If there was ever an easy question to answer, this is it!

M A R K E T I N G !

Now, wasn’t that EASY?

Sure it was. It’s not TRUE, but it sure was EASY. If Marketing caused a home to sell, no one would ever lose money on the sale of a home–the housing market crash since 2007 would not have happened! Agents and Owners would have simply MARKETED more and VOILA! Problem solved, home sold!

Truth be told, marketing by real estate agents serves TWO main purposes.

1. It is a subtle was of getting the agent’s name in front of potential future clients. The ad pieces speak as much about the agent as the property, or they contain a picture of the agent along with the home. The home may not sell, but the agent wants the exposure for themselves. Look at a Sunday newspaper real estate section in the KC Star from 10 feet away–You can make out lots of print and you can tell that there are LOTS of pictures in the section. But wait! Those aren’t pictures of HOUSES–they are pictures of AGENTS! Still not sure what’s being advertised here?! Agents advertise for themselves. They only use the home as a prop.

2. Marketing lets the Agent claim that their personal marketing CAUSED the sale, so they should get a BIG, FAT COMMISSION! After all, if they happened to be crossing their fingers and wearing a cap backwards when their team won the big game, surely they are entitled to some credit for helping make it happen, right? Correlation and Causation are NOT the same thing, but agent sure do try to pretend that they are!

But TWO things really prove that marketing is not the answer.

1. The market crash mentioned above. Why didn’t they simply ‘market’ their way out of it?

2. The “For Sale By Owner” segment works poorly. Why? If marketing was the answer, surely a motivated homeowner would be able to run ads, print fliers, etc. as well as any agent. It works poorly because the Seller doesn’t have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)! The MLS is THE MARKETPLACE for the vast majority of potential home buyers. If you’re NOT THERE, most Buyers will never even know that your home is for sale!

Are you STILL listening to an agent that insists that their marketing plan is MAGIC? Ask them if they will NOT do all that marketing and simply enter your home correctly in the MLS at an attractive price, answer their phone regularly to arrange showings, and represent you through the negotiations and closing for $1500 (while letting you offer 3% to the Buyer’s agent). If the MLS is NOT the key, they have nothing to worry about!

Don’t want the hassle? Call Metro Discount Realty. We know what works. Full Service. Lower Price.

 

Funny video about selling homes… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1C3YLccQrU