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How to Advertise Your House
Whenever I listed a house, the very first thing I would do was ask the owner and family to write down a list of all the things they loved about their house and about living in their neighborhood. This becomes the basis of all advertising.
Sale MARKETING PLAN
The following plan was developed to provide you with the best use of your time and budget to get your house sold in the least amount of time and for the most money!
1. Complete listing form to have on hand to answer any questions about the house that may come up. Listing form is provided here in the section MARKETING. In addition to listing your house on MLS you should list house on as many internet FSBO websites that you can there are many out there that are FREE. If you decide not to list on MLS you can still list on FSBO sites on the internet. I also suggest creating a Blog so that you can post information about available appointment times, display lots of pictures of house exterior and interior rooms, respond to questions from buyers, Post updates on house status, etc….it’s easy and inexpensive. It is a great tool for interaction with potential buyers.
2. Send out “Ready to put up the sign” post cards to surrounding area residents. That would be at least 100 to the same zip. If you prefer you can purchase door hanger plastic bags and put an information flyer and the postcard in that and hang on doorknobs in the neighborhoods.
3. Make up special flyers for Real Estate Agents highlighting special features and if not on MLS commission percentage you would be willing to pay if a Realtor brings you a qualified buyer with a contract. Send these to Real Estate offices you know list and sell properties in your area. These flyers can be black and white. Distribute to Top Producing Agents in other offices that you know have worked in your area.
4. Make flyers for the flyer tube on the sign at the house and always keep this tube filled with flyers. This is one of your most important marketing tools. You know they like the neighborhood because they are driving around looking so make sure they don’t pass your house without a flyer! Be sure there is an email address on the flyer. If you have created a Blog be sure to have that address on the flyer too.
4.Schedule an OPEN HOUSE for Agents only and send out an invitation to the offices you would like to come to this event. Be sure to include all the offices that you have seen having for sale signs up in your neighbor hood. Plan to serve refreshments and highlight this on your invitations. Real Estate Agents love to be fed. They are always running around and a snack is always appreciated.
Schedule an OPEN HOUSE for all your Neighbors and send out invitations to neighbors, friends, co-workers and family in the form of a flyer or postcard. These are the only two open houses I recommend.
NOTE: ABOUT OPEN HOUSES. Many sellers get upset if their agent does not hold an open house. Well if the truth be told this is really a good thing. An OPEN HOUSE is an agent’s tool to get more buyers in their client base. Rarely if ever does a house sell from an open house. That is why if your house is in a prominent location an agent will press for an open house and if it is off the beaten track they are not that interested in holding one. OPEN HOUSES expose you and your belongings to many strangers at one time. It is almost impossible for one person even two to keep their eyes on all those people milling around the house. So for my money I suggest you avoid holding any open houses for the general public.
5. Create at least 5 different print ads that you can submit to your local newspaper for the weekend Sunday edition and for any community papers that serve your area. Local daily and weekly newspaper readership is declining, but people looking to buy a house still buy a Sunday newspaper if their not a subscriber to look at the ads of homes for sale. Some local weeklies offer great rates on display ads, too, so you can include a photograph of the home for sale. Your ad copy should sparkle and be designed to attract attention. You don’t have to be too wordy but don't make a home sellers mistake by abbreviating too many words. You can keep the ad short but be sure to include your web listing info and your blog site and phone number with appointment name.
6. Mail postcards to neighborhood residents in yours and other neighborhoods and/or apartments that have the move up potential.
7. Carry flyers with you in your car and if the opportunity arises put them up on bulletin boards or hand them out .
8. Re-evaluate the CMA Competitive Market Analysis entries every 30-35 days to make sure you are still aligned with market trends.
9, Answer any questions or concerns a potential buyer may have as soon as is possible. NEVER answer a question unless you know the answer. DO NOT BLUFF. If you don’t know the answer to something tell them you will get back to them asap and then find the answer and get back to them.
10. When you do get that contract be ready with your notes to negotiate. Be realistic and read their offer. It is a good idea to write down the elements of the offer on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure you factor out what your net profit will be before accepting or declining the offer. An example could be that their price may be a little lower than you are asking but they may not be asking for anything extra or they may even be forfeiting the refrigerator, washer dryer etc. so you need to read all the terms, use your notes of what is in the contract and then make your decision based on the bottom line.
You will find more information for 2-9 below in FLYERS, CARDS, ADS
Welcome to the age of the computer. Everyone is using the computer to shop for everything from socks to new Homes.
For marketing it is a cost effective way for you to reach a staggering number of Potential Buyers in a short period of time.
How does the internet fit into my
Marketing Plan?
e-book has more detailed instructions on how and where to post house on the internet.
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The internet is fast becoming the most used research tool for people looking for information or services. According to NAR Roughly 86% of people looking to buy a home begin their search on the internet”. So it only makes sense that you utilize the internet for the sale of your house. If you decide you definitely do not want to use the Multiple Listing Service because you do not want to possibly pay the sales commission then maybe the following options would work for you.
Advertising your home online allows you to compete with real estate agents.
One way to advertise your home online would be to list it on craigslist is a free classified ads website. They have listings from all over the United States, and you simply choose your city/state, and place your ad for FREE! You can even add pictures. Ebay.com has a fsbo section it is like Craigslist however there is a charge.
You can also list your house for sale by owner on popular for sale by owner websites. You will probably have to pay a small fee. FSBO websites are becoming more popular and they will allow you to post photos, and sometimes even videos. Some offer tools for your sale like yard signs, tubes for the sign to hold flyers, etc.. to help market your home.
Consider creating your own BLOG
A blog is a personal expression format of a website. Unlike a static web site the content is generally organized by dated articles called “posts” usually by the author of the site and they often display the most recent post at the top. Unlike a website a Blog is more interactive between the author and the visitor to the site. A blog has a lot of flexibility. You can organize the posts by category, date, tags, etc so your visitors can sort through your blog using their method of choice.
That is why I think it is a perfect forum for selling your house. You can feature the blog address on all your flyers, postcards and ads and invite potential buyers to visit the site to get more information on the house, ask questions and make appointments to see the house. You can create a site that features more pictures and information than you could ever compile on a flyer or in an ad. You could even develop a virtual tour or hire someone to make one for you. The blog would also allow you to post your calendar of available showing dates and times so that the buyer can easily set up an appointment with you to see the house. Because of the anonymity on the blog the buyer will feel more at ease in contacting you vs. calling on the phone. And you too can follow up with interested buyers more easily via email and the plus side of that is you will have a record of what potential buyers are asking and commenting on about your house.
Many real estate agents have seen the value of this and they have created blogs for their business instead of a website because of the interaction they can have between themselves and potential clients.
By having your own blog you control the content and you are able to work directly with the potential buyers that visit your blog. Your blog is directly linked to your advertising, in your flyers, print ads, and direct mail so you are reaching your target market. Unlike a typical website where you are reaching out to the masses with your blog you will get hits because of your localized advertising efforts. There are a lot of free hosting companies out there. Setting up your own blog allows you the freedom to add as many photos and as lengthy of a description as you need and want. You can also set up a contact form for anyone to ask you questions by email or right there on the blog. You can even screen questions before they post to eliminate any negatives. When you have your own blog it allows visitors to take a virtual tour of your house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Make sure you advertise your blog address on any flyers, postcards, newspaper ads, any marketing materials.
I bet your saying:
Sounds great!
But how do I make a Blog and how much does it cost?
There are many sites availbale to create a blog and blogger by Google and WordPress are both free for you to use. Now for the question how do i create a blog, I have included detailed information in the E-book. Also you could check this great site I go to for all my questions on creating my web site and blogs and that is 2 Create a Website. It is a great site with just about everything you need to do. 2 create a website web master Lisa recommends using WordPress so I copied this off their website for you I however prefer blogger.
“Almost everything on WordPress.com is free, and things that are currently free will remain free in the future, but we do offer paid a la carte upgrades…...”
So take a moment and check it out. The great advantage of having a blog is that you can communicate with your buyers via the blog and email. It is a neutral forum for seller and buyer to communicate.
I can’t wait to see your house on your blog.
Don’t forget to send me your blog address or your internet info so I can look up your house.
I would love to see How you are doing with your sale. And please be sure to send me an email with an attachment of pictures of your house and your SALE information.
ADD Your story to my page of SUCCESSES!
Just email me your story and pictures and I will Post them on the site!
BONUS:
After YOUR house is sold you can keep your blog going and use it to stay in touch with old neighbors, family and friends from the old neighborhood.
THE SIGN, FLYERS, POSTCARDS, ADS
Advertising and Marketing
 3 examples of fsbo signs
Flyer holders are available at buildaasign online. Check it out!
Your sign will be the first thing that potential buyer's will see advertising your house for SALE.
Tip: This is a trick for ease in knowing if it is a potential buyer on the phone, use a fictitious Name as the appt. contact on your advertisments and sign. Let's say your name is John and you put on your sign call "Mark" for more information. That way when you receive a call asking for "Mark" everyone answering the phone will know that this is a call on the house and can immediately reach for the appointment book and get the necessary information from the caller and if possible set the appointment right then. This will minimize lost opportunities.
If your budget will not allow the purchase of a sign ready made then you can make one. The first thing you need to do is make a trip to the home store like Lowes, or Home Depot and purchase a piece of 1/2” plywood smooth on both sides or the cheapest smooth surface board you can find 24” x 30” (I do not recommend composite board but if this is what you have then you are going to have to wrap the edge with duck tape to protect from rain or snowk. The good thing is that duct tape now comes in all kinds of colors so you can keep your color scheme and it will look nice) and paint it white on both sides with exterior paint. Using tape create the shape of a house and stick to sign blocking all areas that should stay white and spray a great color paint, Krylon spray paint is a good choice (I love krylon because it is cheap and it goes on smooth, dries fast and holds up) Now Stick on plastic lettering FOR SALE BY OWNER FOR APPOINTMENT CALL FRED (remember to use a name you and your family have chosen so you know right away when it is someone calling about the house), and the PHONE NUMBER in Big and Clear Numbers. You cannot imagine how many FSBO signs I have seen with NO phone number.
As you can see in the example on theright it has been taped off and painted a contrasting color to give the sign a more professional look.
You can put your sign up on a stake but it is well worth the investment to put the sign on a substantial post. It should be visible from a distance and the lettering and numbers should be clear and big. The sign is very important it is the first representation of your house and what they can expect inside. If you can afford to order a sign on line I highly recommend this. A good site I found where you can custom design your sign is buildasign You can pretty much customize your signs to your needs and your budget. They also have the flyer holders available.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR SIGN AND FLYER BOX LET’S LOOK AT FLYERS SOMETIMES CALLED FACT SHEETS
**** Remember all those things I asked you to write down about what you and your family love about this house and this neighborhood. Well now we are going to use them. A good start is to make a list of the 10-50 best things about this house (this can go on the back of the flyers) Now let’s look at some flyer ideas. Check out MORE ABOUT FLYERS
****Remember you must add a disclaimer to your flyers and anything that you send out pertaining to the sale of your house.
Here is a sample disclaimer:
All information deemed accurate but not guaranteed. School availability can change. Please consult local government to verify.
More samples of flyers in e-book
 
... is very important to your advertising. You don’t have to hire a professional photographer but you do need to pay attention when taking the pictures. Use your eyes, look at the house or the room you are going to photograph and then once you see what you think is a good picture angle take your camera and take the shot. It is all about framing. When taking exterior shots don’t get so far away that you are getting too much sky or too much grass. Inside is tricky, sometimes you almost have to stand out in the hall to get a good shot. You know your house and your rooms, shoot the pictures to highlight what is best about the room.
If it has a fireplace be sure to get that in the picture. If a closet is the best feature of the room, include it in the shot. I can’t tell you how many pictures of homes I have taken with a disposable camera and then taken them to Wal-mart and had them developed into a computer disc. That’s right they will put them right onto a disc for very little money I think I usually paid about $2.99 and then I would have the pictures computer ready to use as I needed. It was so handy. Those disposable cameras are fantastic they even have a built in flash and the film is fast usually 400-800 and it is 35mm. Perfect for taking those shots of the house outside and inside. Keep flyers in the box on the sign and also keep them in the house for people to pick up when they come to look at the house (along with the Disclosure when mandated by your local.)
****We will have more on to TAKE GOOD PICTURES****
DIRECT MAIL-POSTCARDS
The next part of your marketing campaign is direct mail. Yes that is right you are going to mail a post card before the sign goes up in the yard to at least 100 people made up of neighbors, friends and co-workers.
You are sending a card to neighbors because they are nosy anyway and this way they will feel like you have been considerate of them by letting them know before the sign goes up. Send them out to at least a 10 block radius. Also who else better knows the neighborhood and may themselves have family or friends who are interested in living in your neighborhood. It is easy to find names and addresses in the tax records the same place you went on line to to get real estate assessments. You can pull up the entire subdivision street by street with all the property owners listed.
You are sending a card to your family because they too come in contact with people every day and may have the opportunity to let someone know that a house, your house is available in your neighborhood.
And lastly you are sending a postcard to your coworkers because if you work and live close then they may want to be close too and maybe they are thinking about moving.
Talk about a target market.
Don’t forget Realtors®. They are not the enemy. Of course they will be calling you to try to get your listing, that is why I advise that you go ahead and interview at least 4 Realtors® and pick one. This serves two purposes, if you are buying a new house in your current area they can represent you in the purchase and even if you are moving to a new area they can make a referral to an agent there for you, having selected an agent you can honestly tell other agents hounding you for your listing that you already have an agent and if you decide to list it would be with him/her.
Secondly, having established a relationship with a Realtor® they may be willing to give you a little advice along the way even though they know you are selling the house yourself, especially if you plan to purchase a home with their representation. I advise you send a postcard or a flyer to the agents that you see often on the signs in your neighborhood to let them know your house is on the market. It is possible that down the road if you do not get a buyer they may have a buyer and you could negotiate a Sales commission % and pay only for the sale. This is a good avenue to keep open because you are in no way obligated to accept a contract they may present.
Just like with the price of the house if you cannot agree to the amount of the % they are asking to make the deal you don’t have to take it.
Putting you house on the Multiple Listing Service also exposes your house to Agents and their Buyers. See the section on the Multiple Listing Service. If you do not put your house in the MLS you will want to list it with some form of online For Sale By Owner web site.
A blog is a very effective way to market your house on the internet. The Internet has revolutionized real estate marketing methods. It has also made it easier for those who wish to sell their home on their own. Several studies have shown that more and more home buyers are using the Internet as their first point of contact when considering buying a house. You can create a blog and direct interested buyers to the web address and you can put a lot more information out there than you ever could on a flyer/fact sheet. It’s also a good way to set up an appointment calendar to let buyers know the best time to see the house.
NEWSPAPERS
Newspapers are still a very effective way to advertise your house for sale. You can look through the classified section any Sunday and you will see hundreds of ads. Not to mention that the classifieds appear on the Newspaper’s web site. When writing a classified ad it is important to not only grab the reader's interest with a strong headline, but to maintain that interest with colorful and descriptive copy. DO NOT FORGET TO INCLUDE THE PRICE,ADDRESS, WEB SITE ADDRESSES-EITHER THE MLS #, FSBO SITES, YOUR BLOG OR BOTH.
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Read those ads in the Sunday Paper. Get a feel for what the agents are saying about their listings. Look at the For Sale By Owners.
Sounds simple, but you’d be amazed how many For Sale By Owner Sellers don’t take the time to do this. Remember, you are selling a commodity and it pays to know your competition. Look for repeated phrases that might be evidence of what customers are interested in. If your competition keeps mentioning their “garages” and “porches,” be sure to highlight yours. But also look to see what differentiates your house from theirs. If the competition is a sea of typical Colonials and you have a ranch, you might want to emphasize your one level living, “open floor plan” or how your home is “built for entertaining.” You want to show what you’ve got that the competition doesn’t.
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When writing a newspaper ad think about who would be interested in living in your house.
Is it a young family, a first time homebuyer, an executive, etc. Write with the people best suited to your house and neighborhood in mind. Now that you have your Buyer in mind think about the things in your house and neighborhood that will most appeal to them. Let’s just say that it would be a young family. Well, your big spacious eat in kitchen would be appealing as would that family room in the basement. And how about the playground down the street. Are you getting the idea. Write to your buyer.
· Now even though you are writing your ad to appeal to the buyer you think will be interested in your house you have to be careful not to be exclusive.
You don’t want to discourage potential buyers or break any fair housing laws so it is best to describe the property, not the customer. As you saw in my sample I did not say perfect for a young family but rather I pointed out amenities I knew would appeal to them. Never, never mention a buyer’s race, color, or religion — that’s against the law!
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Let the Buyer know if you have any brand name appliances or fixtures in your house.
Be specific, if you have Corian or granite countertops or a refrigerator that is two feet deep or a designer’s light fixture anything that is unusual or Brand name, include this in your flyer information and your newspaper ad. Also flooring is a real buzz so don’t leave out hard wood floors, bamboo, stone tile, or upgraded carpeting. Today laminate flooring is now a real asset especially bamboo flooring. Let them know how green you are. Anything that makes your house stand out above the competition. Your house is a cup of coffee, now present it like Starbucks.
· Watch out for using too many of those words overused words like motivated seller, reduced, cozy, charming, handyman’s delight etc.
People today are much more savvy. Because on the internet there is so much information out there at their fingertips, buyers like a seller to be straight forward with their descriptions. Don’t get me wrong there is still nothing like a great headline to hook the reader but don’t get caught up in adjectives in your description. Follow the guidelines of highlighting those things in your home and neighborhood that will appeal to your target buyer.
Don’t get into a rut! Get ready to rewrite! If an ad doesn’t make your phone ring then pull it rewrite it and resubmit.
If you’re running your ad in a community’s local newspaper, you might want to try and tweak your ads each time it is up for renewal and see what brings in the calls.
MORE ABOUT FLYERS
If you have Microsoft publisher, Microsoft has flyer templates you can download at their web site. Go to templates, type in real estate flyers and it will take you to a download page thumbprints of flyers you can download to publisher 2003 or 2007
I also discovered a site vFlyer to create flyers. It offers unlimited use free for consumers for up to 2 properties, and professionals can upload a minimum number of home listings for free every month. When you are finished creating the flyer, press publish. You can copy the HTML code on the screen and use it to post you listing on Craigslist
As an added incentive, vflyer will automatically publish your flyer on the following Web sites:
Oodle
Trulia
Vast
If you still feel like you can’t make your own flyers you can hire a professional designer or go to an online Web site to create flyers for you. I also make flyers for clients just email me if you want me to make them for you and I will price it out for you. My turnaround time is about 48 hours.
Now flyers are not effective without pictures nor is your Blog. So here are some tips on taking good pictures.
Taking GREAT Pictures how 2:
The real estate market today is tougher than ever. That is why it is necessary to utilize any and all resources available to market your house, and this includes the internet. I’ve read numerous times that over 80% of home buyers are using the internet to find the homes they want to see and buy. Knowing that, you have to consider how to use the internet to your best advantage in the sale of your house and one of the best ways is to list your house on the internet and provide pictures. As many pictures as the site where you list your house will allow.
Just how important are real estate photographs?
I would say they rank right up there with pricing your house right. Photographs are essential because they represent the property you are selling. When a buyer is searching through an internet site viewing houses for sale they are primarily looking at two things, price and that picture right there beside the listing. If price appeals to them they then look at the picture and if the picture appeals to them they click on details. You need them to click on details because that is the only way they might add your house to their list of “must sees” and make an appointment to see your house. And that showing is now you have a chance to win them over with all the work you’ve have put into your house to make it ready for that showing.
Now, not only are your pictures important to your internet marketing but they will make or break your flyers too. After a day of driving around pulling flyer after flyer out of boxes that buyer gets home and carries in the pile of papers they picked up that day and lays th em on the kitchen counter. Hours later after dinner, bath times, helping kids with homework etc… they pick up that pile of flyers and retire to their beds to look over their days house hunting results and decide which houses they want to go and see. It’s now been hours since they drove by these houses and their minds blurrrrrr as to which house was which. Because you have taken such great pictures and have included a good representation of your house and its amenities this buyer is able to relive seeing your house in person and therefore much more likely to keep it as a possible to look at. So you see that if you are able to get the attention of interested buyers, then there will be a greater chance of buyers, actually making an appointment and visiting your property.
Taking good images:
So how do you get that GREAT photograph of your property? Well, if you have it in your house selling budget, one of the best ways to do it is to hire a professional. However, just because someone says they are a professional does not mean quality work. Make sure you they have had success with taking pictures of homes for marketing, review their portfolio. You have to be careful who to hire. If you know someone who worked with him/her before, ask how the experience was. This will help ensure that you get your money’s worth.
Or if you don’t have the budget to hire a professional, you can take the photographs of your property. Even if you do not own a really good camera. I prefer 35mm for taking pictures if you do not have a really upscale digital camera. And what better way to take 35mm pictures than with a disposable camera. That’s right, I said it, a disposable with flash, and I like Fugi Quick Snap with flash loaded with 800 speed film (great in low light conditions) . This is a fantastic, inexpensive way to take a lot of pictures for very little money. Not only can you take a lot of pictures so that you can get those quality shots, but you can have the film developed right to a CD, computer ready with editing features allowing you to crop the pictures incase they are too wide or off balance, and you can download them right onto your computer and start making your flyers and upload your house info and pictures to the internet site without having to scan anything or any other steps. What could be better. I use these cameras all the time and they really do take good pictures.
Ok, you have the cameras let’s talk about when and how to take those pictures.
Taking your pictures
You don’t want to photograph your house for marketing until you have completed your preparation and everything is in tip top shape. Property should be clean, clutter free, and staged for the buyer inside and out. Don’t forget about that curb appeal.
Some simple DON’TS
Don’t photograph the house with the car in the driveway. You don’t want anything to distract from the house you are selling.
Don’t try to shoot a close-up of the house. It is better to shoot a little wide and then use your picture editor to crop the picture for better balance.
Don’t shoot interior shots with the sun streaming through the windows. It will distort your pictures. You want natural light but avoid pointing directly at the windows. Try to keep the light to your side or behind you. If you are trying to get a shot of the beautiful French doors, or bay window wait until the sun is overhead of the house and then take your pictures.
Don’t try to shoot a room while standing in the middle of it. You are going to have to move to a corner of the room to get the opposite corner, sometimes you may have to move out into the hall or back into a closet to get the shot. Pick an interesting or inviting aspect of the room to photograph. Don’t just point and click. Use your eyes, what appeals to you. Find that and then photograph it. Again remember when shooting your house wide shots are better to allow editing. Avoid tight shots. Your new motto, fix it in editing/cropping.
I suggest that you go to a website for sale by owner or MLS and look at the pictures posted there. Find pictures that appeal to you and then think of them when you are taking pictures of your house. One thing that will surprise you is that owners as well as agents do not utilize the maximum number of pictures they are allowed to post and according to statistics this is a BIG Mistake. I saw 2 studies that showed that houses on web sites with more pictures sold more quickly and for a better price than those with less. My thoughts are that with more pictures more buyers were enticed and chose those houses to call owners and make an appointment to see the house resulting in more sales.
Copyright© 1973,1978,1981,1996,1998,1999,2003,2005 AEBlake ,
Copyright© Oct 1, 2009 forsalebyownerhow2 abef Blake Enterprises
Information deemed to be reliable although not guaranteed
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