Real estate marketing is changing. Yet many realtors have the same old tired, gray suit messages. Jump over to Zillow or Truila and read real estate listing after real estate listing that sounds more like dry, boring resumes than invitations to visit this home or that one.
First Real Estate Marketing Message
For example, here is one example I just found.
Lovely, Spacious Ranch, over 1400 Square Feet, located close to School. This 3
Outside of the “lovely,” this message looks to the logic of the buyer and fails to appeal to the emotions. By taking this action, the realtor and the home’s seller have broken Sales Buying Rule #2 – People buy first on emotion; justified by logic.
The Contender Message
What would happen if the real estate marketing was written like a story where the potential owner begins the story when opening the front door? Not having seen the inside of the above home, I will use my own home as an example:
As you walk into this 1,500 sq. ft. home, the living room with its cathedral ceiling and wood burning stove immediately greets you. The open staircase leads to a spacious loft and large master bedroom (12×19) with its own half bath. Two main floor large bedrooms with ample closet space and a full bath add to that big house feeling. The kitchen with its custom solid wood cabinets (glass doors, lighted cabinets and wine rack) and a view of your own private woods (additional parcel) from the large kitchen windows or from the large concrete patio give you the sense of your own private retreat. Solid 6 panel oak doors, ceiling fans in all rooms, hall guest closet, separate laundry room with laundry tub and stackable washer/dryer (stays), osmosis water softener, storage shed, all appliances (double doors refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, & freezer), new energy efficient windows, new siding, newer roof, large one car garage and two car driveway complete this cozy, one owner, 1.5 story Cape Code in a quiet neighborhood with excellent schools and very low taxes.
The purpose of any marketing is to attract attention and to begin to build a relationship with the goal being for the ideal customer to take action to connect with the business or in this case realtor or homeowner. Additionally when the marketing message can overcome many of the sales objections, selling truly becomes effortless.
Time to Compare
“Lovely” leaves a lot to interpretation and can mean anything from clean to neutral decor. In the second message, the opening is emotionally centered through “cathedral ceiling.” Potential buyers understand that cathedral ceiling means open and inviting. There resides a positive emotional experience within this word along with far greater clarity.
Upon further comparison both homes highlighted the master suite. However, the second one incorporated the word spacious and included actual size of 12×19.
Kitchens are said to sell homes. In first example, the home has new kitchen cabinets. Yet the second one provided detailed explanation of “custom solid cabinets” and further stated (glass doors, lighted cabinets and wine rack). If you had a choice, what kitchen would you want to visit first?
Again both homes mention a school. Yet does the buyer want just a school or an excellent school?
Finally, the second one closes with an attraction hook – very low taxes. Today’s home buyers are better educated and desire (emotion) low taxes. This hook is far better than the first home where the end of the real estate marketing message is “full bath.”
Yes words do matter in any marketing message. My suggestion to realtors is to stop with the boring, gray jacket real estate marketing message and begin to Be the Red Jacket where your marketing copy makes selling the home almost effortless.
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Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S., is an executive coach and business growth consultant with “the heuristic touch” for executive leaders and sales professionals in mid-size to small businesses that are seeking a high performance culture from increase sales to workforce engagement. Her task is to support forward thinking leaders in bridging the gap between today’s results and tomorrow’s goals. She can be reached at 219.508.2859 central time. Follow her on Twitter or check out her profile on LinkedIn.
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