Guerrilla marketing stands out, especially amongst the standard tactics of real estate agents. It's also not used that much in this business, making it easier for you to stand out if you use it.
Doing this with a home that you are listing can boost its exposure a whole lot.
It is the use of unconventional, low-budget marketing tactics to win consumers’ attention and wallets. It usually involves humor or something shocking to pull in people's attention. You can see how it stands out, especially in this cut and dry world of real estate marketing.
Not only that, but it is low budget. Then once you become good at it, sellers will notice your skilled marketing. It can be another tool that you use as a point of difference.
Other agents will be going through the usual motions, promoting it online etc. But you can go out of your way to think of ways that will make sellers want to list with you.
The most basic and fundamental guerilla marketing works for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
This is the reason this strategy can translate so well for yourself because that is essentially what you are as a realtor.
Here are some examples of tactics.
Hold a Contest
A selfie contest is always popular. You can start this when you meet people at an open house and have them later upload something with a certain hashtag.
You can give the winner of it a gift card and the hashtag can involve the houses address. That way it will gain more and more views and exposure across your social media platforms.
Advertise in Fun Places
Think of some ideas for ads and promotions that will stick out. Either for yourself or for your listings. A pizza box is an example.
Create stickers made with your info on them and do a “co-op” advertising campaign with a local restaurant or store. Chances are national chains won't work with you on this, but the local places probably will.
Try and get a dish there named after you or your team. You are trying to create a shock and laugh when someone sees your name and what you do somewhere.
A way to get your listing out there is to sponsor a local event. Then at that event have some posters promoting any homes you are working. It creates exposure for you and those listings at the same time.
Let Potential Buyers Spend a Night in a Listed Home
This is sort of like taking a car for a test drive. Convince the owners to set this up for one night. If there are any truly separating features, encourage the prospects to take full advantage of them.
This way they can truly get a feel for what they may be buying. This creates that giant step in building an emotional connection with prospective buyers and the home.
Offer Discounts to Employees of Your Favorite Places
This is another great way to stay in front of your community. Offer local restaurant or stores employees a special discount and see how popular you become in those places.
Then they should be quick to refer you or place a sign in their place.
Have Pictures of Pets in the Listing Photos
This is another one involving pets, but it can go viral if the pictures are cute enough.
Chances are the occasional photo featuring pets won’t turn off consumers — and may even appeal to the buyers you’re looking for. Use the owner's animals or your own to stage some photos.
Maximize Your YouTube Presence
The most important thing to do is to make your videos memorable. When you accomplish this then you can stick in someone’s mind, then when you talk to them, they will remember.
Think of creative and maybe even shocking ways to make your listing's walkthrough videos is one of the best ways to stand out when people search for a home in that area. Keeping the walkthrough video involving a common theme is a great idea. Make it relevant to the area if you can.
Get in touch with local music producers, promoters, or artists and show them some of your locations that are available for film shoots. If the video is a hit, then you get huge exposure.
Use Pictures of the Home with Some Popular Memes
Package the listing photos with some current memes. They will get views.
Host a Social Media Q and A
This is a great way to prove your accessibility and the ease buying this home could be. You can extend it into a discussion about the surrounding community.
Try and find or market this to the out of town buyers as well.
Go to a Dog Park
Children and pets are a common theme in this type of marketing, for obvious reasons.
Visit a popular dog part and give out treats with your name or your listings on them. A funny tagline like "Realtor Who Loves Pooches!" is a fun way to get noticed.
This works the best in a super-friendly pet neighborhood with a dog park. It will appeal to animal lovers.
Send Holiday Cards to Any Buyer Leads
Come up with an exciting and fun format to include your listing in a holiday card. Find software to do them on your computer and print them.
Have the Owner Host a Yard Sale During the Open House
This will bring in a whole different set of people to look at the listed home. They may not be super interested in looking at the home, but they may know someone who may be and that is where the main benefit to this lies.
Make sure you capture names, addresses, and emails at these events.
Go to Local High School Events
Go to a football or sporting event where parents are around and pass out signs with the team's name on one side and your logo and phone number on the other side.
Every time the flier is displayed, the fan looks right at your company information.
These are just a few ideas you can use. The fact is you should never run out of these ideas if you are thinking in the right place. Just remember to use any popular tools in different ways that will stick out dramatically.
Bombard your community in so many places where you will be recognized. Then, use acceptable shock and humor to grab that attention you are looking for. It can kickstart you in different places you would not have thought of.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams of owning property, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here!
