Effective marketing online marketing.

Finding the right buyer requires getting the word out about the property for sale. Today the primary marketing channel is the internet, but putting up a listing on the multiple listing service (MLS) is not enough to sell a luxury property – or any home, for that matter.

In addition to pricing a home, a reputable Realtor will have a number of marketing options for your luxury home. The first will be online, but the most pervasive will often be the network he or she has with other Realtors, past clients and other people involved in high-end real estate.

The best buyers may be found through the internet, or they may be found through a contact of the real estate agent’s. The point is to work with someone who has the ability to reach buyers who will want what you are offering.

Top real estate agents understand the best marketing tips for selling a home and they take advantage of them all. Exceptional agents leave no stone uncovered when selling a high-end home.

The real estate agent you select to sell your luxury home should have a dominant internet presence. Use Google as a tool to seek out and find luxury market real estate agents in your area.

You can try searching for “top real estate agent, city, state” to locate an exceptional agent. Typically agents that come up high in searches such as this tend to have a great understanding of real estate marketing.

A highly visible real estate agent will be knowledgeable in both search engine optimization (SEO) along with terrific social media skills. Let’s face it more and more people spend a ton of time on their smart phones. Everyone has their favorite social network they regularly use. Social media real estate marketing is just another way of going outside the box in getting a high-end home sold.

Using high-end photography and video.

Whether a buyer finds your home online, or through contacts of your real estate agent, most people are going to want to look at the listing before they schedule a viewing. A quality listing will contain pictures and a video tour of the property. Just as a good portrait photographer can bring out the best ­in a person, a skilled home photographer can make any home look its best. You want pictures that attract buyers, which requires working with a professional.

Luxury homes deserve exceptional professional photography. This is one of the most important aspects of selling a luxury home. When someone asks how do you sell a luxury home, photography will be at the top of the list! Here are some excellent photography tips specifically for real estate.

Video is becoming as important as photos when selling real estate today – especially when you are selling a luxury home. Buyers may be coming from across the country to view your home. Even if they are coming from next door, a video tour can give them a good idea of what living in the home would be like, and convey what makes your home special. Filming a quality video tour may cost a little bit of money, but it can be considered an investment. The better the video looks, the more likely you are to attract the right kind of buyers

Effective offline marketing

While online marketing is a critical part of selling a luxury home so is your print marketing material. There should be additional money invested into marketing material when marketing a high-end home. Perception is everything when it comes to marketing to buyers who are purchasing an expensive home. Brochures should be of the high-end glossy variety.

The marketing material should tell a story both about the home as well as the city or town the property is located in. Selling such things as the neighborhood or outstanding education are all part of the puzzle.

Often you are selling a lifestyle and this should be conveyed in the marketing material. Keep in mind that many luxury home buyers look for well know luxury brands. This should be reflected in your marketing.

For example in the kitchen, high-end appliances include a Sub-Zero fridge, a Wolfe or Viking stove, a Thermador oven, a Miele or Bosch dishwasher. Luxury buyers look for these brands. When marketing the home these things should be emphasized. The kitchen is the most important room in the house so extra time should be spent featuring it.

Traits of Luxury Home Real Estate Agents

When marketing and selling a luxury home the agent you select becomes even more critical. The agent you hire will be your voice in getting the word out about how magnificent your property happens to be. Some of the most important traits of a luxury real estate agent include:

• Very effective communicators.
• Extremely detailed oriented.
• Understand the local market inside and out. This includes all local attractions.
• Well versed in pricing homes correctly. The agent should have a great list price to sale price ratio and lower days on market than the average.
• Expert marketers.
• Have a good sphere of influence.
• Skilled in problem-solving.

Know how to sell luxury.

High homes often have features that are not found in any other type of property. High-end fixtures, cabinets, appliances, woodwork, lighting, etc. More often than not luxury homes have features like:

1. Extravagant home theaters.
2. Incredible wine cellars.
3. An indoor pool.
4. An intricate security system.
5. Surveillance cameras.
6. A central music service.
7. Energy monitoring.
8. Thermostatic control.
9. Window covering controls.
10. Complete “smart home” capability.

See some of my favorite luxury homes currently on the market