Your Home Is Online. Does That Mean It Is Being Marketed?

When a home is entered into the Multiple Listing Service, commonly called the MLS, its information becomes available to participating real estate professionals. In most cases, that information is also distributed to major consumer real estate websites.

That exposure matters. Buyers and their agents cannot consider a home they do not know is available. But appearing in an online search is not the same as having a complete marketing strategy.

Distribution makes the home available

The MLS is the foundation of residential real estate exposure. It communicates important details such as location, price, features, showing instructions and the terms being offered.

Once the listing is distributed to public websites, buyers can find it through their own searches. That is distribution. It places the property where buyers are already looking.

The limitation is that buyers may see dozens of similar homes in the same search. Simply being present does not guarantee that a property will earn their attention.

Marketing gives buyers a reason to stop

Active marketing begins with deciding how the property should be presented and positioned. That may include:

• Photographs that clearly and honestly show the home
• Video that helps buyers understand the layout and experience
• Listing language focused on the property’s strongest relevant features
• Social media and digital promotion designed for the likely audience
• Direct communication with real estate professionals who may represent a buyer
• Opportunities such as open houses when they make sense for the property
• Follow-up on showing activity and buyer feedback

These tools do not manufacture demand. Their purpose is to help the home compete for the attention that already exists.

A strategy should respond to the market

Marketing also includes paying attention after the property is introduced.

Are buyers viewing the listing online but not scheduling showings? Are they touring the home but declining to make offers? Are similar properties receiving activity while this one is being overlooked?

Each pattern tells us something different. The response may point to presentation, price, condition, access, competition or a smaller buyer pool than the seller expected.

A good plan is not necessarily one that does more of everything. It is one that uses the available information to make thoughtful adjustments.

Marketing has limits

Professional marketing cannot guarantee a sale. It cannot force buyers to accept a price they do not support, overlook a condition issue or choose a property that does not meet their needs.

Marketing works together with pricing, preparation and market demand. If those pieces are out of alignment, more advertising may create additional views without creating a qualified buyer.

The goal is not to promise a result that no real estate professional can control. The goal is to make sure a seller understands how the home will be introduced, how buyer response will be measured and what will happen if the original plan is not working.

Putting a home in the MLS is an important first step. It should not be the final step.

If you are preparing to sell a home in West Tennessee, I would be glad to explain how I build a marketing strategy around the property, the likely buyer and the current market.

Jennifer Knolton, REALTOR®

Coldwell Banker Southern Realty

731-343-3417

jenniferknolton.com