It’s finally here! Spring is the time of year when buyers really start to come out and look at homes. It’s also when homes tend to show their best in many markets with fresh flowers, longer days and a general sense of happiness in the air.
As an agent, you know to never rest and always be ready to find the next client, but spring can be a busy season for many industry pros. To dominate your market this spring, consider these ways to distinguish yourself from the competition:
Showcase your market knowledge, concretely
Clients hire you to keep your thumb on the market so they don’t have to. This market knowledge is one of the key advantages to working with a real estate agent and an area where agents should show rather than tell.
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Take advantage of market statistics that are typically delivered by your local board of Realtors to show changes in the marketplace in various cities and neighborhoods. This is the perfect post for you to write for your site’s blog — your expert analysis of these changes, why they are happening and what you expect to see in the future.
Be proactive about open houses and broker events
Many agents would rather be doing a lot of other things than sitting at an open house. But, to those agents who take the time to do them and do them well, they can be a great source of new clients.
Open houses in the spring market tend to be busier with more opportunity to pick up new buyer clients.
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Set yourself apart and consider every option in presenting the best experience to those coming through the property. This not only makes the open house more appealing to buyers but also makes your sellers happier.
Promote upcoming listings through ‘pre-listing marketing‘
Gone are the days of putting a listing in the MLS to sell it. In fact, in many markets, the sales cycle begins before it even hits the MLS with off-market campaigns.
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Positioning your network of buyers to potential sellers is one of the tools you bring to the table, and it should not be underrated. As soon as the listing agreement is signed, agents should work to get the word out to their network.
Pay special attention to your listing’s curb appeal and staging
First impressions are the name of the game not just when a potential buyer gets to a listing but during the online search process.
It is no secret that more than 75 percent of buyers start their search online and, oftentimes, your photography goes a lot further than the description.
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Spend the time to make sure that yards are mowed, flowers are planted, lobbies are pristine and that everything looks its best before you take photos of your listing.
Need a little spruce up? Consider simple staging solutions to optimize the home right out of the gate.
Stay social and on track
As things get busier, agents tend to let some of their marketing efforts slip. These things tend to fall to the bottom of the list in the midst of contracts and negotiations.
Sustain these activities so that your pipeline stays full and you are connecting with your sphere as often as possible.
[Tweet “As things get busier, agents tend to let some of their marketing efforts slip.”]
Using services such as Buffer or Hootsuite can help you program your social messaging in advance. In addition, hiring a marketing consultant to monitor and execute your efforts can be an invaluable asset.
Regardless of how you accomplish it, keep up the same vigor in your marketing efforts as you do in the slower times of the year.
Make this spring market your best yet with these tips! Maintain your momentum and set the stage for your success year-round.
Gregory Kiep is the director of marketing at Charlesgate Realty. You can find out more about him at GregoryKiep.com or follow him on LinkedIn or Facebook.