Online Advertising – The Newest Way To Market Your Home

Selling a home requires advertising it in as many ways as possible to reach a wide audience. If you fall in the FSBO (for sale by owner) category, you need to exert extra effort to market your home in various advertising media. One of the best options available today is advertising on the internet because of its numerous advantages over the traditional method.

The advantages

Global reach is a major advantage of online advertising compared to newspaper, radio and TV ads that cater only to a certain area. With this newest form of advertising, information and content can be transmitted to millions of people regardless of time and geographical location. This means that you can attract people looking for a new home or a second home even from countries outside of your own. So don’t be surprised if you’ll get a potential buyer for your home located in the U.S. from, say, Europe or Asia.

While its reach can be global, online advertising is also targeted. In other words, it has the ability to reach your specific target audience. Examples of programs that help achieve this goal are Google’s AdWords and AdSense which match up advertisers with content that their target market reads on a regular basis.

Internet advertising is also Cost effective. Compared to a small yellow-page ad, for instance, that can cost you hundreds of dollars, you can advertise your home for sale online with only a small fee. You can even market it free of charge on some MLS sites that don’t require any listing fee. All you need is a little research and you will surely find a good MLS site on which to list up your home.

Types of online ads

Online advertising has different variations. These include using search engine results pages, banner ads, social network advertising, e-mail and affiliate marketing and advertising networks. For paid ads, they can be of various types such as floating, expanding, polite, wallpaper, trick banner, pop-up, pop-under, video, map or mobile ad. Most of these forms of advertising, though, require payment of certain fees.

E-mail marketing is also another option available for home sellers as it does not entail any expenses. You just need to find time to e-mail friends, colleagues and real estate companies and agents you know about the home you are selling. This is quite easy because you can already send a single letter to several people in one click of your mouse.

Helpful tips

The National Association of Realtors reveals that 24 percent of new home buyers get information about new homes for sale from the internet. This only means that people looking for homes now use the internet more than using the newspaper classified ads. The convenience and quick search results provided by the internet may be attributed to this.

When opting for this advertising form, be sure to provide the necessary details about your home for sale such as the location, number of bedrooms and your contact number. If necessary, include a photo of the property to perk up the interest of potential buyers and entice them to look deeper into your offer. A virtual tour of your home is another popular way of attracting buyers. Remember to be creative and direct to the point when advertising your home online.


Read more about selling your home: The Secrets To Selling Your Home Yourself In 1-6 Weeks Without An Agent And Saving Thousands In Real Estate Commissions.

How To Write A Newspaper Ad For Selling Your Home

By Gloria Smith

Selling a home entails a lot of paper work from coming up with counter proposals, sales agreement to home warranties, appraisals and not to forget, print advertisements. Advertising your home is one of the most effective ways of attracting potential buyers and doing it the traditional way is still a tested and proven option. This means placing advertisements in local newspapers in your area.

Home sellers need to advertise their home to as many targeted home buyers as possible and the newspaper is a popular medium for doing this. Despite the entry of electronic media, it’s still a preferred place to advertise a home for sale. In fact, even non-subscribers will normally get a copy of the Sunday newspaper to read through the classified ads.

In writing advertising copy for newspapers, there are some guidelines you can follow to succeed in attracting your target audience. Your newspaper ad has to be the hard-sell type meaning, straightforward and concise. Depending on your budget, you can either place a short ad or a longer one complete with a photograph of the home you are selling.
The headline itself should already grab attention. Determine the most important and attractive aspect of the home and describe them in short and catchy words. Some examples would be charming and spacious home, upscale urban condominium, beautiful secret garden and secluded hideaway. An example of a specific headline would be “Charming home beside a lake with pristine forest.”

The copy or text of your print advertisement has to be attractive, of course. It should easily catch the attention of the reader and entice him or her to take action. Keep your copy short and direct to the point but never make the mistake of abbreviating words or using too many details in just three lines in order to save money.

In describing the home for sale, avoid too many specific facts especially numbers such as those pertaining to the house area or lot area. Instead, use general terms to relay the same message such as a large house or spacious living room.
Use descriptive adjectives to enable readers and potential buyers to picture out the home they could be living in. Describe the home’s qualities such as its architectural design, layout and flow, special amenities and upgrades done, entertainment options and nearby attractions.

Remember to specify also the exact location, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the sales price and your contact information. Putting the price information on top of the ad is also a good way of attracting serious buyers. You can then mention if your price is negotiable or if financing is available. Some people forget these important details and as a result, just let a good opportunity pass up.

Advertising in a magazine has some drawbacks compared to newspaper ads. This option is not likely to produce an immediate buyer and may actually take your home several months before it gets results. Also, few people read their magazines again. Magazine advertising is ideal if you have a small target audience.

Your best option then is to combine newspaper classified ad with online advertising to reach as many buyers as possible. Keep in mind that your goal is to heighten people’s interest in your home and make them look deeper into your offer.

Read more about selling your home: The Secrets To Selling Your Home Yourself In 1-6 Weeks Without An Agent And Saving Thousands In Real Estate Commissions.