4 Effective Ways To Sell Your Property Listing: Tips For Real Estate Agents

Philippines real estate is on steady growth, the property market is not showing signs of another downturn so far, although we are experiencing low inventories lately. And though some countries are experiencing an oversupply of available properties, stagnating prices, and increasing “days on market” the PH market is still competitive in a sense that new projects are coming in, though the ready for occupancy properties are on a scarce right now.

It may not be the same in all parts of the Philippines, there are some areas where the resell rate is high and a number of reselling properties are taking longer to sell these days. Are you a real estate agent who has taken on a lot of listings and has been working for months or years to get them sold? After a long period with no results, the property owners are likely to start calling you. Why hasn’t their property sold? What are you doing to market it? What else are you planning to do to have it sold?

I would like to share with you a few effective practices and ideas that have helped agents and brokers get their listings sold, and hopefully, these tips can help you, too—whether you need to revive an old listing, or you need to convince a new seller why they need to list with you.

1. Start marketing the moment you sign the listing agreement

Once you’ve got a contract and secured your position, it’s time to get to work.

Make use of the power of social media

Share a short preview of your new listing “coming soon to the market” across all your social media channels. Ruby Hamilton, one of the property endorsers of Filipino Homes; applied this strategy in one of her most recent property flips, posting periodic updates on the renovation and its progress on Instagram (an ideal platform to share property photos), being sure to always tag the location, the neighborhood, and a combination of other pertinent keywords, as well as using the hashtag #cdorealestate or #cdoprimeproperties.

Let your fellow agents know

Filipino Homes offers an intranet for agents to communicate, post a sneak peek of the property listing with the address and price for fellow realtors to see. They might already have buyers who are considering moving into the neighborhood.

Don’t forget to put up the good old real estate sign

Place your real estate sales sign as you walk away from the listing meeting with the owner. Add a “coming soon” sign in it, and make sure your contact details is prominently displayed. Anyone driving or passing through the neighborhood will be notified that the property is up for sale soon, and they’ll have a chance to contact you for more information.

2. Stage your listing to make it stand out

In the Philippines, sellers do not really practice staging properties unless it’s a model unit from a developer. And what makes developer project selling very effective is because of the model units or showrooms that it has prepared and staged for buyers to see and imagine how to design the interior and maximize space. And that’s how it should also be applied in our brokerage listings.

Unlike in other countries, there are already staging companies that offers lease of furniture and appliances for open house and give options for buyers to include the furnishings in it during the sale. Philippines market is not yet practicing and we agents of Filipino Homes can make a difference in offering the service first in the Philippines.

The sellers are usually not yet open to it because of the possible additional expense that it would take for them to fund the staging, real estate agents can step up and do it for them by partnering with a staging company that would offer consignment of items that they are up for sale in your property listing.

In those days when properties are flying off the shelves, sellers might be reluctant to consider the option of staging their home for sale, as it can be a significant up-front investment. However, when competition is fierce, can you really afford to not stage and let the empty property sit on the market for months?

From the moment a buyer discovers the home online to the time they walk it during the showing, home staging provides many benefits:

• It creates an impeccable first impression in professional photos.
• It highlights the best features of a property (and can help to hide its shortcomings).
• It allows the visiting buyer to connect with the home on an emotional level and imagine themselves living in it.
• On a completely practical level, the presence of furniture allows the agent and the buyer to sit down and have a conversation, and remain on the property longer.

Imagine these shelves with nothing on them? It would make for a sterile and unappealing environment for the potential buyer. (C) MIKE BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY

We started staging our flips and it quickly proved to be an indispensable strategy. We have sold homes within as little as 6 days, at or over the asking price, while similar homes sat on the market for 90 days or more, forced to reduce their prices over and over.

Today we stage every one of our flips and I recommend staging to all my real estate clients. We started to offer our home staging services in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area last year and the results have been very positive. Our latest project scored a cash offer in just two weeks on the market.

3. Hire a professional photographer who understands architecture and interiors

Hiring a professional photographer to take photos of your property listing is essential. But beware: there are wannabe professionals and there are real professionals. The first is the kind who might take photos with the window blinds closed or at unflattering angles; the other is someone who knows how to make an interior shot look as good as possible.

Don’t just hire someone with a DSLR camera and who knows Photoshop; hire a photographer who understands interior design, layout, light, and composition.

What do I mean by that?

A true architectural photographer does not just come in and shoot photos of the space and its elements as they are. He or she moves, adjusts, and places pieces so that the pictures look just right.

An example of a shoot at one of our staging projects. (C) MIKE BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY

The dining table decor as well as the mirror are typically not in the position you see in this picture, but a skilled photographer knows how to rearrange things in order to compose an interesting shot. Photography is both an art and a science—invest in someone who can capture a feeling in their photos.

4. Give your listing as much visibility as possible

Of course, don’t forget the basics: publish your listing on the MLS (multiple listing service), syndicate with major real estate platforms like  Filipino Homes, and claim those listings to follow statistics. However, there is more you can do to get more views on your listing.

List on Facebook Marketplace

If you’re targeting younger buyers, post the home for sale on Facebook Marketplace. You’ll be surprised how many inquiries you get from potential buyers!

Use email lists

In the United States, where collaboration between real estate agents is very common, do not underestimate the power of your email list. Make it a habit to send the property to your contact list on a regular basis. In the case of our local MLS, I’m able to pull realtor contact lists and add them to my email base. Make sure you keep the subject line interesting and relevant to increase your email open rate.

Change the featured photo regularly

This might not be obvious, so I will explain my reasoning. More than 90% of buyers use the internet to search for properties. They will use platforms like Zillow to do so, and they will only see the basic information of your listing and one main photo. Here’s the trick: change that cover photo periodically to attract new attention to your listing. The kitchen may appeal to one person, but the living room to another.

Host open houses

Open houses have always been and will always be essential when selling a property. They not only allow potential buyers to physically experience the space, but each time you hold one, it makes your listings pop on all online portals and gives your property renewed attention.

Broadcast on Facebook and Instagram Live

For those who can’t make it in person, offer a livestream tour of the home. Give your viewers a virtual view of the property and answer their questions in real time. It isn’t just a tour of the property, by the way—they are also getting to know you (and perhaps considering you for their future realtor).

Reference: Forbes.com