A great agent is a great marketer

Last month I helped my client sell her cute little bungalow for an astounding $250K over asking: a price that was significantly higher than even my most optimistic predictions. The buyer saw my listing reel on Instagram and came with a bully offer that my client happily said yes to.

While timing was certainly a factor – the buyer happened to see the reel at exactly the right moment – what really won the day was excellent marketing. 

There's so much more to selling a home than just taking a few shots and slapping the listing up on MLS. Marketing a property right includes strong staging, great photos and the ability to get those images out there to the people who need to see them. And that's why, when you're looking for a great agent, you should also be looking for a great marketer: they are one and the same. 

Staging is an absolute must 

I’ve said it before and I'll say it again: if you don't stage your property, you're leaving money on the table. Potentially A LOT of money. Because most people can't visualize past clutter or weird paint colours or outdated furniture. What they want to see is something that shows them the possibilities. 

Will their stuff look as amazing in the space as the staged furniture? Probably not. But the point is that it could, and that's the most important thing. 

Read my blog to find out why skipping staging is the #1 seller mistake

I get it – staging is expensive. But when you’re deciding whether or not to spend the money, think about it this way: what could it cost you NOT to stage? I had a client who decided to go against my advice and didn’t stage his place, even though the house needed it. As a result, the property sat on the market for 65 days, with a grand total of three showings. Eventually, they relented and agreed to stage it. Within two weeks of staging, we managed to sell the property for great money. However, it's likely we could have achieved a higher price if we had staged it from the outset as the market was stronger at the time.

By not doing everything you can possibly do to make your property look its best, you're shooting yourself in the foot. Give it your all and work with the best people, and you’ll get what you pay for. 

Virtual staging can be an option as well, but I tend to only recommend it for rental properties. If you haven’t heard of virtual staging, it's basically computer-generated furniture and decor superimposed over photos of an empty space. It’s a really nice way to help renters see the potential in a place without a big outlay – plus you can use the photos later to rent out a place that’s got a tenant’s stuff in it. But when it comes to selling, I really believe people want to see the staging in real life. It makes a big difference. Here's a great example.

Your photos need to be AMAZING 

When you're selling your home, this isn't the time for iPhone shots, no matter how great your phone camera may be. A professional real estate photographer with the right equipment and knowledge of the best shooting angles is an absolute must to get the wow factor your listing needs to get attention. 

The photos are what will convince someone to book a showing. For the bungalow that got the bully offer, I had my photographer pull out all the stops – and the photos were stunning. We did drone photos to show the beautiful property and how it’s situated on the street. I even had him go over at twilight to take some exterior shots. The warm light spilling out of the house really amped up the appeal and the coziness of the house.  

But I also don't think you should put every single photo online. It's important to leave a few things out so people will want to go take a look. I like to think of well-curated listing photos like a movie trailer: we want people to come see the movie in person, not give it all away online. I'm also not a big fan of 3D virtual tours and providing floorplans online: I want people to book a showing, not make a decision based on a virtual experience that doesn’t quite give them the full impression. 

Social media is a powerful thing

I share my listings everywhere: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, you name it. Because you never know who will see the post or who they'll share it with. For my last sale, one of my old clients saw the reel on Instagram and sent it to her friend…and that's who came in with the bully offer.

Ultimately it comes down to this: you don’t know who's out there looking. So by putting your best foot forward with a great agent with a strong marketing strategy, you're giving yourself the best chance of success!