By Joyce Mbaire,
As a homeowner, you may decide to cash in on your real estate investment for one reason or the other.
Whatever your reasons may be, you will need to market your home in order to maximize the return on your investment. Here are a few factors you need to bear in mind to effectively market your real estate property and gain the most.
Your ideal buyer
To market your real estate property, the first thing you need to do is determine who your target market is. Is your home more suited to be bought by newlyweds who are looking to build a nest or will it be better to rent it out to a young professional who is finding their feet?
Would anyone find your home attractive or would it be more appealing to a niche market? These simple questions once answered will help you define your ideal buyer after which you will be better positioned to determine the best way to reach them.
Your Advertisement
Getting the word out about your home sale can be a daunting task. To do this successfully, you would have to identify the primary ways your ideal buyer searches for and receives information.
In this era where most people are attached to their mobile phones, the quickest way to share a home-listing is online using social media like Facebook or LinkedIn and classified websites like Jumia House.
You can do this by uploading pictures of your real estate property and detailing its features and selling points. Be sure to not only focus on the home but to also include information about the neighborhood and amenities available.
Most home buyers or renters are just as interested in the location as they are in the structure. Along with social media, feel free to do some word-of-mouth promotion for your real estate property.
People are more prone to make a purchase if they heard about the product through a referral. So make sure you capitalize on your network to get the word out about your home being up on the market.
Your Accessibility
Now your ideal buyer has gotten wind of your real estate property, the next step is for them to contact you. Make sure you are reachable because there is nothing more unfortunate than a missed opportunity.
This cannot be stressed enough. Potential buyers will definitely be frustrated and put-off if they are unable to reach you after seeing your home listing. In this age of power outages and Internet interruptions, you may have to be mindful to ensure your availability to your buyers.
Create an email address dedicated to the home you’re putting on the market if you have to. Be sure to include a telephone number with all your listings, posts and advertisements. If you happen to miss any phone calls or receive any email inquiries, do well to respond to them within 24 hours.
Your Customer Service
Always make it a point to treat your clients with consideration and respect. Take their complaints seriously and touch base with them often, even after the property has been handed over.
Keep yourself fresh in their minds so you are their first thought the next time their friends and family need somewhere to call home.
Do these and you are well on your way to making a sale.
This article was written by Joyce Mbaire. Joyce is the Communications and Community Engagement Executive at Jumia.
