Grand Rapids Home Seller Tips
If you are thinking of selling your home, chances are you’re caught up in a mass of emotions. You may be looking forward to moving up to a new home or facing the uncertainty of a major move across country. You may be reluctant to leave your memories behind or eager to start new and exciting adventures. Remember, I am here to help you with any of your needs. Call or e-mail me today!
Tip # 6: The Listing Agent & Marketing Your Home
The “Real” Role of a Listing Agent
When you bought your home, you probably used the services of a real estate agent. You found that agent through a referral from a friend or family member, or through some sort of advertising or marketing. The agent helped you in many ways and eventually you found the house of your dreams, made an offer, closed the deal, and moved in.
For whatever reason, now it is time to sell your home and you need a real estate agent again. Many home sellers, especially those selling their first home, tend to think all agents are similar to the one that helped them buy their home.
Although real estate agents can (and do) work with both buyers and sellers, most tend to concentrate more on one than the other. They specialize. When you bought your home, you probably worked with a “selling agent” – an agent that works mostly with buyers. Because of the nature of real estate advertising and marketing, the public’s main image of the real estate profession is that of the selling agent.
As a result, many homeowners expect their listing agent to do the same things that a selling agent does – find someone to buy their home. After all, they do the things you would expect if they were searching for buyers. A sign goes up in the front yard. Ads are placed in the local newspaper and real estate magazines. Your agent holds an open house on the weekend. Your house is proudly displayed on the Internet.
But this is only “surface” marketing. More important activity occurs behind the scenes. After the “for sale” sign goes up and flyers are printed, your agent’s main job is to market your home to other agents, not to home buyers.
The “For Sale” Sign
It seems fairly obvious that when you put your house up for sale that your agent will put a “for sale” sign in the front yard. The sign will identify the agent’s company, the agent, and have a phone number so prospective buyers can call and get information.
Signs are great at generating phone calls, even if very few actually purchase the home they call about. However, you might be one of the lucky ones. For that reason, you should determine what happens when someone calls the number on the sign. Does a live person answer the phone or does the call go to a voicemail or recorder?
You want someone to answer the phone while the caller is “hot.” When buyers call the number on the sign, the call should go to a live person who can answer questions immediately. A potential buyer may be on the street outside your home, placing the call using a cell phone.
Flyers and a Brochure Box
Your agent should prepare a flyer that displays a photo and provides details about your house. There should also be a phone number so buyers can contact your agent to get additional information. The flyers should be displayed in a prominent location in your home and also in a brochure box attached to the “for sale” sign.
The brochure box is convenient for those buyers who drive by and just happen to see the “for sale” sign in front of your house. It provides enough information so they can determine if they want to follow up with a phone call or inform their own agent they are interested in your house.
Online Marketing
Most agents will have a website. This is so very important and really a no-brainer. However, websites are only as good as their ranking on the search engines. Your agent must be able to demonstrate how their website performs on the search engines for various relevant keywords as this is what generates viewings on your property.
Social Media Marketing
Which brings us to Social Media Marketing. Agents should not only have a Twitter, Facebook Business page(s), plus accounts on LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest, but they should be active on these platforms as well. They should be actively blogging as these activities generate traffic to their website and subsequently your listing.
Phone Call Prospecting
Last but definitely not least, …actually it is THE single most important thing that your agent can do. Does your agent prospect daily for business? Does he or she pick up the phone and make those calls to expired listings, for Sale by Owner listings and the various leads that come through their marketing efforts? We spend several hours each day on the phones which not only translates to business for us but potential buyers for your home.
