Today, it usually takes more than a few photos, a hastily written description, and a listing on the MLS to sell a home. Now, you’ll need some creative marketing strategies and some well thought-out online marketing, for 89% of home buyers today begin their search online. But done right, online marketing can be a highly effective sales tool. So check out these marketing strategies for home sellers in Thousand Oaks.
First Things First
Of all the marketing strategies for home sellers, preparation is perhaps the most important and most often slighted. So marketing begins before the actual marketing. That critical preparatory marketing includes:
MAKING NEEDED REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS
The problem here is that if you’ve lived in the home any length of time, you’ve grown accustomed to a lot of things buyers will view as problems, such as that dripping faucet and sticking door. So you’ll need to do a critical walk-through – or better yet ask a friend to help you find problems – and then take care of everything that needs attention.
DECLUTTERING AND DEPERSONALIZING
Certainly, you’ll need to declutter, but a big part of the process is also depersonalizing. You have to do more than just get rid of all the junk and tidy up. You also need to remove everything that marks the house as your home, for example, family photos and idiosyncratic art. Strive to make your home a blank canvas that buyers can envision as their own home filled with their belongings.
STAGING
These days, you simply must do some level of staging because most other sellers are. There is, though, a lot more to staging than just rearranging furniture, and that’s why it’s best to hire a professional staging service. The goal is to present your home in its best light and showcase the most appealing features. Also, don’t neglect outdoor staging, which means primarily seeing to curb appeal.
Online Marketing
The tried-and-true online marketing strategies for home sellers in Thousand Oaks are many and varied, but here are a few of the most effective:
CREATE A PROPERTY-SPECIFIC WEBSITE
A strong marketing strategy is to create a website for the house you’re trying to sell, one that is dedicated to that listing alone. On that site, you should include a video gallery, a description written by a copywriter, and some video. Then you need to share the link with as many people and on as many relevant sites as possible.
CREATE A VIRTUAL TOUR
Virtual tours are big these days, and most home shoppers want them. After creating your property-specific website, you can post the virtual tours there. Virtual tours allow prospective buyers to tour your home from the comfort of their living room, and they are one of the most powerful marketing strategies for home sellers in Thousand Oaks
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to share your site URL and listing photos on all your social media channels. If you have some extra cash, you can use targeted ads like Facebook ads to get your home for sale in front of the exact people who would be interested.
USE ONLINE CLASSIFIED ADS
And don’t neglect to place classified ads on sites like Craigslist. These still work because many people go there first when they’re looking for a specific item, including a home, to buy. Besides, it costs you very little if anything, and all it takes is some copywriting skill in creating the ad.
Creative Marketing Strategies
And, of course, when it comes to marketing and beating the competition, it never hurts to go at least a little outside the box. Consider these creative marketing strategies for home sellers:
DEPLOY SOME BANNER ADS
Although not as effective as they were a few years ago, banner ads still work. You can purchase banner ads on relevant real estate-related sites and get your listing in front of thousands of more eyes. The great thing about these is that they can be laser targeted for exactly those people who would be interested in your home.
USE GOOGLE ADWORDS ADS
You’ve seen these ads in the upper right of your screen when you search for something online, usually pitches for money-making schemes, weight loss, and so on. But these ads do work and can help you sell your home. It does, however, take some skill to keep from sinking a bunch of money with no results. Your agent can advise you if you want to give Adwords a shot.
Partner With a Good Agent
Solid marketing strategies for home sellers in Thousand Oaks can make the difference between selling or not selling and can even mean a higher sale price. Still, marketing your home becomes much easier when you can nail the current market. And that’s where your agent comes in. To find out how a good agent can help you market your home and help you get a better price, contact me today at 805-232-8503!