Use Facebook To Market Your House

The explosive growth of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter has revolutionized the way people connect and spread information, dramatically changing the way real estate is marketed. Today, almost 85% of real estate agents use social media for business, compared with only 33% in 2008. When you look for a listing agent, knowledge of social media should be one of your criteria, because an increasing number of buyers are more likely to search for a house using Facebook, Google or Craigslist than they are to visit a business web site.

With so many houses on the market, you can help increase the visibility of your house and improve your chances for a sale by using your own Facebook page, for example, but be sure to have a plan and coordinate with your REALTOR® for best results. If you’re not a Facebook expert, chances are that one of your children can help, and it can be a positive way to involve them in the selling process.

For Facebook to be effective, people must be able to find your house. Here are some ways to enhance its visibility:

• Evaluate your privacy settings so that you can control who sees personal information.
• Add a post to your profile about selling your house.
• Ask friends to post about the house on their profile to help spread the word. Only your followers see your profile, not the world at large, and involving your friends creates a wider audience.
• Create an album with attractive pictures of the inside and outside of your house and post them on your profile. 
• Post a video tour.
• Create a page for your house and ask your friends to “Like” it. When you have 25 “Likes” you can create a custom URL using the street address.
• Incorporate key words with search terms people are most likely to use, such as “real estate Hendersonville, NC”, “view home Asheville, NC.”
• Create a “note” for your page with essential details, including your REALTOR®’s contact information and a link to her web site.
• Continue to post pictures and information about the house, but use discretion when discussing the selling process. Be positive!
• Post information about open houses in the “Events” section.
  

Smart Selling Tip:  Increase the visibility of your house by using your own social media sites like Facebook to spread the word. Have a plan and coordinate with your REALTOR® for best results.