Taking Advantage of Social Media to Sell your Home
Around the country, homeowners are still struggling to sell their homes
amidst an overburdened market. As a result, many are turning to whatever
tools and avenues they can take advantage of to get the word out about
their homes and increase exposure. Social media sites, such as Twitter
and Facebook, have dramatically changed the way in which people around
the world, share information and connect. These sites have also
significantly changed the way in which real estate can be marketed. Gone
are the days when a prospective buyer drove by a house, copied down a
number from the For Sale sign and called to make an appointment. At
least 80% of all prospective homebuyers today will begin their search
for a new home on the Internet. An even larger percentage of real estate
agents have begun to respond to this shift in buying behavior and are
now utilizing social media to market their listings. If you are
considering selling your home or your home is already on the market, you
simply cannot afford to overlook this crucial avenue of opportunity.
Using Facebook
Facebook is now the most popular online social media site, with millions
of users around the world logging in each and every day. To make
effective use of Facebook for the purposes of marketing your home, you
must make sure that your home is visible on the site. The first thing
you need to do to get started is to make a post letting others know that
your home is available for sale. This should begin to generate some buzz
about your home. You can also go a step further and ask friends and
family members to post on their profiles about your home as well. They
likely have contacts beyond your immediate circle and this can help to
get the word out.
Another good option is to create a photo album on your Facebook profile
that is dedicated specifically to pictures of your home. Be sure you
have quality, attractive pictures of the interior as well as the
exterior of your home. Be sure to tag the photos with descriptions and
to use plenty of keywords that will attraction attention to your post.
For example, use descriptions such as "house for sale in Nashville, TN"
or "real estate in Miami, FL"
You can also post a video tour of your home on Facebook as well. Video
tours have become an increasingly common marketing tool among many real
estate professionals today and with very good reason. They're effective!
Buyers want to receive immediate information and access to a home for
sale that interests them. A video tour satisfies that desire. Video
tours can be easily put together using software and several good quality
pictures of your home.
There are also several other steps you can take to make full use of
Facebook when marketing your home. Make sure you have a note on your
profile that details all of the important details about your home,
including number of beds and bath, square footage, price and contact
information for your realtor.
Creating a custom page for your house is also an excellent idea. Be sure
to let your friends and family know about it and ask them to Like it.
Once you have received 25 Likes on your page, you can take advantage of
the ability to create a custom URL just for your house.
Finally, make sure you continue to post updates about your house to keep
the buzz going.
Using Twitter
Twitter is also a huge social networking site and free to join as well.
Once you are a member, you gain the ability to connect with other
members and provide them with updates on your life through short IM
messages known as Tweets. The premise behind using Twitter is relatively
simple. You just answer the question about what you're doing. You can
easily get started by letting others know what you're selling your
house. Be sure to post updates anytime there is a change in your home,
such as when you make renovations, host an open house, etc.
The use of social media and networking sites has grown at an exponential
rate over a relatively short period of time. Sellers and real estate
agents who want to stay ahead of the competition have already begun to
make use of these sites to increase exposure for their properties. Free
and simple to use, these sites very well could change the way in which
real estate is marketed in the not so distant future.
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