Can social media help you sell your house?
It’s a question lots of homeowners are asking themselves as social
networking sites become increasingly important in the real estate
marketing industry.
Buyers already expect more from estate agents and property portals after
getting used to a real-time online presence around the clock from
friends, family and companies. With house hunters enjoying a more
informal platform for finding a home, private owners can take advantage
of the lack of a middle man and engage with potential buyers directly.
How can social media help you sell you house? Sell My Property gives some top tweeting tips:
ââ¬Â¢1. Don’t sell
If you’re starting on Twitter now, the last thing you want to be doing
is selling. You’ve got to change your whole methodology of thinking. You
need to engage and interact. Some company Twitter accounts don’t even
mention their own products, they just quirky cartoons or photos and you
want to be following because it makes you laugh.
ââ¬Â¢2. Make sure you’re worth following
Companies such as @WaterstonesOxfordSt and @Innocentdrinks spend their
day posting jokes and amusing pictures to entertain their followers,
ensuring a strong relationship with their consumers. “Sometimes we just
sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that our store will be one of
the best places to go after a devastating pandemic,” Waterstones tweeted
today. “We look at the Adidas store and laugh. Sure, trainers will be
useful in a post-apocalyptic world, but will they teach you how to grow
food?”
ââ¬Â¢3. Be original
There are over 200 million people using Twitter. In a crowd that big,
originality stands out. Not necessarily jokes and pictures, but
something different. One seller’s son in the US set up a Twitter account
solely dedicated to a single property: @IAMAHouse1.
“My owners just hung mistletoe in my foyer. With all the kisses going
on around here, gotta admit I feel a little used,” the house tweeted in
December 2011, building up an amusing, accessible way to boast about its
appearance and features.
Another private seller in Australia took the same approach, creating @NorthcoteHouse,
an account that boosted the number of attendees to the property’s
auction and leading to a sale. @IAMAHouse1 had similar success:
ââ¬Â¢4. Be active
Social media allows you to be contactable at all times of the day: not
just office hours. One house hunter and property marketing expert,
Charlotte Ashton of AB Property Marketing, told TheMoveChannel.com
about her experiences with an estate agent: “I was looking for a house
and I arranged to do a couple of viewings with an estate agent before
work. I made sure I was there before 8am and he didn’t show up. I
couldn’t get hold of him – the mobile number, office numbers didn’t work
– so I went on Twitter and within five minutes I got a reply. And at
the end of the day, the MD of the whole company got in touch to
apologise!”
ââ¬Â¢5. Connect with people
As well as connecting with potential buyers, bigger companies or social
media accounts can also give you a much-needed helping hand. “Lots of
journalists use Twitter as a tool to find stories because it’s more
immediate than press releases or emails,” points out Charlotte.
Another avid Twitter user, @RightmoveAddict, told TheMoveChannel.com how
her profile shot up thanks to help from bigger companies, leading to
the creation of her own real estate site: “It’s the access to big brands
that you’ve never had before. For example, Rightmove picked up on my
name and they’ve become a big part of the business, sponsoring areas on
the website. That never would’ve happened if it hadn’t been for Twitter.
On my personal blog, I also showcase properties that agents send me –
these companies are forward-thinking and understand how social media can
get their message out to an audience without using traditional
methods.”
If they can do it, so can you.
For more advice on selling your home and information on how SellMyProperty.org can help you, click here.
