Marketing Your Home

There is no single best way to effectively market a home. However, there are a number of options that will be utilized and combined to maximize the right kind of exposure to the best potential Buyers. The goal is to generate interest that will result in showings that will lead to quality offers.

Minneapolis Urban Homes understands how urban home Buyers shop and the special needs of this group. We know that these patterns are changing, and consequently we are using both traditional methods along with new, cutting edge technology solutions. People want to be able to gather quality information quickly and conveniently. Our strategy is to utilize traditional media (targeted direct mail, etc.) to drive shoppers to the Internet, where they can see your property presented with all relevant information and professional quality photography.

What are the primary marketing strategies used to market my home?

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is a database that combines all of the listings for all available homes in an area into one directory or database. This database is shared by all Agents and is also available to consumers. When you go to some consumer sites and do searches, you will be accessing the MLS. All basic information including address, price, size, bedrooms and baths, etc. is included in each MLS listing. Most will have one or more photographs. Examples of consumer sites include Realtor.com (the official site of the National Association of Realtors) and DRGMPLS.com, offered by Downtown Resource Group.

Your home will automatically be listed on the MLS and other consumer sites. Each listing will include the factual information along with a brief description (there is a limit to the length) and photos of your property.

Internet marketing. Statistics show that over 95% of home Buyers start their search on the Internet. These Internet shoppers view less homes and buy quicker than non-Internet shoppers. This is due partly to the fact that they spend less time on properties that are not a good fit, because they have access to better information to review online.

Minneapolis Urban Homes is a market leader in utilizing Internet marketing to get better results for clients. By making this site a valuable resource to Buyers, we become a primary shopping option for your best prospects. By listing your home with us, you will get the normal MLS exposure on the traditional real estate websites plus superior representation and exposure on the site frequented by qualified Buyers. This site becomes an "exchange" - a common meeting point for Buyers and Sellers that need to share specific information to facilitate both in meeting their goals. In addition, by utilizing our database of Buyers, we can identify those Buyers that will be interested in your property. We will notify those Buyers as soon as your property is listed - and increase the chances of an immediate sale.

Advertising and direct mail. Traditionally, homes have been exposed to the market with classified ads, newspaper display ads and direct mail. The goal has been to promote showings and open houses. The problem with this approach is that people need to make a special trip to see the home. While this is fine for some, many people want to "see" the home online first. Our strategy is to encourage shoppers to come to this site, view your property online and determine if it's of interest. Your home will be presented with quality photography and state of the art presentation technology to promote maximum interest. As a result, you will achieve more showings of better matched Buyers that will result in more offers with less wasted time.

Open houses. There are two types of open houses. The first is for Buyers and the second is for Agents. Both are worthwhile and important to a comprehensive marketing plan.

A Buyers open house is for the general public and is usually held on the weekends. Typically, a combination of serious potential Buyers, neighbors and window shoppers will attend. This type of open house can be useful especially for those Buyers that like to go out and spend the afternoon looking at a variety of properties without having to schedule showings. It will be necessary to check with your Association to determine any policies that may apply to this type of open house.

A Realtors open house is for Agents that have potential Buyers and is held during the week as part of an "Agents tour". The goal is to generate interest and allow Agents to review the property and share the information with their clients. Enlisting local Agents that are active in this market can be very helpful in getting your home sold quickly and smoothly.