“The key to selling your house for top dollar—even in a dismal market—is simple: Implement a broad-based advertising campaign to generate spirited buyer competition for your property.”
– House Selling for Dummies
Components of the Comprehensive Marketing Plan
- Determine buyer profile for property
- Price and position to maximize buyer and broker response
- Prepare property to maximize number of showings and quality of offers
- Professional real estate photography
- Gorgeous promotional materials
- Traditional media advertising
- Direct mail and email campaign
- Targeted community marketing
- Extensive Internet marketing
- Marketing to the broker community
- Orchestrated schedule of open houses, broker tours and individual showings
First Steps
- Pricing walk-through by selected agents, as applicable
- Staging consultant review
- Landscaping review
- Prepare property-preparation punch list
- Professional photo-shoot
- Order architectural and floor-plan renderings, as appropriate
- Order pre-sale inspections
- Complete Seller and agent disclosures
- Order Natural Hazard Disclosure Report
- Order County Bldg Dept. report
- Order transferable Home Warranty, as appropriate
- Prepare newspaper advertisements
- Prepare magazine advertisements
- Develop color property statement and brochure
- Create Property-Tour Slideshow and Virtual Tour (if appropriate)
- Develop Property-Showcase website with description, multiple photos, slideshow, showing dates, neighborhood information, loan calculator, etc.
Prior to First Showing
- Update comparative market analysis: check for new competitive listings, recent comparable sales or changes in market conditions
- Pre-sale inspection reports received and reviewed
- Post property on the San Francisco Multiple Listing Service and affiliated website with multiple photos, detailed description and initial showing dates
- Post enhanced-showcase listing on Realtor.com
- Post property on over 90 of the most important local and national real-estate listing web sites— the San Francisco Chronicle, The NY Times, Trulia, Zillow, YouTube, Luxury Real Estate ($1.5m+) and Google Base
- Property is posted on hundreds of Bay Area broker and agent websites for maximum exposure to prospective buyers working with other local agents
- Post listing and showing information on Craig’s List
- Mail “Just Listed” postcards to 250+ households within the neighborhood
- Mail (or hand-deliver) neighbor invitations to first Open House
- Distribute property flyers to major brokerages announcing first Brokers’ Tour and Sunday Open House
- Outreach to neighborhood businesses and organizations: invitations to open houses, posting of property brochure
- Email listing announcement, website address and slideshow to selected agents
- Install “For Sale” sign with website rider, and brochure box, if appropriate
- Order loan scenario handouts for open houses
- Finalize comprehensive disclosure package for interested agents and buyers
- Arrange catering for first Brokers’ Tour and Preview Open House
- Complete final preparations of property to show in best possible light
On Market: Week One
- Consider preview Open House or Twilight Tour for neighbors, friends and selected brokers invited by personal invitation
- First Brokers’ Tour
- First Saturday Open House, if appropriate
- First Sunday Open House
- Individual showings to interested agents and prospective buyers
- Follow-up with attendees of Brokers’ Tours, Sunday Open Houses and private showings
- Review market response and re-strategize as necessary
- Prepare new advertisements; mailings; MLS, Craig’s List and website updates
On Market: Week Two
- Revise ads and website postings to reflect new showing information
- Second Brokers’ Tour
- Second Sunday Open House
- Individual showings to interested agents and prospective buyers
- Follow-up with attendees of Brokers’ Tours, Sunday Open Houses and private showings
- Distribution of comprehensive disclosure packages to interested parties
On Market: Week Three
- Review market response and feedback, Internet website traffic reports, changes in market conditions, and new data on competitive properties and comparable sales
- Review and revise marketing plan & pricing strategy, as needed
Subsequent to offer acceptance, marketing campaign shall continue until all contingencies of sale have been removed.