Real Estate Marketing Trends that Need to Die in 2019

It's not hard to find real estate marketing advice online--but proven, high-quality marketing tips are a different story.

Too often, agents simply go along with the crowd, embracing the latest "hot" marketing trend, even if it's not actually delivering great ROI.

Worst of all, some of these marketing trends can actively hurt your chances of landing new clients or getting a home sold. If your marketing tactics don't inspire confidence, then how can you expect buyers to be confident in your ability to close the deal?

Make the most of your real estate marketing investment by avoiding these real estate trends that need to die in 2019.

Lazy Listings

Do you know what a potential buyer wants to be able to learn when they look at an online listing? Everything! Or at least as close as you can get. That's why listings with no floorplan or limited information about the home will always put you at a disadvantage. Invest some time into polishing your online listings so they look their best, and be sure to include the key info that customers want to see.

Low-Quality Photography

While there's no doubt that hard facts are a must-have for any successful listing, never forget that a picture is still worth a thousand words. Professional quality photography is an absolute must for listings if you want to catch the eye of buyers. The fact is that an overwhelming majority of real estate shoppers start their search online, and they expect a certain level of quality or they'll just move on to the next listing.

Virtual Staging

When it comes to staging, less is often more. A tastefully arranged room—with plenty of open space where shoppers can imagine their own lives—is better than a room that's filled top to bottom. So virtual staging, where an empty listing is filled with furniture using photo editing software, is one trend that definitely needs to go. Even if the virtual staging is done well, the buyer won't be able to see any of that furniture when they arrive at an open house. Not exactly the best way to build trust.

Skipping Out on Face-to-Face

Online marketing is such a crucial tool for real estate agents, but many of the best leads still come from referrals, face-to-face meetings, and community outreach. Plenty of customers find their agent through referrals from trusted sources, and then confirm that you have what they need by further researching your presence online. If you skip out on face-to-face marketing opportunities, or focus only on face-to-face without a robust online presence, it's going to be hard to win the trust of today's real estate customer.

To view the original article, visit the Delta Media Group blog.