Why homes sell better with a digital marketing master

warren reynolds massachusetts digital marketing

The device pictured below is a 1930 Kodak Brownie camera. It was one of over 500,000 distributed free to children in May of 1930 as part of a 50th anniversary celebration of this photographic technology.

By 1930, over fifty years of revolutionary changes in photographic and film processing capabilities had extended photography to the masses. By 1930, just about anyone could be a good photographer!

In the 2020s, anyone can be a digital marketing master

We in the 2020s have been witness to over fifty years of massive advances in computer and communication technologies. The internet, social media and graphics software have brought digital communication to the masses. Today, almost anyone can be a digital marketing master!

The sorry state of most real estate marketing in the 2020s

But when it comes to real estate marketing, most listing agents have been slow to take advantage of the tools that are now at their disposal. Even in the 2020s, a lot of the home marketing you see is rudimentary and lacking.

It’s a real disservice to you, the home seller. The uninspired, low-effort home marketing so prevalent today costs home sellers lost time and profit.

Digital marketing is key because home buyers shop online

In 2001, only 8% of home buyers started their home search online. Today, 98% of home buyers start online and over half of those find the home they end up buying from their online searches.

Today, digital marketing is the most important factor in home selling success. Digital marketing gets you the most money and the best terms for your home because it goes to where the buyers are: online!

The video above reviews what masterful digital home marketing in the 2020s requires. Because this video is approximately eight minutes long, we break it down below into smaller video segments for you. We highlight below exactly what digital home marketing in the 2020s should include.

Professional photography

Nowadays, professional photos are the minimum home sellers should expect from their listing agent. Yet amazingly, nearly half of the listings on one of the largest MLS networks in Massachusetts (MLS-PIN) still lack professional photography.

Ask the agent you are considering hiring how he plans to handle photos of your home. If the agent says he’ll be taking his own photographs, that’s a warning sign!

Social Selling

Masterful digital home marketing in the 2020s is all about social media platforms and online marketing campaigns. Paid advertising campaigns on Instagram, Google, Facebook and YouTube promote listings and drive attendance at open houses.

Paid social selling will increase your home’s exposure to the market by putting your home in front of the greatest number of potential buyers. The larger the pool of buyers, the higher the likelihood you’ll receive more offers. And anytime you receive multiple offers, you’re fostering an atmosphere where prospective purchasers will offer their highest and best price in order to compete with other offers.

Ask the agents you interview if they’ll be using targeted Facebook and Instagram ads, YouTube videos, and Google paid advertising. Ask to see examples of their social ads. Top-quality social media advertising is a good indication of a top-quality home marketer!

Matterport 3-D virtual tours

Many agents will include a virtual tour in their marketing plan for your property. But it’s important for you to know that not all virtual tours are the same. Many agents will say “virtual tour” but by that they mean a slideshow of still photos of your property. These slideshow tours were cutting edge in the 1990s, but are really ho-hum now. And a lot of agents still use them!

The best virtual tours are 3D and self-guided. And the best of these tours use a software platform called Matterport. It works on all devices, including smartphones.

Matterport creates an interactive experience for home buyers. It turns your home into a user- directed tour. Buyers can go room by room at their own pace and use the route that they want to take. The dollhouse view is an especially effective involvement tool.

As we progress with the 2020s, we believe Matterport increasingly will become an integral way people view and buy homes. This is the future! When interviewing agents, ask what kind of home tour they include with their listings. Remember, not all virtual tours are the same. The best of the best is Matterport!

Digital floor plans

Digital floor plans were rare back in 2005. They’re much more common today. On the MLS-PIN system in Massachusetts, roughly 35% – 40% of listings currently have digital floor plans attached to them. Buyers can quickly access the floor plans to get a good overview of the property and see if they have an interest in pursuing it.

The best plans have embedded photos. You can see what each room looks like as you go through the floor plan. Buyers can use floor plans to much more easily tell if the house they are looking at is suitable for them. They can quickly see not just room sizes, but also room locations.

Review the marketing plan before you list

Before you sign a listing contract, ask to see the agent’s marketing plan. It should utilize all the digital marketing tools and strategies we’ve highlighted above.

If an agent doesn’t have a written marketing plan, or if the plan scrimps on state-of-the-art digital marketing, you might want to find a better agent!

We have a written, detailed marketing plan we will be happy to share with you. Just use the form below to ask for a copy and we’ll send it right over to you!

Learn more about us here.