Creating a real estate listing and uploading it to your MLS is a fairly routine operation, right? But according to Inman, agents should spend more time strategically looking at the way their listings are formatted for the Internet because the times they are a changing.

 

Don’t fall into lazy MLS habits either; it might actually be undermining your ability to sell property.

 

Don’t Fall into the .99 Vortex

 

Real estate agents have used the old $9.99 marketing gimmick forever. Newspapers, magazine ads and fliers supposedly entice more buyers by listing a $500,000 house at $499,999 or some other lesser price.

 

That same home, listed online, is actually losing buyer traffic because of its pricing gimmick, Inman says.

 

This is because online buyers search in zeros.

 

90 percent of buyers are searching online. Don’t miss out!

 

Resist the Urge to Put in Too Many Photos

 

Creating the most breadth of digital media for your listing might be a good goal if you worked for a portal, says Inman. They need more content to drive traffic. Your job, on the other hand, is to sell the home.

 

If nine great photos are the best way to entice a buyer to visit the home, why upload 20-25? Pick 5-10 of your best photos and resist the urge to add more!

 

Don’t Spill the Beans and Give Away the Virtual Tour Link

 

Many MLSs allow agents to include a link to a virtual tour, video tour, or some other digital media that markets the home and doesn’t reside within the actual MLS. This link is pure gold, and often overlooked.

 

Your MLS is granting you an opportunity to link out from their website, other agents’ websites and even some portals to wherever you’d like! This link should never be left blank.

 

Where you direct that link is important. Agents will often link to a virtual tour on a third-party provider’s website. There may be some marketing and contact information on that site, but the potential buyer is landing on a virtual tour company’s website, not yours.

 

Placing your videos, virtual tours and any other digital media on a single page on your own website gives you the opportunity to direct the MLS link back to that page.

 

When these buyers land on your website, you control the message, and create a much higher chance of direct contact and making a connection. And you’ll be recognized as the primary source of information for this home.

 

Don’t let it go to waste.