Estate agents must sell a lifestyle
Category News: Cowies Hill
The next time you get into your car to look at houses be sure to take a step back and look at communities.
Notice the difference between a well-planned community and a typical suburb:
Look for all the elements and amenities that the developer and the builders are creating and consider their value. A true community may not be the least expensive option, but it will offer a better lifestyle for your buyer, and the properties in a community will ultimately have more value five to ten years down the road than a property in a typical suburb.
But how do you sell community?
It starts by taking a step back and selling lifestyle. Ask yourself how moving to this town will fundamentally change the buyer’s lifestyle. The town’s amenities, events, cultural offerings, food, shopping and recreational opportunities are all factors that weave together to form a community’s unique personality.
Once you consult with a seller about what the town has to offer, only then can you sell lifestyle by showcasing these aspects of a community, you become less of a salesperson and more of a lifestyle consultant — and isn’t that why people move?
Don’t be lazy when it comes to showcasing your listing:
Instead of starting with a photo of the front elevation, then moving to the kitchen and master bedroom, why not describe the lifestyle the home affords? Better yet, show a video of the town, including people enjoying the life it offers.
At the end of the day, people aren’t buying homes — they are buying a lifestyle!
Your job as an Estate Agent is to allow the process of showcasing that lifestyle lead to the logical conclusion of the real estate purchase. Create That Video That Showcases A Lifestyle!
When you buy a home, you get a lot more than square meterage and dirt
You buy the neighbours, the neighbourhood, the swimming pools and schools in fact the entire community that surrounds the home. One of the best ways to show off the community you are trying to sell along with that home is to create a video. Of course, there are lots of approaches to making a video.
Utilise the first few seconds of your video to let potential buyers know where it is going.
Give them a taste of what’s to come and that includes the flavour and flair of the area. If your video is just about the house, regardless of how amazing the property might be you’re missing an opportunity to attract a deeper pool of potential Buyers. Remember, the objective is to let buyers see the property while giving them more than just doors and floors.
Viewing the video will give the buyer the best chance to experience something without actually being there.
In order to do this effectively you have to use sound - not just dialogue, but what the video production and television world refers to as natural sound. For example, children splashing in the swimming pool, the trickling sound of a waterfall or fountain, the wind blowing through the trees - just a second or two is all you need to salt the senses and pull the viewer into the video.
Interview the community:
You could include a sound clip with a police officer who boasts of the neighbourhood as one of the safest in the county, or interview the neighbour who has lived nearby for thirty years. Whoever it is, just talk to everyday people and get creative. Let your viewers feel the friendly vibe in the neighbourhood first-hand. You could go to the local shopping area and ask local residents why they loved the area.
You won't need to spend a lot of time trying to sell the neighbourhood when so many others could do a much better job of it - after all - they live there, and video is the best way to bring those residents to life.
The Most Important Component Of Any Video Is The Story:
'Tell it to sell it' - every home has a story. Rather than spew out a bunch of numbers from the local Listing Services about bathrooms and square meterage, focus on feelings. Take the time to dig deeper and understand what will most likely connect with potential buyers. The seller is usually the best place to start.
Spend as much time as you can talking to the seller and other members of the community to get a true feel of what the town is like to live in
Author: Lee Ellis
