Traditionally, real estate advertisements were in newspapers, on benches and in your mailbox. With the advent of the Internet, online advertising has increased dramatically in recent years.
Why Classifieds Are Out
The number of unsold homes continues to grow, which begs the question -- where are the listings? Open up a newspaper to the classified ads and you will likely find a slew of them. So why is no one responding to the ads?
Consumers now use other ways to find out about real estate in their area. Buyers look online to research and do their own homework about houses for sale, while sellers post ads online to gain attention. Hence, traditional advertising outlets like newspapers have steadily suffered. The good news is that the Internet is an extremely efficient communication tool, perfect for marketing real estate.
Why Advertise Online?
One of the reasons property people notice property online faster is because the search process is easier. You can search for homes by price range, geographical location and specific features. Looking for a two-story home with a swimming pool for under $450,000 is easier and quicker to narrow down online.
Advertising online is a smarter decision, since so many more people can access information on the home. Potential buyers might notice an ad in the paper, but it is far more likely they will look online first. The one exception to the online advertising boom is housing markets in smaller towns that still rely on papers, but they are quickly catching up.
Maximizing The Sale Of Your House
Surprisingly, advertising in a luxury magazine is more likely to yield buyers than newspapers. This medium typically has more content and targets a specific kind of buyer. Old-fashioned word-of-mouth is always an effective method.
However, if you really want people to see a house, post it online. Provide as much information as you can, as ads with more content are faster to find. Since online advertising allows you to post multiple photos, be sure to snap tons of shots of the interior and exterior of the house.
