Want to sell quickly in the current market?
Part 3 - Cross Media Advertising

Proper marketing is essential in selling any product, and a home is no exception. The better your visibility in the market, the more likely you are to interest a larger number of buyers. I feel that to reach the greatest audience, a Realtor(R) needs to be open to marketing in as many ways as necessary. Not every home will need such widespread marketing, but some can use that extra touch. In this entry, I'm going to run through a number of marketing devices I personally use to sell a home, and detail exactly how they work.

MLS Online: The MLS website is by far the most widely used marketing tool available to Realtors(R). Most buyers and their agents use MLS to find their next home, and many homes sell using only MLS for their marketing. The important aspect to remember about MLS is that any tool is only as good as the craftsman wielding it. Listings with no photos, incomplete information or poor descriptions can get passed over very easily when a buyer is looking at a number of places. It's crucial to have those great pictures highlighting the homes features, as much information as possible, and a tantalizing description if you want your home to stand out.

Front Yard "For Sale" Sign: The front yard sign is another essential marketing device. When folks decide to look for a new home, many will drive around the neighbourhood they are interested in searching for such signs. It also makes your home much easier to find if someone spotted it on MLS and decided to drive by to take a look. The sign provides exposure in your immediate area, and instantly gives interested buyers my name and phone number, so they are less likely to trouble you personally with any questions.

Open Houses: An open house is an excellent way to have a number of buyers come through in a short amount of time. It also creates a buzz, as even more signs go up in the neighbourhood (pointing the way to the open house), and there are generally a number of people viewing the home at once. It can create an urgency for the buyers; "If I don't decide now, one of these people will buy it first", and it's also a more casual showing so folks can just show up within the time frame as opposed to making a formal appointment (this is especially great for busy buyers, or people who are not yet working with a Realtor(R)).

Print Materials: Another way to make your home stand out in the market is to have custom made information sheets. Many realtors only use the standard print out from MLS to give information about your home to your potential buyers, but I custom make my listing sheets and have them printed them in full colour. This extra effort stands out to buyers (and they're less likely to lose the information!).

Other print materials that can be employed are flyers and open house invitations, which I hand out in your neighbourhood to raise awareness of the listing locally. Again, these should be custom made and printed in full colour.

Online Classified Ads: Newspaper classifieds are actually quite a bit less effective than many might think, but online classifieds, such as Craig's List, can be very effective. They have a huge readership, and their real estate section is widely known. Many folks I know say after MLS, Craig's List is where they'd next search for listings.

There are really endless possibilities when it comes to marketing your home, and more are popping up every day. It's important to have a Realtor(R) who will keep an eye out for fresh new ideas and really use those tools to your advantage.

Please watch for the final installment of this 4 part series, "Showing your home's best side".