How can social media sell your home?

By Lisa Flounders, Director

In a busy market, sellers and their agents are getting creative with their marketing strategies

The property market is showing no sign of slowing up, in the short term at least. If you’re selling a property, you’re probably feeling optimistic about your chances of a great price and a quick turnaround – thanks to bold headlines about unprecedented demand, queues of buyers and bidding wars.

Agreeing a purchase in this environment can be incredibly quick, if you price your property sensibly (I can confirm this personally; my three-bedroom semi in Farnborough was launched by my estate agent on Rightmove on a Tuesday afternoon and we’d agreed a purchase by Wednesday morning). However, in a busy market when plenty of people have had the same idea, there’s certainly no harm in boosting your chances however you can; increasingly, sellers and their estate agents are looking for a range of ways to reach potential buyers.

It’s fair to say that when we want to buy a home (or just to play fantasy house hunt) the vast majority of us turn immediately to the online property portals…there’s no denying that Rightmove, Zoopla and their competitors are the single most important aspect of an estate agent’s marketing strategy on behalf of its clients.

As a PR agency that works with both estate agents and housebuilders, we have a number of other tools in our toolkit, however. Where else are people looking for a home, and how can it help you sell yours?

Instagram and Facebook

Instagram is where we go to be inspired. Your agent should use it to show off the best photography of your home and identify and engage with potential buyers. There are many ways to reach people which don’t have to cost anything – relevant hashtags, gorgeous photo galleries, polls and competitions; they all catch the eye of buyers on the prowl and spark some interest – great for reaching a new group who haven’t necessarily spotted you on Rightmove. 

Paid advertising on Facebook is very popular with new-build developers who are selling homes. This applies to Instagram too, as the two channels work hand in hand. Is your agent using paid socials to sell your home? You can target audiences by geography, age and even interest – based on what they’ve looked at on social media before – and place your property in their newsfeed.  

Video

Video continues to be the most dominant form of content online and this has only increased during the pandemic when people couldn’t – or were wary of – visiting properties in person. Clearly this is warranted for the higher-priced homes with bigger budgets, however a short virtual tour of your home, with a commentary from your agent, doesn’t need to be too pricey and provides a fantastic, engaging piece of content for use across all your marketing channels.

Influencer marketing

It’s one thing for you or your agent to share your property online, but what if someone else – with a ready-made following – could help you do it too? Influencer marketing is increasingly popular, especially with housebuilders. There are plenty of bloggers, Instagrammers and TikTokkers with a special interest in homes and interiors, with huge followings – often tens of thousands strong. For a fee, they’ll promote your home for you to another group of potential buyers. 

Good, old-fashioned PR

While social media has become an important element in the world of PR, traditional press coverage remains an important tool nonetheless. If your house has a story to tell (outstanding architecture, a long history, a celebrity ex-owner, an unusual interior), a newspaper or magazine might want to tell it for you – think the Sunday Times Home supplement, or HouseBeautiful.com. A PR strategy that supports your marketing could put your house in front of a much bigger crowd of buyers.

Of course, not everything works for every house or flat. Some tools are better applied to different products – and different budgets. But in a crowded market, a creative marketing strategy could mean the difference between a good price for your home, and a great one. Equally, when property markets suffer a downturn (and we all know it goes in cycles), it could make the difference in selling or not selling at all. 

If you’re an agent and you want to find out more about how we can support your services, get in touch on 01483 561119 or by email.