Do you play it safe and stay in the center when it comes to real estate marketing, or do you go all out and offer an outstanding marketing campaign?
Gary Vaynerchuk, the video marketing genius, provides his opinions on marketing in general in this video, which I recommend you watch: (Just be aware of the strong language that Gary uses, so you may not want to watch this with children.)
I’d like to highlight a few points Gary made here:
“I’m obsessed with extremes, which is one of my obsessions. If I created an event planning firm, say, renting out blow-up castles for bar mitzvahs and birthday parties, the first thing I’d do is fly to China and build the most extreme castle ever. similar to a 900 foot castle! Because the current state of our civilization is one of minimalism and radicalism.”
That makes a lot of sense to me. When it comes to viral material on social media, it’s the radical marketing strategies that succeed, not the bland ones. The TV commercials that are picked up and shared on social media with millions of views are either utterly insane, or they have extremely good production qualities or a very uplifting message.
Gary continues, saying:
“It’s the club dynamic,” says the player. Why do clubs now have sparkles that come out when you order champagne? People crave recognition. They aren’t buying champagne; they are purchasing attention.
… Do not reside in the center. The internet is pulling the world in that direction. “The middle is a disaster.”
So you don’t want to live in the middle because no one will notice you. In terms of marketing, you want to go to one of two extremes: completely insane or completely minimum.
Why are you doing it this way?
Because it draws attention to the marketing effort and the real estate agent or agency that is running it.
You may not have sparkles in your champagne in real estate marketing (but if you’re looking for something extra spectacular for your next open house, that’s absolutely going to do it!), but if you want to avoid the middle ground, you’ll need to offer something to the marketing table that attracts attention.
A lot of real estate marketing nowadays is very much in the center, and that middle ground may vary depending on where you are. In some sectors of real estate marketing, the middle ground is a real estate salesperson shooting terrible shots with their phone. That kind of promotion would be at the extreme end (but not the good end) in other parts of the world, thus the middle ground is nice images with a nicely drawn floor plan in other locations.
Look at the top 10 or 20 property listings that come up in your local real estate search or MLS to see what the majority of real estate agents are doing with their campaigns to find the middle ground in your market.
After you’ve found the center ground, you can determine whether you want to do something regular or go to extremes. There is no right or wrong response because it is all up to you, but if you ask Gary Vaynerchuk, he would say:
“Don’t live in the middle ground alongside the majority of local real estate listings.”
Instead, consider going to the extremes to stand out and get the attention of as many buyers and sellers as possible in your market.
So, what can extreme real estate marketing entail?
This will vary depending on the market, but at the very least, you should have excellent photos and a fantastic video. If daytime photographs are the middle ground in your market, for example, use top-notch twilight shots. However, not all photographers are created equal when it comes to creating twilight photographs, so make sure you choose the best in your area.
If shaky real estate agent films are your middle ground, engage a cameraman who can make a cinematic video with strong visual elements, amazing audio, and a well-chosen musical foundation. If there is any spoken word or voiceover, it must be really professional and sound fantastic.
Is this something that would work in every home?
It’s critical to spend a lot of money on marketing at the premium end of the market, where there’s a lot of competition for a tiny pool of purchasers. As one luxury real estate agent described it in a recent news story for Channel 5 in Nashville:
“The quality of photography and photographers you utilize in the luxury house market is much, much better.” “We’re not looking for five purchasers for this property; we’re looking for one buyer for this property.”
But what about the real estate market in the middle?
At that pricing bracket, I believe there is clearly a role for extreme real estate marketing.
However, it may not be appropriate for every listing, so consider the following three questions to see if this is right for you:
Is 10% of your commission enough to cover the price of extreme photography and video marketing if you’re a real estate agent? You should budget at least $1000 to $2000 for it; otherwise, it isn’t extreme enough.
Are you or the homeowners capable of flawlessly staging the home so that you can get the most out of a top-notch visual marketing campaign?
Do you want to attract more luxury listings as a real estate agent?
If you answered yes to each of those three questions, an aggressive marketing campaign for the perfect listing would be well worth your time.