It’s getting harder to sell homes today. There was a hot seller’s market when Covid-19 first hit, because interest rates were down. But now spiking mortgage rates and high price tags are causing people to re-think whether they want to be in the market.
In July 2022, new-home construction fell a staggering 10% as mortgage rates surged. Mortgage rates have now surpassed 6% for the first time since the 2008 real estate crash, making homeownership unaffordable for many.
More telling yet, home sales have been falling for the past six months in a row. And, the National Association of Realtors (NAV) reported there was a decrease of 5.9% in buyers over the past month. That means you’ll need to do some more work if you want to make a sale.
You will need to know a few key things if you’re going to market homes online. Below are five tips that will help you create a house advertising strategy to get results.
1. Hire a Photographer
The key to a great ad online for a home is phenomenal quality photos. You can’t just use a smartphone and take random pictures. You need quality images highlighting the parts of your home that make it worth buying.
A professional real estate photographer will help you do this. A pro knows the areas of the home that buyers want to see and will do everything possible to highlight those areas.
They will also use professional lighting to make the home look warm, inviting, and well lit. For the exterior, they can edit everything from the color of the sky to the due of your trees as they change color this fall.
Plus, they can even use post-editing techniques to make your home appear staged with furniture or art, so it’s well worth the money.
2. Create a Neutral Environment
If you’re like many people, you have many customizations to your home that make it yours. You may have unique wallpaper, bright colors, personal photos, and much more to make your property feel like home.
However, that won’t be the case for people looking at your home’s photos online. They want to see themselves as the home’s owner. Remove personalization and create a neutral environment in your photos to help make this happen.
An easy way to do this is to rent a storage unit so you can limit the personal items and clutter that would typically be found throughout your house.
Or, you could consider re-painting your home’s interior to a modern yet neutral color.
3. Spruce Up Your Landscaping
People don’t only look at your home’s interior when deciding to visit your home. They also want a fantastic yard that’s a pleasure to spend time in. If you have an outdated yard that doesn’t look kept up, it will reduce the chance that someone will visit your home.
Clean up your yard by taking care of your grass, trimming trees and bushes, and doing other landscaping tasks. You can also plant a small garden in the front of your home to add to your curb appeal.
And consider a fresh coat of paint for the front door to pull all of those beautiful color together.
4. Post on Social Media
You don’t have to list your home exclusively on real estate websites anymore. Many real estate brokers and home sellers now use social media to market their new listings. If you’re thinking I want to sell my house fast, then take advantage of those platforms too.
Many people stick with Facebook, because you can target by demographic, such as young people between 25 and 40 who would be likely to be new homebuyers, for example.
You can also use Instagram’s image posts to create home galleries for people to view.
5. Use a Virtual Tour
The great thing about modern technology is that you have more options than pictures. You can now use tools to create virtual tours that help people fully explore your home.
Explore the real estate platforms and how you can use them to create virtual tours of your home. Doing this will help people explore your home before committing to a tour and help them make a buying decision.
If you’d like help with this process, consider partnering with an agent, like one from eXp Realty.
How to Market Your Home Online in 2022
Getting offers on your home will be hard if you don’t create a great impression online. Many potential house buyers browse the internet to see what’s available before they start going on tours. Use the tips above to learn how to market your homes online and convince potential prospects that you have a house worth buying.
Head to the real estate section of this blog to learn more about how to navigate today’s market.