There are a lot of things that a real estate agent can do to promote a listing. While we continue the awkward yet necessary social distancing amidst COVID-19, everyone (no matter what type of business you’re in) is having to figure out which strategies and services, new or old, will help them succeed in this new normal and beyond. For those of us trying to sell homes now and in the future, it’s going take a lot of recognition of our strengths and weaknesses and a lot more practice behind the camera.
People are all so different, and we all respond differently to the various forms of media and marketing that are thrown our way… but what is for certain, however, is that to get someone’s attention, those visuals must stand out. They have to pop! (It was referred to as Pop Art for a reason, y’all.) A listing isn’t anything worthwhile unless it can really get your attention. Compare it to online dating! Would you swipe right to a photo of someone who just rolled out of bed and clearly isn’t trying? Umm, no thanks! Buyers are more likely to spend time with and give attention to the light, bright, thoughtful imagery of their next potential crush! Funny enough, this mentality is the same for housing. Give walls a fresh coat of light neutral paint! Brighten things up with lighting and show off those windows! Stage the home, inside and out! Give it that much needed makeover that enhances its natural beauty. Set the stage for the next homeowner to make it their own. If you put your best foot forward and make the listing shine, there’s a higher chance of getting buyers to consider moving to the next step – the 360 walk-through.
Behind the Yard Sign co-hosts Justin M. Riordan and Kelly Hanahan from Spade and Archer welcome Nancy Chapin from Windermere to talk about listing during COVID times.
Since open houses are a no-no these days, what better way to get a potential buyer closer than to do a customized 360 degree video walk-through for them! Our dear friend Nancy Chapin of Windermere Real Estate in Seattle, WA shared a few tips with us about her experience using such marketing tactics saying that she makes sure to show off the home’s floorplan in addition to its key features because she knows that’s a huge aspect in the decision-making process. “Neighborhood and configuration are the top. Everything else – finishes, countertop – they can change that out over time. If the configuration is quirky, that is really what people want to know.” And you don’t even have to be the seller’s representative to make one! Agents visit and tour homes so that buyers don’t have to right away, so why not record a video for your buyers and share it with them to review when they can really take it in? Hopefully they’ll want to watch it more than once, and if so, then they can.
But wait, there’s Matterport! Is it worth it? Maybe! Our owner & founder Justin Riordan shared his insight mentioning that he finds Matterport tours choppy and harder to navigate leaving him frustrated, but when his son gives it a whirl, he’s all about it! It’s purely a matter of your audience when it comes to this high-tech home tour, so yes, it could definitely be worth the investment.
And here’s another big listing suggestion – just say no to virtual staging. It may get you some great listing photos online, but it leaves your buyers high and dry when it comes to the videos, Matterport, and ultimately their in-person visit. Nancy reinforced this notion. “The goal is always to get somebody to leave their house, go across town, and come experience that home within those walls because I personally think, all those homes kinda have a soul, and you kinda feel it.” Nancy is an avid fan of staging for listings -- especially now because without staging, it’s much harder to drum up those warm, fuzzy feelings from a potential buyer when you have a lifeless, empty home.
If you want to cater to the broadest range in demographics, we say do it all! A quick coat of paint, thoughtful homestaging, professional photography, video tours, Matterport walkthrough, social media posts… all of it helps right now while we wait to even see if we begin frequenting open houses again. You might as well invest all the funds you’d be spending on printed flyers and tasty lunch offerings on those virtual marketing tools. You’ll find yourself not only with a new adaptive skillset, but also a very likely chance of a house sold!