Last Updated on January 30, 2020

Online listings made real estate marketing a lot easier. You don’t have to spend all day at the mall or on-site to give out flyers and generate leads. The inquiries come after you. However convenient this internet marketing tactic is, it doesn’t mean you can just set it and forget it. If you really want to generate interest and attract buyers, update your listings regularly. Here are other reasons you would want to embrace this habit from now on:

To Reflect the Latest Details about the Property

There are a lot of changes that can happen to your property or its neighborhood from the time you promote it online. The house and lot’s price can go up or go down, depending on the market. The bedroom may have been repainted. The condo complex may have added new amenities or services. These pieces of information should appear accurately on your listing. The last thing you need is a potential buyer feeling frustrated because of the price discrepancy. At the same time, you’d want to reassure potential buyers that the condo you’re selling has new RFID-access doors.

Of course, apart from property details, you should take note of changes to your personal information, too. If you’ve switched to a new mobile number lately, update the one shown online. If you have a new professional picture, replace the old one. The bottom line is, everything on the listing should be the latest information. The goal is to be credible in the eyes of your market.

At the same time, don’t limit yourself to details that have changed. Check the rest for accuracy. Be especially sensitive to “promise statements.” If you previously wrote that the home is a five-minute drive from this mall or that school, make sure that it’s accurate. Don’t set yourself up for unrealistic expectations. Again, you ultimately want to be seen as reliable and trustworthy.

To Attract Buyers with Better Photos

It’s always a good practice to spruce up your listing with new pictures. You may have initially put blueprint or designer’s perspective photos online. Home seekers will appreciate your listing better if it’s the actual property shown. On the flip side, perhaps you already have those kinds of photos, but you took them with a mobile phone back then. Consider using a better camera this time. More importantly, be smart in snapping photos.

Take note of your most important shots. If you’re selling a residential property, include a wide-angle perspective of the rooms, including the backyard, some close-ups of unique features, and a front view of the house. Meanwhile, if you’re promoting a commercial property, it’s best to emphasize the location of it. Make sure to have street view snapshots. Two more things to keep in mind when taking real estate photos for listings are lighting and clutter. You want more of the former, and little to zero of the latter.

To Build Rapport with Your Market

You’ll learn more about the client you’re trying to capture as you interact with them. More specifically, you would know how they speak. In one house tripping session alone, you would hear and understand what your target market looks for in a property. Spacious, fully-furnished, close to schools, peaceful — these are just some of the things typical Filipino families would say over and over. Secluded, remodeled, luxurious, modern, these are the adjectives you’ll pick up from affluent buyers. Hip, community-oriented, internet access, meanwhile, are the buzzwords that younger millennials use.

As you become familiar with their lingo, go back to your listing. Improve it with these terms. Highlight amenities and features that buyers want to see. Once you talk their talk, you’ll be able to connect with seekers better and increase the chances of them getting in touch with you.

If you want to be more strategic about this, draw up buyer personas or fictional representations of your ideal buyer. Give them a name and identify what motivates or irks them. As you gain a deep understanding of who you’re targeting, you’ll be able to translate not just their language, but also their needs and aspirations in your listing. In other words, you’re able to build rapport with them even online.

Again, a real estate listing isn’t something you set and forget. For it to work to your advantage, you need to be strategic in making it seen. Update your listing every now and then to ensure this. If you haven’t been receiving any inquiries since you last uploaded information, perhaps it’s time to revamp that stale listing. Ask yourself, when was the last time you updated yours?

This article was first published at Lamudi.com.ph