4 Shockingly Simple Steps to Getting a Massive Response from
your 'Home For Sale' Ad
Copyright 2006 Geff Long
The problem most people make (including real estate agents), is
trying to do too much in the ad. They try to sell the home in
that one ad and it just can't be done. It will cause the ad
response to drop dramatically.
As backwards as it seems, the more information you provide in
the ad, the lower the response rate. Now, I'm not saying don't
give any information... I'm saying pick and choose the
information you will include carefully. There is only ONE job
the ad should have... and that is to get the reader to take ONE
action.
That's it. Nothing more.
You see, people are reading those house ads to try and ELIMINATE
homes to call on or look at. That changes your perspective a
little bit, doesn't it? Common sense would tell you that they
are searching for houses to look at, but that isn't the case.
There is no way they can visit all those homes listed in the
newspaper, so they have to eliminate some of them. If you give
them a big ad with all the information and show them a picture,
they are quickly able to eliminate it and cross it off their
list. Don't give them that option.
There are 4 important and essential parts to your ad. You must
grab the reader's attention, capture their interest, create a
desire, and get them to take action. And believe me, it is not
rocket science and if you stick to that plan, the response will
surprise you. Let's look at each part individually.
1. Grab Attention
To grab the reader's attention, you need to show them that the
ad pertains to them. The easiest way to do this is by starting
your ad with the name of the city or neighborhood your home is
in. It's that simple. Anyone looking for a home in your area
will start reading your ad.
2. Capture their Interest
The easiest, fastest way to capture interest is to give the
reader some financial information. People are starved for this
information, but the real estate industry rarely gives it to
them. Simply get in touch with a Bank or Loan Officer and ask
for a Good Faith Estimate for your home. They will be able to
show you some exact financial numbers that you can use. You will
use Down Payment, Monthly Payment, Loan Amount and the APR
(Annual Percentage Rate) information in your ad.
3. Create Desire
Part of this is already done by the low down payment and
financial information. It creates a big interest and starts
creating a big desire. You can continue on and push some "hot
button" issues to really create desire in the reader. Use terms
that give a positive emotion. Quiet Street, Fenced Back Yard,
Fireplace... these types of terms are "feel good" terms.
4. Getting the Reader to Take Action
What is it you want the reader to do? Only give them ONE option.
You can have them call a phone number, go to a website, or
attend and open house. Choose ONE option and make that the
focus. Having them call a phone number will generally get the
biggest response.
There you have it. Four ridiculously simple steps that will
skyrocket the response from your "For Sale" ad.