Real estate marketing has come quite a long way in just the last few years. At some point, you’ve probably heard the phrase “the internet changes everything”. Well it’s changing the way people buy & sell real estate in a HUGE way right now. New companies like Trulia, Zillow & hundreds of others are completely revolutionizing the “buyer experience” for web-savvy consumers. The days of the MLS may not be over, but their power — and even their relevance — is being questioned by Realtors & consumers. I didn’t list Realtor.com in the list of revolutionaries above, because they really started out as a very “old school” internet company. But, the fact is that they have done great things and created the premier national environment for listings — you could call it “the national mls” (we don’t officially have one of those, of course).
So, here’s what matters to you — the consumer:
The business of selling real estate has changed so dramatically that very few agents (and fewer brokerages) know how to market a property the way it MUST be done today. The stuff that worked even 2 years ago is meaningless now. Just because someone says “we market online” doesn’t mean that they have a real understanding of the dramatic shift in what is required. Most agents think that “marketing online” means “having a website”. However, capturing customers and building relationships online in real estate is an art that very few have mastered (we’re trying our very best to top the list!)
Here’s what we used to do:
- Complete listing paperwork
- Take a few pictures — FMLS only allows 8
- Put the listing into FMLS/MLS & Realtor.com (most agents)
- Do newspaper & other print ads
- Open House with print ads only
This is what we’re doing now:
- Blogging everyday in order to get the attention of buyers searching online for our key market(s)
- Working hard at photography to get 25+ images for use all over the internet
- FMLS & Realtor.com are just the starting point now (25 pictures now on Realtor.com)
- Photo slideshows shared on line at flickr.com or photobucket.com and others
- Create online listings with the new syndication services to gain maximum exposure.
- Reconfirm the status of those syndications with each site ( Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist, etc.)
- Online & email follow up systems for showings.
- Online marketing for open houses (many consumers are focusing on this now)
- SMS (text messaging) of listings on demand for buyers as they are driving the neighborhood
- Full Motion Video home tours
- Podcasts & Video Blogging
- Voicemail to Email technology for faster & smoother communications with clients
- Whatever comes next
The bottom line:
Real estate marketing has become a complex operation — and it’s 99% done on the internet. Our job as great agents is to spend the many hours it takes to do the job right. Job ONE is just having the knowledge of what & how to do it.
