospective home buyers know to look to this section for listings and information about open houses going on that day.
The Internet
Many real estate agencies now offer virtual tours of the homes they are selling on their website. This can be a valuable tool for reaching potential buyers who prefer to house hunt from the comfort of their home.
TV & Radio
Some areas now feature TV and radio stations devoted solely to home listings. When establishing your listing with a real estate agent, inquire to find out if this is a marketing option in your area. Then, if it is, be sure your real estate agent takes advantage of it.
Take an interest in how your home is marketed, and your real estate agent will too.