Real Estate Marketing Options
for Home Sellers

Real Estate Advertising refers to the actual marketing methods used to make the public aware that your home is for sale, and this is what we will look at here. In particular, advertising when you sell your home yourself. The most common advertising options used when using the For Sale by Owner method are as follows:

* FOR SALE Sign
* Local and/or Regional newspapers
* Brochures
* Word-of-Mouth
* Real estate advertising magazines

Real Estate Advertising on the Internet includes the following:

* Online Private Sale Marketing companies
* Individual website
* Real Estate Sales Websites

Overall, when putting together a real estate marketing strategy, things to work into your plan are:

a) your Real Estate Marketing Budget;
b) types of advertising which suit your budget and home;
c) a schedule of which real estate advertising to use and when.

An important consideration is that when putting together your real estate marketing strategy, it is best to try a variety of advertising methods for a period of time, say 30 days, before deciding on which method brings you the best results. A simple spreadsheet recording how the buyer came to know about your home is ideal. This can help you make future decisions about real estate advertising based on facts rather than guesswork.

Do FOR SALE SIGNS really work?

Yes they do. For Sale Signs are just one of the many methods of real estate advertising and in some instances they work better. But for the most part, signs are important in bringing immediate attention to your property. Signs play a very important role in creating interest in your property - especially when using the For Sale by Owner method.

Often, FSBO sellers underestimate the value of signs because internet is now so readily used to seek property. What home sellers forget is that a large proportion of people often visit the area in which they buy, prior to the actual purchase. Internet is a valuable real estate marketing tool, however, what it doesn't reveal is the atmosphere, and aesthetic appeal (or lack of it) of the overall suburb/area.

D.I.Y sign or Professionally made sign? Which one do you choose? It's your choice, however, my recommendation is use a professional. There are many sign companies who specialise in Real Estate signage and the prices are very affordable. D.I.Y signs may be cheaper, however, they can often have an adverse affect on your property. Remember - when you sell your home yourself, the way you present and represent your home, makes a certain impression on the buyer. If that impression is 'dodgy', then they are unlikely to step foot in your door, regardless of how beautiful (your home) it may be.

Local and/or Regional newspapers are a real estate marketing method widely used by For Sale by Owner home sellers due to ease of access and affordability. Keep in mind that depending on the locality of your home, one or the other (local or regional) usually works better. It helps to see which suburbs are continually being advertised. Sometimes, if your home is in a rural area, the local paper often works better. Also, there is usually a HUGE difference in cost, with regional newspapers often charging exorbitant rates!

The most important suggestion that I can make here when you sell your home yourself, is that whether you try local and/or regional real estate advertising, ensure that you advertise a minimum of 2 weeks. I recommend at least 4 weeks of real estate advertising, especially in the first 30 days, as this is when the most interest will come from buyers. If your home is on the market for an extended period of time, you can also renew interest with newspaper advertising to a new cycle of buyers.

Real estate advertising of your home is no different to advertising in general - you don't know what is going to work best for you. By testing different real estate advertising methods over a period of time, you will be able to record and gauge the response accurately. Advertising only once is a bit of a hit-and-miss attempt, and doesn't produce a reliable enough response on which to base future decisions.

Brochures are a relatively easy method of real estate advertising, as anyone can put together a professional looking brochure on their computers. Once done on your computer, you can either print up a copy and photocopy the quantity you need, or take your disk to your local print shop and they can print your brochures for you.

You just need to compare prices and work out what is going to suit your budget. Also, consider how you are going to distribute the brochures. If you have plenty of spare time, you could do a brochure drop yourself. On the other hand, if you have a large quantity, it might save time and money to pay a leaflet/brochure distributing company do it for you.

Word-of-Mouth is another underestimated form of advertising when it comes to real estate marketing. Tell the world! The more people who know the better. You never know who is looking to buy. Sometimes just the mention in a conversation can lead to a potential buyer. That includes neighbours, however nosy they may be. I've often come across neighbours who had relatives looking to buy closer to their families. Another suggestion... send an email to everyone in your email address book. It doesn't hurt to try.

Online Private Sale Marketing companies have become popular due to easy access to the internet, and affordability for For Sale by Owner home sellers. These companies market your property online and prices vary (Free - $3000 and more) depending on the level of service and/or package provided. Make sure you check these companies out. The main two types of online private sale marketing companies are:

1) those which market your home online exclusively via their site, and
2) those which market your home online via their site as well as major real estate portals.

The most important thing you need to consider when using these companies, is how well they market their websites, and how many home buyers know your home is for sale. It's no use marketing your home on the internet if buyers don't know where to find you, is it?

Lastly, Individual Websites...do they work? They do if you're a professional web designer who knows how to market to get on the first two pages of major search engines, and then be found in Australia. Considering the length of time and cost it takes to establish one of these, and then get noticed if you're really good at real estate marketing on the internet, this option isn't suitable for the majority of people. Of course, some people can bring attention to their website via signs and newspaper advertising. Remember though, wjen you sell your home yourself, you want to get as many home buyers as possible looking, in order to find the right one.

Lastly, another less used method of For Sale by Owner home selling is via Private Auction. This is made possible by engaging the services of an Auctioneer and paying a fee directly to them. However, the same real estate advertising process is involved as if you were selling via an agent, which means a minimum of 4 weeks advertising prior to Auction. This is the most costly part of using the auction method. Also, different rules and ramifications apply to Auction, so just make sure you do your research before embarking on this road.

Once you've looked at real estate marketing in detail, and all the different methods of real estate advertising, then you need to sit down and write up your real estate marketing strategy.

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