Creekside View – July 14, 2024 - "Marketing Principles – Old and New"

I have written often in my column about the “human” side of real estate but today I would like to touch on the evolution (or not) of marketing in our business.

At its most basic premise, marketing is about grabbing people’s attention.

I was with my wife doing a bit of grocery shopping this weekend when she assigned me the job of purchasing some lemons.

Being primarily of Scottish lineage, naturally I am always on the lookout for a bargain.

And wouldn’t you know it, there was a four-pound bag of lemons under a large sign with big block letters on a yellow background “Sale - $6.00; regular price $7.99”

So of course I grabbed it quickly and was just about to walk away when I looked at the bin of individual fruit right beside it; regular price $.99 per pound.

Now, it has been a while since I have been in school but four pounds at that price is considerably less than the bulk price.

Hmm, I wonder how many people didn’t look at the difference?

That is why it is still important to gather the facts before being “sold” on a product or service.

Today’s consumers appear to have an insatiable thirst for information.

In fact, many times I have been told by buyers that if there aren’t enough photos online of a property, they will simply move on to the next listing.

This isn’t unique to house hunting; many use the same approach to booking a hotel or vacation.

It used to be having a website was the ultimate a broker could offer.

Today we are expected to showcase properties on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, even X (Twitter).

Realtor.ca, the national website hosted by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) remains the number one destination visited by people researching available properties.

One of its best features is providing relevant information on all for sale homes in an area by map location.

The purpose of technology in real estate is to provide more data to an audience so they can make an informed decision.

About fifteen years ago, our Group implemented video virtual tours to complement the usual slide show of still photos.

It wasn’t Home and Garden TV, but we believed providing a walking tour would help a potential buyer get a better feel for a property.

Today the emerging standard is 360-degree photography where the viewer can see all corners of each room as is they are standing in it.

Still photos from a drone will show where a house is positioned within a neighbourhood.For rural properties, we have taken it a step farther, producing video footage of the landscape supplemented by satellite imagery.

One of two results normally come out of all this – the buyer decides the site won’t work for them or it creates increased interest.

Either way both seller and buyer win.

The seller doesn’t have to vacate their home just to satisfy someone’s curiosity.

Buyers come onto the property having done their homework and more prepared to like what they see.

At least that is the theory.

Frankly, I suspect a lot of people simply use them as entertainment, especially when all this is now all available on your smartphone, anytime, anywhere.

Our Group has learned that a video clip should be no longer than 27 seconds.

Yup, this is the limit of most people’s attention in today’s world.

Of course, older consumers like me still like to see signage and something we can read in print while the next generation look for QR codes or a link to an information page.

But the big yellow poster will sell some lemons, even if they are overpriced.

It gets attention.

Vern McClelland is an associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster, founder of ProgressiveTender.com, and an active partner in his family’s livestock operation. Comments on this article are welcome either by emailing [email protected] or calling (306) 821-0611.