Comprehensive Guide to Selling and Marketing Real Estate Properties

Real estate industry in the Philippines has seen a lot of improvement in the past years and there are more Filipinos now who can achieve their ultimate dream - to
buy a new house.

Real estate developers are continuously creating communities for different market segments to accommodate the needs of the Filipino people.

With lots of developments happening, more and more people are also selling their house and lot in hopes to get new, and bigger ones. With the help of online listing
websites, selling residential and commercial properties has become easier.

However, realtors and private sellers still find it hard to find ideal buyers and get the best possible deals in property selling and marketing. Not to mention the hard
work needed in terms of paper works.

On this guide, we will walk you through the step by step guide on how you can sell and market your property both online and offline.

Real estate online selling guide

Digital marketing has played a big role for all type of businesses and it has changed the landscape of marketing in the past five to ten years.

Just like any business, online marketing played a big part in the evolution of real estate marketing. To cope up with the growing online demand, here are the tips on
how to use internet in selling your real estate property.

Use Facebook

One of the easiest ways to get exposure for your property is by using the social media platform Facebook. But if you are a private seller who look to sell your own
house and lot, you might not be able to do Facebook advertising as oppose to real estate brokers with business pages on Facebook.

Either way, here are some tips in selling your real estate property through Facebook.

Create a Facebook page – whether you are a private seller, a broker, or real estate developer, having a well-optimized Facebook business page is very crucial in
selling properties. To start, here’s a guide from Facebook on how you can start creating your Facebook business page. Remember to fill up all necessary information
about your page to have a wide organic reach.

Here's two of the best examples of Facebook pages for real estate marketing: Lhoopa Facebook Page and TopRank Property Group.

Invest in Facebook Advertising – for you to be able to generate a good number of leads through Facebook, this the best way to do it, use Facebook ads. Majority of
real estate groups not only in the Philippines but all over the world use Facebook ads to get leads.

To start, check out this comprehensive guide on how to setup your Facebook advertising campaign.

Post engaging and high quality pictures of the property - people are inherently visual beings, which is why Facebook encourages people to post with images instead
of just plain texts whenever they want to relay something to their connections. Take time to take the best shots and angles because that is what garners people’s
attention.

Post videos of your home – videos are more powerful than still images according to the latest Facebook algorithm update. That means videos, especially live ones are
being shown more often to people’s newsfeed than any other visuals on Facebook. Take advantage of it by posting videos to your page or timeline.

So if you are trying to use this platform to sell your house, consider doing some video recordings of your house. This will instantly give people an exclusive access to
your home. This can also be the opportunity to show them the major selling points of the property.

DO NOT just paste Youtube link, make sure to have the video downloaded in raw file and upload it to Facebook. This will allow you to promote the video extensively
and will enable you to use it in Facebook advertising.

Look for a social media savvy broker – there are lots of real estate brokers in the Philippines that promises to help you in selling your property. However, not all of
them are familiar on how social media marketing works and their approach is pretty much tied to traditional marketing which takes a long time to produce good
results.

That said, better to look for a real estate company that has the expertise in selling residential and commercial properties online.

Real estate listing websites

Another tactic to use in selling your property online is to use real estate listing websites. These are websites that offer free listing for property sellers. These are also a
good place if you are looking to buy house and lot in the Philippines.

To begin with, here are the top online listing websites for real estate in the Philippines:
  www.myproperty.ph
 www.property24.com.ph
 www.lamudi.com.ph
 www.hoppler.com.ph
 www.realestate.ph
 www.propertyfinderph.com
 www.dotproperty.com.ph
 www.philippinesproperties.com

These are among the top 10 real estate listing websites in Google and they have thousands of registered users. You can take advantage of it by registering an account
and get your property listed.

If you are targeting real estate buyers outside the Philippines, you can use the following listing websites for your marketing campaign:

 www.mls.com
 www.trulia.com
 www.realtor.com
 www.redfin.com
 www.listingsunlimited.com
 www.zillow.com
 www.homefinder.com
 www.zoocasa.com

To get the best of out these websites, here some of the guidelines in posting your property to online listing websites:

Use good quality images – one of the biggest mistakes real estate sellers do when publishing properties in online selling websites is not using good quality images. In
this kind of marketplace, first impression can define the success of your effort.

So make the first impression really impressive in order to get more leads and increase the chance of getting a good deal.

Describe the property thoroughly - using good quality photos of a property without description is useless.

In this kind of market, real estate buyers are looking for every detail of the property that is being sold. So make sure to take time in constructing engaging description
of your listing.

Aside from including the common information such as lot and area size, nearest landmarks, number of bedrooms, and price, you might want to include the materials
used, traffic situation in surrounding areas, and means of transportation. Highlight something that your prospect buyers don’t expect.

Complete contact details – aside from showing your mobile number, you can also include your email address, and home telephone number. Make it easy for your
buyers to contact you and make sure to be open to any inquiry whenever and wherever you are.

Use videos (if allowed) – some of these real estate listing websites allow posting of videos either from a Youtube link or raw file. Just like Facebook, listings that have
videos are more likely to be shown to prospective buyers.

Complete all required information – as much as possible, don’t leave any blank forms when registering your property. This may be a time consuming task, but if you
are looking for better results, fill up all required information.

Use premium subscription - these websites offer premium listing on their websites. The advantage is that your property will be featured on the front page of their
website for greater exposure. This is a very effective way of marketing your property especially if you want to sell it in a short period of time.

Have your own website

According to a 2015 survey, 92% of buyers are using the internet during the home buying process. This number is expected to grow as the years go by. Real estate
markets are constantly evolving with the great influence of technology.

That is why having a website to market real estate properties is very important nowadays. The days of offline approach in property selling is nearing its end and the
new era in the form of digital selling is taking its place.

So what are the benefits of having a website in marketing a property?

Wider audience reach – having a website not only places you in front of your target audience, it can also be used to reach wider market segments.

Opportunity to brand yourself – by having your own website you are creating your brand online. Everybody doesn’t want to be just another player in this industry,
they want to be as unique as possible.

And having a website for your real estate marketing will give you the chance to set yourself apart.

Become the source of information – having a website will enable you to become the source of information for your target audience.

In real estate adding tools to a website like Mortgage Calculators, Information on Loan Programs, Home Buyer Tips and access to MLS listings will increase the value
of your website.

A website attracts younger generation of property buyers – the promising demographic of young adults is growing by leaps and bounds. Soon they will be the
primary market for real estate professionals.

This type of market segment is more bended towards technology and they have instant access to internet. Having a website means getting in front of these types of
buyers faster than those who don’t have a website.

Those are just some of the benefits of having a website. Now, how can you make the best of your site? Here are some of the best practices in marketing your real
estate website.

Make your website mobile friendly – according to the latest survey the combined number of mobile and tablet users surpassed the number of desktop internet
users.

That means, the need for a website to be mobile friendly is much bigger now. In relation to that, more and more real estate buyers will be visiting a property website
using mobile devices in the coming years and having a mobile-friendly website will be a huge requirement.

Create content-rich pages – this means load your website with tons of relevant information. From listed properties, blog, how-to, processes, FAQs, and contact
information. Adding on additional tools like property value calculator will also help in increasing the authority of the website.

Make page for every targeted location – stacking properties from different location in one page can be a nightmare to your prospected buyers. Make sure to have
them separated with unique descriptions and feel as it will improve the user experience.

This will also increase the chances of getting found in search engines.

List your website to local online business directories – there are a handful of local business directories that allow company listings for free. These will help your
website get some exposure in online local market.

In the Philippines, here are some of the reputable sites where you can register and submit your site to:

 http://www.pinoylisting.com/
 https://www.tradefinder.ph/
 http://businessdirectory.ph/
 http://www.pampangadirectory.com/
 http://primer.com.ph/business/
 http://www.tuugo.ph/
 http://www.yellow-pages.ph/
 http://www.business-yellowpages.com/philippines
 http://philippinesdirectory.net/
 http://www.bizexposed.com/
 http://web.horde.ws/businesslist.ph/
 http://ph.wowcity.com/
 http://calbayoginfo.com
 http://butuan.ph/
 http://www.businesslist.ph/
 http://truelocal.com.ph/
 http://www.ibizto.com/
 http://www.bizexposed.com/
 http://www.promote.com.ph/

If you are looking for a list of good quality international business directory submission websites, here's a list from Moz and Hubspot for your reference.

Link your Facebook page to your website – Website needs visitors in order to make sales. And one of the easiest ways to drive visitors to your real estate website is
to link it to your Facebook page.

Facebook allows putting external links in tabs to validate the authority of a business page in Facebook. This enables real estate sellers to showcase their website to
their target audience.
Take advantage of videos – selling properties has evolved over the past years and real estate professionals are getting more and more knowledgeable when it comes
to reaching potential buyers. One tactic that is getting useful nowadays is the use of videos.

However, many real estate agents are neglecting this technique as part of their marketing strategy. This is a good time to take the opportunity to catch your buyer’s
attention by using online videos. To give you a good idea, take a look at this video from Open House 24:

You can include a video somewhere on the website that can easily be seen. This will also increase the user engagement of the website.

Upload your Powerpoint presentation to SlideShare – Every real estate professional is equipped by different kinds of sales kit. Majority of them come in powerpoint
presentations.

Take advantage of the power of SlideShare by uploading your presentation on the site and get it ready when someone asks for it online.

This will save a lot of time because instead of uploading it to email, you can just get the link and send it over to your buyer. To start, visit SlideShare.net, register, and
upload your presentation. You can also use your Facebook business page to share and promote your slideshow presentation.

Invest in Google Adwords – According to National Association of REALTORS®' 2015 survey, the first two steps buyers take to begin their home search are searching
online for real estate properties and for real estate agents.

The growing number of home buyers who use the internet to look for information about real estate properties is a signal for property sellers to start targeting them
through online advertising. One of the best ways is to use Google Adwords.

If you don't have any idea on how setup your real estate online advertising campaign through Adwrods, here's a good guide from GreatColoradoHomes to start with.

Why Google Adwords?

By using this platform, you can generate lots of clicks to your website that will eventually be converted into leads.

Another reason is that it just takes a short period of time to drive potential buyers to your website. It also helps in broadening brand awareness for your business.

Start blogging – According to Hubspot's State of Inbound 2017 report, marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to achieve a positive ROI on their efforts.
There's no difference when it comes to real estate marketing.

If you will look at the Philippine's leading real estate website, Lamudi Philippines, they use blogging as part of their digital marketing campaign.

Not only they become authoritative in the niche, blogging helps them generate free leads for their partners and listings.

Real estate offline selling guide

While digital marketing is becoming more and more dominant, we can’t still neglect the power of traditional or offline marketing for real estate. One of the main
reason is that not all market segments are able to use internet on a regular basis.

This leaves a tiny hole in the market that can be filled by using traditional marketing tactics. Here are some of the best ways to sell properties through offline
marketing.

Flyers or Brochure Distribution

Flyering or giving property brochures has been the go-to tactic of all real estate developers and professionals over the years.

It’s still part of the overall strategy when it comes to selling residential properties and the result can still be considerable. However, doing this technique in the
present days should be done with caution.

Use High quality materials – If you are going to give people a brochure with awful design or lack with important details, it will not worth the effort as people will
either throw it away or just keep it somewhere without getting in touch with you.

So make sure to add some value on the materials by having a well-designed and informative flyer.

Location – To get the best out of giving flyers, make sure to select a location where much of your target audience can be found. So if you are selling a house and lot in
Cavite, you should be distributing flyers near the project location.

Malls and other commercial establishments can be a good option. Business districts are another great option. Just be aware of the permits and restrictions when
giving brochures.

Choose carefully who to give the brochures to – avoid giving flyers to people that might not be interested in purchasing a property. For example, if you are
distributing brochures in malls, target people who have recently made a medium to large purchase from groceries or department stores.

These might be the people who are capable of buying a property.

Pleasing personality and great physical appearance – furthermore, do not neglect your physical appearance as it will greatly affect the outcome of your activity.
Dress up properly and make sure to be polite when approaching people especially in commercial and other major establishments.

Place ads in local publications

Another common selling tactic, placing ads on local publications isn’t so expensive compare to traditional billboard or TV ads. Depending on the size of space you’re
going to eat up. You just need to find a publication that has a large subscriber base and contact it for ad opportunities.

Just like the best practices when including a property to a listing website, here are the best practices in selling properties though local publications.

Use short but engaging copy – you should use a short and engaging copy and highlight your unique selling point. If allowed to use images, make sure to use high
quality materials.

There’s no rule on the exact number of characters to be used, as long as you are connecting to your target audience you are in a right track.

Find a local newspaper with large number of subscribers – you want your property to be seen by as many people as possible. So look for a local publication
company that is well known and can possibly deliver a huge exposure for your property on sale.

One way to do that is to inquire to your local store and ask the most bought newspapers. That way you will have an idea on where to put your property for
advertising.

Consider the sections for effective publication advertising – each newspaper or magazine has a number of sections in it. However, not all readers will read every part
of the paper. The idea is to place your advertisement on the section that gets the most number of reads.

You can ask your placement provider about this to ensure your ad gets the best possible placement.

Buy the right space and shape – In every advertising, be it digital or traditional, shape really matters. It is as important as ad positioning. For example, if you are
selling a condo in Metro Manila you might want to use a tall banner.

That will eat up a lot of height in the placement. So look for the right space and shape for your placement.

Pay attention to your competition – if the advertising section of a publication is being bombarded with real estate ads, you can forget having a placement their as the
chance of getting contacted will become slimmer.

Steer away from them because you don’t want to be competing for your customers’ attention and “mind share unless you have tons of budget to spend for bigger
space.

Highlight the benefits – keep in mind that you only have a limited space in newspaper or publication advertising. Do your best to highlight the benefits of what you
are trying to sell.

If you think your property has the best location, showcase it. If you think your condominium has the best amenities, highlight it.

Referral Program

“The purpose of a business is to create a customer who creates customers.” – Shiv Singh, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Marketing Transformation at Visa

Referral program is indeed the best ways to grow all kinds of businesses regardless of the industry you’re in – including real estate. In fact, there are some real estate
professionals who are able to sell lots of properties by utilizing the power of referrals. But how? Here are some good tips.

Offer lucrative rewards – people are motivated by rewards. Take that in mind when strategizing your real estate referral marketing program. That is the first and
foremost to be discussed in referral marketing.

A normal individual doesn’t really want to sell properties on a regular basis unless there’s a huge reward. And that’s the bait you want your past and present clients to
bite in.

Great client relationship is the key – and that’s universal. In every business, a good relationship with clients means more business. For you to be able to utilize the
referral program you need to build relationship with your past and present real estate clients. Time will come they will be interested in sending referrals to you.

Build your reputation and showcase your experience – there are two types of referrals:

 Experience-Based Referrals – These are types of referrals generated from your direct service to your clients. The idea is, if your client is happy with your
service, they will likely refer someone to be your client as well.
 Reputation-Based Referrals – These are referrals from people who have not worked with you directly but are familiar with your organization and your
services.

Take advantage of these two by working on your expertise and making your home buyers happy with the services. This will likely lead to a higher referrals and sales.
Work with other real estate groups or companies – Let’s face it. Even working under the same real estate developers, all realtors are technically competitors.
However, you can take advantage of this by lending a hand to other property sellers.

It could be in a form of paper works, assisting in their client needs, and even referring clients to them. They will likely do the same for you especially if you work on a
different market segments.

Speak at local meetups – It could be a small seminar about real estate, or how to manage properties, etc. This traditional marketing strategy is still effective until now
especially if you want to become a thought leader.

It also provides much value because you are able to help other people that might be interested in the field. And lastly, chances are high to have your real estate
business exposed in these small meetups or events and get referral leads.

Distributing promotional materials

Pamphlets, mini posters, one-sheets, custom postcards, window decals, bookmarks — whatever can promote your business without a hard selling approach could be
worth the effort. Produce and distribute something that is relevant to the season so that people may not forget it easily.

This way, you are allowing people to know more about your real estate business. Here are some tips to guide you with this approach:

Seasonal giveaways – you want to have something relevant to the season or holidays. For example, rainy season in the Philippines lasts almost half of the whole year.
You can have umbrellas, caps, or mugs, or even a simple card that gives tips about rainy days home preparation.

Anything that will help people to deal with a certain season or event will mean a lot to them.

Include your logo and website on the promotional materials – as part of awareness and branding strategy, you can include the name of your real estate group or
company on the promotional items.

This will help in widening your audience reach and may eventually lead to referral or direct sales.

Location – the location in which promotional items should be distributed is very important. Just like giving property brochures, you want to find a perfect location
where people are likely to buy a property.

Business areas and major establishments are the best choice when giving promotional items. Local events and seminars are good too.

Promotional items that are easy to carry – keychains, pens, flashdrives, stickers, etc. These are the types of promotional materials that are easy to carry. Avoid giving
people something that they will throw or leave somewhere.

Other real estate selling tips

Hire the right agent or broker

In this industry, the best investment sometimes lies behind hiring qualified agents and brokers. If you are a private home seller who experience a hard time in selling
your house, the best option is to hire a real estate agent or a brokerage company.

But make sure to qualify them before signing a contract. A bad hire can cost sellers tens of thousands of pesos and months of worried waiting.

Back in the days, the number of property sold is the only thing to look at when hiring brokers. Today, it doesn't count anymore.

To start, look at the approach of a broker or agent when it comes to selling a real estate property. Do they have online listings? Do they do online marketing for their
clients? Do they have a Facebook page? Do they have wide market connections? If yes, then you can consider them.

You can find out those things by asking them and letting you see their marketing assets on the spot. A well-prepared agent or broker has always something for their
prospect clients to see.

To give you a good example, in Lhoopa Incorporated, we use a state of the art Customer Relationship Management software to track the progress of our listings and
we let our clients (sellers) see how their house is doing. We also use all digital marketing channels (Google Advertising, Search Engine Optimization, Facebook
Marketing, and Premium Listing) to cover all grounds in selling our client's property.

Get Your Home in "Move In" Condition

For individual private sellers, Looks and aesthetics of a house are very important in the success of getting a good deal. This is the first thing buyers look when
considering to buy a home. Paints, tiles, and color theme of the house should be engaging and relaxing.

Another thing to check are the appliances and other important parts of the house such as doors, windows, electrical and plumbing.

Make sure to fix what needs to be fixed. The idea behind this is that you want to give your buyers the impression of moving in right away and enjoy their new
acquired property rather than spending money and effort in fixing it.
Set a fair market price

No one wants to buy an overpriced property. Everyone hates it. So make sure to set a fair price for your property when selling it.

The best way to determine the price of a house is to hire a real estate appraisor and let him to the job for you. On the other side, you can browse listings for homes
for sale in your area to get a sense of what is on the market and current home prices.

So let's say you are selling a house and lot in Quezon city, you can visit listing websites like Lamudi and Property24 and search for houses for sale in Quezon City. For
more accurate result, find a house that is the same size with the one you are selling.

Another way is to figure out the cost per square foot for your area and make sure to align your pricing with it.

Conclusion

Real estate marketing has always been a challenge to everyone. But if you are equipped with the right knowledge and resources, you have a greater chance of
topping the competition. This article will be your guide in knowing what strategy fits you in selling a real estate property.