You’re ready to sell your house. What do you need most from your real estate agent? If help marketing your home is high on your list, you’re not alone.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) asked sellers that question and found that help marketing their house to potential buyers was one of the top things they wanted from an agent.
You probably expect a strong listing description and high-quality photos. Those matter, but a good agent’s marketing efforts go beyond the basics. The goal is to help your house stand out and get it in front of potential buyers.
Here’s a closer look at the common marketing methods identified in that NAR report, what each can do for you, and what to discuss with an agent before you list.
Start With a Clear Marketing Plan
Rather than stopping at a promise to “market your home,” ask an agent to walk you through the plan. Which tools will they use? How will they present your property? How can interested buyers get in touch?
You’re looking for a creative local real estate agent who can make the most of the available tools to get more eyes on your house. A listing description and photos are a starting point, not the whole conversation.
Use the methods below as a checklist when you talk with an agent. Ask how each one would fit into the plan for your property.
Six Ways an Agent Can Market Your House
1. List Your House on the MLS
The multiple listing service, or MLS, is a database of available homes. Listing your house there gives it more visibility among other real estate agents and buyers.
That exposure could bring more traffic to your listing and your home. In turn, more interest could lead to more offers and potentially a better price. These are possibilities, not promises.
Ask your agent: How will you present my house on the MLS, and what do you need from me to prepare the listing description and photos?
2. Put a Yard Sign to Work
A yard sign catches the attention of people walking or driving past your home. It’s a straightforward way to build local interest.
Neighbors may have friends or family who want to move into the area. A sign lets those nearby know your home is available and prominently displays your agent’s contact information so interested buyers can reach out easily.
Ask your agent: What contact information will appear on the sign, and how should I direct questions from neighbors or people passing by?
3. Advertise and Host an Open House
An open house gives multiple buyers a chance to visit your property. When buyers see that others are interested, that sense of competition can lead to stronger offers.
There’s a practical benefit for you, too. Instead of leaving the house separately for each of those visitors, you can leave once while several buyers tour during the open house.
Your agent may also gather useful feedback. Learning what visitors like or don’t like can help you consider improvements that could attract more buyers later, if needed.
Ask your agent: How will you advertise the open house? What should I do to prepare, and how will you share buyer feedback afterward?
4. Showcase Your Home on the Agent’s Website
Your agent’s website provides another place to present your property professionally. It gives buyers an opportunity to view your home as part of the agent’s available listings.
People visiting an agent’s website are also more likely to be serious buyers who are ready to make a move. That makes this an important part of the marketing conversation, beyond simply having your home listed somewhere online.
Ask your agent: How will my property appear on your website? Can you show me how you present a home’s description, photos and tour options?
5. Share the Listing Through Social Media
An agent’s work to build a wide-ranging social media presence can help your listing reach a large audience.
Social media also makes a listing easy to share. Someone who sees your house can pass it along to a friend or loved one who might be interested, extending the reach beyond the agent’s own audience.
Ask your agent: How will you feature my house on social media, and which listing posts can I share with my own friends and family?
6. Offer a Virtual Tour
Virtual tours give buyers a convenient way to explore your house, especially when they’re relocating from out of town.
Buyers can tour virtually whenever it works for them, day or night. This approach also shows that your agent is using up-to-date technology to market your property.
Ask your agent: Will the marketing plan include a virtual tour? Where will buyers be able to find it, and what should I do before it’s created?
Look at the Whole Plan, Not Just One Tool
There are many ways to market a house. As NerdWallet explains:
A good real estate agent will have a robust plan to promote your listing in an effort to find the right pool of buyers. Adding your home to databases of available homes called multiple listing services (MLS), open houses, 3D virtual tours, professional photography and broker tours for buyers’ agents (particularly for luxury homes) are all factors that may go into a marketing plan.
Ask your agent to explain which of those tools they recommend for your house. Review the presentation, the ways buyers will find the listing, and the opportunities they’ll have to tour it.
Keep the conversation practical. Before moving forward, make sure you understand what the agent plans to do and what they need from you.
Your Next Step Before Selling
Working with a real estate professional offers several marketing benefits, from broader visibility to convenient tours and useful buyer feedback.
Start by asking a local agent for a clear marketing plan for your house. Bring these questions, review the proposed approach, and discuss how to prepare. If you’re unsure where to begin, reach out to Ed Parcaut to talk through your next step.
