{"id":10359,"date":"2019-04-22T17:23:49","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T00:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=10359"},"modified":"2026-04-08T00:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T07:34:25","slug":"real-estate-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/real-estate-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Real Estate Marketing Mistakes You Don\u2019t Want Your Agent to Make"},"content":{"rendered":"

8 seconds. That\u2019s the average attention span<\/a> of a human being and about how long you have to convince potential homebuyers that your property is worth a second glance.<\/p>\n

In the time that it takes to change a tire at an IndyCar racing pit stop<\/a>, an eager house hunter could move on to the next real estate listing or get distracted by a dog meme on Facebook…if they ever lay eyes on your home at all.<\/p>\n

Although you now have an enormous opportunity to showcase your house online using big-brand listing aggregators and social media<\/a>, so does every other seller out there. And since insufficient marketing is one of the main reasons homes don\u2019t sell<\/a> (second only to overpricing), you should vet your agent\u2019s real estate marketing plan<\/a> from the get-go.<\/p>\n

Then, if you suspect your agent is making any of these real estate marketing mistakes<\/a> or you have a hard time booking showings, it\u2019s time to strike up a frank conversation to figure out what\u2019s up\u2014or find another agent who can turn things around.<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/a>
Source: (Mackenzie Kosut\/ Flickr<\/a> via Creative Commons Legal Code<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Real estate marketing mistake #1: DIY photos (every listing deserves professional photography!)<\/h2>\n

\u201cTaking pictures with your iPhone, and imagining you can accomplish your goals and objectives\u2014that\u2019s just not going to cut it,\u201d says Aaron Novello<\/a>, a top agent in Tamarac, Florida<\/a> who sells properties 53% faster than average.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the eyeballs are online and people are going there before they even call somebody like me.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While you may be tempted to try and get away with DIY photos, this mistake will cost you more than you\u2019d initially save. Not only will professional photographers have the right equipment (like a tripod and wide-angle lens) and expertise to take amazing real estate photos<\/a>, a study by the Chicago-based real estate photography company VHT Studios found that homes with professional photography in the listing sold 32% faster<\/a> than homes without it.<\/p>\n

Think of it like a domino effect: bad photos make it difficult to attract buyers…that lull in interest will cause your home to sit on the market…and higher days on market<\/a> ultimately puts your house at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n

This is because homes that linger too long on the market appear \u201ctainted\u201d to buyers who will assume there must be something wrong with it if it hasn\u2019t sold for months on end, likely forcing you to make a price reduction.<\/p>\n

So quite literally, in this case, time is money.<\/p>\n

Therefore, even your average, run-of-the-mill listings deserve professional photos\u2014you don\u2019t need to have a luxury property for it to make sense.<\/p>\n

In most cases, photography should be part of an agent\u2019s overall marketing budget and not an added expense to the seller (in other words, it\u2019s included in the commission you\u2019ll pay at closing). Your agent likely has one or more go-to photographers in their network who they trust to get the job done\u2014feel free to look at some of their past listings to get an idea of what to expect.<\/p>\n

But as the property owner, you can take steps to help make sure the photo shoot goes smoothly, too. You\u2019ll need to deep clean<\/a>, declutter<\/a>, and schedule your home stagings<\/a> ahead of time so the house is ready to be photographed. For more tips on how to work with the real estate photographer for your home, review HomeLight\u2019s guide to pulling off the perfect photo shoot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (Ashley Edwards\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Real estate marketing mistake #2: Your property listing description is full of errors or repeats basic information.<\/h2>\n

The listing description (ideally around 50-100 words) is a space to tell your home\u2019s story after you\u2019ve captured a buyer\u2019s attention with stunning photos. The description fills in any gaps that the photos alone can\u2019t convey. It\u2019s like the synopsis on the back of a book cover telling readers what they can expect…while enticing them to find out more for themselves.<\/p>\n

With some inspired copy and attention to detail, the listing description is a huge opportunity to convince buyers to book a showing. But not everyone is a poetic genius or even cares enough to use spell check\u2014whatever you do, make sure your agent avoids these listing description blunders.<\/p>\n

Bad grammar and misspellings.<\/h3>\n

A study by Redfin and Grammarly found that 43.4% of home buyers<\/a> said they\u2019d be much less inclined to schedule a home tour if the property\u2019s online description had improper grammar or misspellings (proof that it\u2019s not just your photos that matter!)<\/p>\n

A guide to writing clean listing copy<\/a> from leading real estate industry news source Inman offers some common spelling mistakes from listings across the web, such as\u2014\u201cstainless steal\u201d (should be: steel), \u201csneak peak\u201d (should be: peek), \u201cdouble-pained windows\u201d (should be: double-paned) and \u201cexcept an offer\u201d (rather than accept).<\/p>\n

These little mistakes might seem miner (oops, we mean, minor!) but ultimately have an impact on a buyer\u2019s first impression of your property. Attention to detail matters.<\/p>\n

Repeating your basic property information.<\/h3>\n

On most real estate websites, your listing description appears in the field appearing below or beside your home\u2019s price, address, and key details (like number of beds and baths and square footage).<\/p>\n

So don\u2019t waste any precious words of the description repeating information that\u2019s already highly visible in other parts of the listing (or should be). Your agent\u2019s contact details also have no place in the description. Instead, pack this precious space with specifics about the property that aren\u2019t evident in the photos.<\/p>\n

Does the master bathroom have a Sinkology clawfoot tub, or luxurious rainfall showerhead? Is your home located in a historic neighborhood? Did your family meticulously maintain this home for three decades? Now\u2019s your chance to put your house in the context of its surroundings and offer buyers a little backstory.<\/p>\n

See the contrast in the below two examples:<\/p>\n

Listing that repeats basic information<\/b>:
\nThis beautiful ranch-style home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and sits in the desirable Meadowbrooke neighborhood. Call Kristy at (123) 456-7890 to schedule a showing! <\/i>
\n
\nListing that highlights unique features<\/b>:
\nThis beautiful ranch-style home sits on a landscaped lot with mature trees in an up-and-coming neighborhood close to the Town Centre Shopping Plaza. Low maintenance perennial hosta plants create a backyard oasis every spring. Mid-century modern details like the low-pitched roof add architectural interest while an open flow between the kitchen and family room creates the perfect space to entertain or gather as a family. The current owners have taken special care of the home since 1988\u2014don’t miss the full master bath remodel with custom touches.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The second description makes much better use of the space with mentions of nearby attractions, a callout to the property\u2019s desirable layout, and an indication of how the home has been cared for.<\/p>\n

Inaccuracies and fair housing violations.<\/h3>\n

You know your house inside and out better than your agent does. It\u2019s your job to work with them on creating an accurate description and provide them with any property surveys, home improvement receipts, and home maintenance records as needed to verify that the listing is as up-to-date as possible.<\/p>\n

You also might be surprised to learn that there are legal restrictions on the kind of language you can include in your listing description. The Fair Housing Act prohibits the use of language<\/a> that could be interpreted as discriminatory against any of the seven protected classes<\/a>: race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or familial status.<\/p>\n

This means even if you think of your house as \u201cfamily friendly,\u201d<\/a> for example, you couldn\u2019t directly target buyers with kids without raising fair housing concerns. Instead, you could highlight the property\u2019s features and attributes, like its positioning in a top school district or extra basement storage.<\/p>\n

Real estate marketing mistake #3: Underestimating the power of video.<\/h2>\n

If professional photos rank as \u201cindispensable,” videos of your home are close behind at \u201cextremely important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything online is moving more toward video,\u201d Novello says. \u201cSo having professional video of your home is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

While you don\u2019t have to go all out with flyover video shot by a drone\u2014although it certainly won\u2019t hurt\u2014it\u2019s a good idea to invest in a professional video tour or walk-through. This is especially true if your agent is marketing your home on social media, as posts with video generate 1,200 percent more shares<\/a> than posts without.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (Bence Boros\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Real estate marketing mistake #4: Going soft on social media.<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no excuse for failing to post your home listing regularly on social media when the average person spends 116 minutes a day<\/a> on these channels. It\u2019s just lazy not to.<\/p>\n

Your agent or their real estate group should have their own social media profiles on all the top platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram, and they should be posting updates for your home regularly and testing different promotions.<\/p>\n

Sellers can also market their home this way, by posting their listing on their own platforms and sharing with their networks. Social promotion can be easier when you\u2019ve developed a unique web page (called a single-property website) <\/b>for your house that you can consistently point buyers to.<\/p>\n

Hungry for more social media tips? HomeLight developed a guide to help sellers decide: \u201cIs My Home Getting the Royal Treatment on Social Media?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Real estate marketing mistake #5: Failing to find the right marketing mix.<\/h2>\n

90% of buyers search online<\/a> during their home hunt, but that doesn\u2019t mean that your agent should be tied to a computer all day to execute a digital marketing blitz. Make sure they\u2019ve got the listing up in all the right spots (namely, the MLS, which will then syndicate the listing to Zillow, Trulia, Realtor, etc.) but the plan shouldn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

In fact, your agent\u2019s network is perhaps the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal. Before your home even hits the market, some agents will post \u2018Coming Soon\u2019 listings (so long as there aren\u2019t any rules against it in their market), email their database of agents, and start passing out real estate flyers<\/a> around the community.<\/p>\n

Every home is different, too, and therefore requires its own marketing strategy. Although 63% of agents<\/a> don\u2019t recommend open houses, your unique property in your city\u2019s most up-and-coming neighborhood could be the perfect candidate for foot traffic.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is that even in today\u2019s internet age, finding the right marketing mix between online and offline channels could make all the difference. Chat with your agent about what would work best for your specific property, and create a game plan that makes sense for your house and neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Article Image Source: (David Schwarzenberg\/ Pixabay<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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