A lot has changed in the property market over the last decade in terms of the way in which business is concluded – especially with more and more buyers gaining access to the internet. The internet has become one of the main advertising tools for real estate due to it being a fast and effective way to reach a number of buyers in a short time period. This is according to Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, who says that for many potential buyers, the internet provides easy access to a great volume of information with little effort.
“There is also the fact that many buyers resist spending time driving around looking for properties when they could search for properties on the internet from the comfort of their current home or office instead,” says Goslett. “We have also found that from a seller’s perspective, homeowners would rather have buyers be able to see their property over the internet and then make an appointment, than have their home open to strangers on show days. Security has become a concern for many sellers, which has pushed the focus of advertising homes away from the more traditional methods to the more modern media formats.”
Goslett notes that despite today’s age of evolving technology and the internet, along with all the marketing and advertising that a real estate agent will use to sell the property, a sign board outside a home is still an excellent lead-generating tool to attract buyers. In fact, according to research, a sign board outside a home is so effective that it can generate as many as ten buyer leads during the length of the listing agreement. This is provided of course it can be used in area the home is situated in. In certain areas, municipal bylaws body corporates and homeowner associations restrict the use of sign boards and show day pointer boards. “Despite these challenges, this simple yet effective method of marketing a home will provide further exposure of the home to more buyers, bearing in mind that not all leads generated will be buyers who are qualified to purchase the property.”
Goslett notes that while signs boards are still an effective form of marketing a property, it is vital that a qualified, reputable agent with the necessary knowledge answers the calls from potential buyers and investors interested in the property. “Many offices and agencies typically have an agent on duty to take incoming calls from potential buyers. While this serves a purpose, it is important to realise that in the event of this happening, many of the agents answering the lead calls on the property may not have sold a property in the last year. In fact, in some cases they know less about the property than the person making the call. This emphasises the importance of selecting the right agent and brand to market your property,” advises Goslett.
He adds that regardless of whether modern or traditional methods are used to market a property, sellers need to ensure that the agency they choose to list their property has a system in place which forwards all lead calls coming into the office directly to the agent who is working with and marketing the property. “The bottom line here is that the person who knows the property best is the one who will handle the calls from potential buyers. This is the most effective way to ensure that the marketing strategy serves the goal of finding the right buyer,” Goslett concludes.
