Today's Home Buyers Want More
It's easy to think that's about home features. But their desire for "more" extends to the whole home-buying process as well. Computer-savvy buyers are concerned about HOW they buy, not just WHAT they buy. After all, these are the same buyers who are accustomed to going online and using search engines for any type of purchase. It's only natural that they'd do the same thing when it comes to finding the home they want.
Buyers look for:
- More convenience in how they locate homes
- More uniqueness in the experience - to avoid same-o, same-o
- More Internet-based information about their choices
- More direct involvement in finding what they're looking for
- More technology awareness by their sales agent - online and offline
- More efficiency and speed in every step of the purchasing process
There's a Relationship between a Tightly-focused Niche and Increased Sales
That's not surprising. The more clearly the customer's precise needs are understood, the easier to hit their bulls eye. So a property presented in a way that's tailored to the buyer's buying preferences sticks out from all the other homes offered.
Successful marketing of any sort requires careful attention to the buyer's needs. Being able to create a single website dedicated to just one property takes niche marketing to the next level for real estate.
A Niche of One Makes a Home for Sale Unique and Impressive
Focus your sales efforts for maximum impact on such buyers. Reduce their risk of "listing overload" Eliminate their need to dig through listing after listing to find desired information. How about featuring ONE? A single listing featured on its very own site. That's a niche size that won't overwhelm.
Today's Internet-savvy buyers crawl the Web and use tools like REALTOR.COM or even sophisticated IDX-based home search services such as My Buying Buddy, to find homes. However, according to N.A.R. (National Association of Realtors), most buyers still find a home from a drive-by, seeing the sign in the yard. Now take that interest online.
Unfortunately, visiting a searchable real estate website takes too many clicks and dead ends before the specific home you saw actually can be found. Compare that experience with the home having its own website, with an easy-to-remember street address as the domain name - like 1122MainStreet.com . A prominently displayed "sign-rider" on the For Sale sign out front means buyers can simply and rapidly research it.
Simplify Home Sales for Buyers, Sellers and Their Sales Agents
There's clearly a problem when buyers find it so difficult to find a specific home on the web. A sign-rider taking people from a known street address to a website dedicated to that property alone is the fastest way for them to find information about it.
Today's Realtors® are fortunate that technology can now offer them the ability to create a dedicated site for each specific home in minutes. Pictures and all. No technical know-how is required. The site is posted on the 'net almost instantly, and stays up until the property is sold. And properties with this high-impact exposure DO sell faster than similar listings.
Listing agents report that presenting a listing on its own website has proven to be a deal clincher with sellers (when they're competing for a listing). When sellers see how comprehensively their property can be promoted they're more quickly convinced. And it costs them nothing.
The secret of successful marketing is always to focus on a very narrow niche. Having a unique website allows every home buyer to fully exploit the power of the Internet with their own niche marketing strategy.
©2005, Paul Eastwood
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