When it comes to selling a home using marketing strategies, not all real estate professionals strive to get much exposure beyond putting a sign in the yard and posting an ad in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). However, doing the bare minimum and crossing fingers isn't enough to get a home sold for what it's worth in a reasonable period. Here's what real estate professionals should be doing for sellers in today's marketplace.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

The Best Realtors Go Beyond Multiple Listing Services

The first question to ask potential agents is how they plan to actively market the property and draw in buyers. If all they have to talk about is MLS sites like Trulia, REALTOR.com, Redfin, Zillow, etc., then move on to other candidates who are more actionable concerning the marketing process. After all, marketing is the reason sellers pay for the assistance of agents to begin with. Find a professional who actively discusses using effective home marketing strategies such as:

• Search Engine Optimization: Strategic SEO drives web traffic to real estate listings through use of key terms.
• Search Engine Marketing: SEM directs paid web traffic through ads to boost the home's exposure.
• Facebook and YouTube Ads: Facebook has become a highly trafficked site for home shoppers and sellers, with YouTube quickly gaining traction within the marketplace. Some agents are also actively dabbling with Twitter ads to some success.

Greater exposure, particularly online, can lead to faster response times and more bids from serious buyers.

Discovering the Target Market for a Seller's Property

Any established agent will be able to explain to sellers a fairly accurate portrayal of the type of buyers who be most interested in the property being sold. Knowing who to market to is just as important than actually doing the marketing itself, as reaching thousands of buyers looking for something entirely different wastes time and money.

Great agents truly understand the evolving demographics of the local communities, who's moving to the city and who's leaving and the current desire for specific types of homes. Knowing exactly the type of families or individuals to gear marketing efforts towards can be the difference in a home that sells quickly and one that sits on the market for a while.

Marketing with a Strong Visual Campaign

Those looking for a new home have likely already peeked online to get an idea of what the market is like, the types of homes to consider and price points. Just as within a pamphlet, the first thing that online viewers will typically look at are the photos of the home. It's now estimated that over half of buyers find their dream home online. So, be sure that the realtor plans to use a professional photographer to take snapshots of the home.

Professional cameras will take much better photos and 360-degree videos than a tripod or hand-held cell phone or basic digital camera. Pros can use wide angle lenses and natural lighting to put the home in it's very best light literally. One of the newest marketing innovations involving photos and videos are captured by drones to highlight the exterior of the home and surrounding property, so this could be another opportunity for marketing to inquire about.

Determining the Right Home Price Point

It is important to have a clear understand concerning the price being set on an Eagle Ridge home for sale. In fact, pricing can be the very most important factor of any real estate marketing plan. Professional agents should be able to create a comparative market analysis and use their personal knowledge of the local area to set an accurate price point from day one.

Homes that linger on the market for too long can cause sellers concern, especially if they are in a hurry to sell. Furthermore, such homes can cause buyers to worry that something may be wrong with the property due to that long listing period. If this occurs, savvy agents will begin discussing a slight change in pricing to reboot the home's interest on the marketplace.

Sellers Do Their Homework

There are a number of ways that a truly great real estate agent will market homes for sale. What the homework of the buyer is would be to ask about the above processes common in real estate marketing today to make sure agents are on board and eager to sell your home. The key to success is for buyers to know who they are hiring and what their approach will be to get their home sold quickly—and for the right price.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.