Putting Your House on Zillow Isn't a Marketing Strategy. Just Saying!

 

Can we talk about something for a second? Because I think there's a pretty big misconception about what Realtors actually do to sell houses.

Putting a home on the MLS, uploading some pictures, sticking a sign in the yard, and waiting for the phone to ring? Sure, those are parts of the process. But if that's the entire plan, we've got a problem!

Before becoming a Realtor, I owned a boutique called Off the Square in Paris, Tennessee. We had more than 40 vendors selling everything from clothing to gifts and unique finds. And here's the fun part: I opened during COVID. Talk about learning how to market a business the hard way!

I learned pretty quickly that having a great product doesn't automatically mean people are going to buy it. You have to give them a reason to notice it, understand its value, and actually want it. And you know what? I approach selling houses with that exact same mindset.

Every Home Has a Different Buyer. So Why Would We Market Them the Same Way?

Let's say you call me about selling your lake house near Kentucky Lake. You've got a gorgeous view, an outdoor entertaining area, and the kind of back porch that makes people want to cancel their plans and stay awhile.

Now, imagine another client calls me about selling their home in Paris. It's close to shopping, has a practical layout, and offers a completely different lifestyle.

Would I market those two properties the same way? Absolutely not!

For the lake house, I'd want to showcase what makes the location special. Maybe that's a video highlighting the outdoor spaces, photography that captures the view, or marketing that helps buyers picture their weekends on the water. For the home in town, I might focus on its layout, updates, convenience, and features that make everyday living easier.

The goal isn't just to show people what the house looks like. It's to help the right buyers understand why they might want to live there.

Before I Think About Advertising, I Think About Pricing

Here's where people sometimes get surprised. You can have the most beautiful listing photos in Henry County and spend money promoting them all over Facebook, but if your house is priced significantly above comparable properties, we could still have a hard time generating offers.

That's why one of the first things I'd do is research your local market. I'd look at recently sold homes, current competition, property condition, and the features that make yours different.

Let's say you're hoping to list at $400,000, but comparable homes have been selling closer to $350,000. I'm not going to tell you $400,000 is a great idea just because that's what you want to hear.

We're going to have an honest conversation about what the market is telling us, what makes your property unique, and how different pricing decisions could affect buyer interest.

Because a good marketing strategy starts with understanding what we're selling and how buyers are likely to value it.

Your Home's First Showing Usually Happens Online

Think about the last time you looked at houses online. What made you stop scrolling? Was it the beautiful kitchen? The landscaping? A gorgeous living room with natural light?

Probably not a blurry picture of someone's refrigerator!

That's why I take property presentation seriously. Before we schedule photography, I want to consider what improvements or adjustments might help your home look its best.

Maybe that means decluttering, rearranging furniture, making a few affordable repairs, or simply choosing the right time of day for photography.

Then we decide how best to showcase the property using the marketing services included in your listing package. That might involve professional photographs, property videos, virtual tours, or creative social media content.

And here's something I learned from owning a boutique: Presentation can completely change how someone perceives what you're selling.

We're not trying to make your house something it isn't. We're trying to show buyers what makes it worth considering.

Advertising Should Have a Purpose

Now let's talk about one of my favorite things: marketing campaigns!

I love getting creative with advertising, but I'm not interested in running an ad just so I can tell you we ran an ad.

Before spending money promoting a listing, I'd want to think about what we're trying to accomplish. Do we need to introduce the property to more potential buyers? Highlight an overlooked feature? Generate interest after a change in price or presentation?

For example, let's say your home has a beautiful outdoor entertaining space that isn't getting much attention in the listing photos. A short video highlighting that feature might help communicate its appeal more effectively.

Or maybe a property has been listed for several weeks, and we're not seeing the activity we expected. I'd want to review the available listing data, showing feedback, and competing properties before deciding whether additional advertising makes sense.

Sometimes a new campaign could help. Sometimes we need to change something else entirely.

More marketing isn't automatically better marketing. The strategy behind it matters.

What Happens After Your Home Goes Live?

This is another area where I think sellers deserve more attention.

Let's say we've launched your listing, shared the marketing materials, and started getting activity. Great! But what happens next?

I'd want to know how many showings we're getting, what buyers are saying, whether competing homes are going under contract, and whether our pricing and presentation are still working for us.

If we're getting plenty of showings but no offers, we need to figure out why. If we're barely getting any interest, that's a different conversation.

The last thing I want is for you to wonder what your Realtor is doing while your home sits on the market.

My job is to help you understand what's happening and talk through the next steps, even when that means having a conversation you might not have expected.

You're Not Just Hiring Someone to List Your House

You're trusting someone to help you sell one of your biggest investments. And I think that deserves a whole lot more thought than uploading a few photos and crossing our fingers.

My background in business taught me to be creative, pay attention to what people respond to, and understand the importance of presenting something well. My experience buying and selling investment properties taught me how important it is to have someone advocating for you throughout the process.

Now, I get to bring those experiences together for my clients.

Every home is different. Every seller has different goals. And not every property needs the same marketing campaign.

But every seller deserves someone who puts real thought into the strategy.

Thinking about selling your home in Paris, Henry County, or one of our surrounding communities? I'd love to learn about your property and show you how I'd approach selling it.

Let's make a plan for your home!

 

Alexandria Stout, REALTOR®
Prosper Realty Group | Paris, Tennessee