Marketing real estate: Advertising your apartment and planning viewings
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Making a success of real estate marketing – step by step

The marketing for your home should target potential buyers and ultimately lead to a successful sale. Advertising your home effectively and organizing a professional viewing are the pillars of presenting your property successfully. Read on for a step-by-step guide with tips and tricks.

Should you market your property yourself or call in a specialist?

If you want to sell their house or apartment privately, you will have to start marketing it sooner or later. The aim is to reach the right target group and successfully sell the property at the highest price. The decision of whether you should market your home yourself or commission a real estate agent to do it for you depends on various factors, such as time, experience, and your personal needs and resources.

If you decide to market the property yourself, this can save you money and ensure that you have personal control over the sale process. However, good real estate agents have the advantage of possessing in-depth market knowledge, negotiation skills, and a wide-ranging network of clients. Before deciding to call in a specialist, it's a good idea to obtain multiple quotations and references, and to negotiate the conditions of the contract. Ultimately, the decision should be based on your individual situation and your personal goals.

Marketing real estate effectively: Step by step

Marketing a property can be a complex task, meaning it requires a strategic approach. The following step-by-step guide explains how to successfully market your property yourself. 

Step 1: Prepare the property for sale

If you want to sell your house or apartment privately, the first step is to prepare it thoroughly. For example, the property must be in good condition and any necessary repairs, renovations, or refurbishments should be carried out. Check that all key appliances and installations are working correctly and repair them, if necessary. The sale price cannot realistically be estimated until such work is complete. This is because, for example, building an extension to Minergie standards will usually add value to a property. Depending on what you decide to do, however, it may take a long time to make the house to ready to sell – always remember to take this into account. Lastly, the property should be thoroughly cleaned to make sure it looks clean and tidy.

Tip: It's important to communicate any problems with the house or apartment openly – defects should be listed at the latest when the contract is concluded and this list attached to the contract of sale later. Otherwise, the buyer can demand that the sale price be reduced on the grounds that they were not aware of the issues.

Step 2: Have professional photos taken of the apartment or house

A picture is worth a thousand words – and marketing real estate is no exception to this truism. High-quality photos play a crucial role in marketing, giving potential buyers an initial feeling of the apartment or house and encouraging them to get in touch. It's best to have high-quality pictures of the apartment or house taken by a professional photographer. Don't forget to include photos of the parcel of land and the surrounding area too. The rooms should be presented attractively for the pictures, for example through the careful placement of individual decorative items. The photos can be used both for sales documents and for advertisements.


In a trend that's becoming increasingly popular, it's also possible to have a 360° image of the property taken, which enables the house or apartment to be presented in a virtual tour.

 

Tip: The lighting conditions of a house or apartment are often very important for buyers. It's a good idea to have photos taken during the day, as this will show your property in the best light.

Step 3: Draw up the sales documentation

A complete and detailed sales dossier needs to include both photos and also further important information about the property being sold. The following information and documents should be included:

  • Name and address of the seller and other contact details
  • A detailed and informative description of the property, including the year of construction, furnishings, and any modernization work
  • Map showing the location in the city or municipality
  • Details of amenities and the local area (schools, stores, transport links)
  • Survey map and floor plans
  • Land record extract
  • Terms and conditions of sale and price, including information on the real estate gains tax due
  • Move-in date (if decided)

Step 4: Create an advertisement for the house or apartment

The fourth step is to place an advertisement. It should reach the desired target group and be published on all relevant channels, including newspapers, social media, and/or real estate platforms.

In addition to the cover photo and an eye-catching heading, the advertisement should include basic details, the address of the property, and a description of the property with informative added value. But take care not to excessively embellish or exaggerate your ad copy, as this could appear unprofessional. When advertising online, it's a good idea to make the sales documentation available to download as a PDF, although this depends on the platform. In newspaper advertisements, it might be possible to use a QR code for this purpose. Do not leave the advertisement online for too long if you don't secure a sale, as this makes people suspicious. A good tip is to change the real estate portal you are using or upload the advertisement again after a short break with a new photo and heading.

Tip: We recommend sharing your advertisement with your friends and acquaintances. The more people see it, the greater the chance you have of making a sale.

Step 5: Conduct viewings the right way

First impressions count, so cleanliness in and around the property takes top priority when preparing for viewings. Personal items should be tidied away, as this enables potential buyers to imagine themselves making your home their own. Decorative features such as fresh flowers create a pleasant ambiance. Viewings are best conducted during the day. Potential buyers can be invited individually or in small groups depending on the property and demand. Alternatively, specifying a fixed viewing date and time in the advertisement can help you save time, but may unfortunately result in people coming along who have no serious intention of buying.

A professional guided tour and the right outfit are essential tools in marketing your property effectively. If you feel comfortable in what you are wearing, this will have a positive impact on your appearance. After all, there's good reasoning behind the saying "clothes make the man." A business casual style always cuts a good figure, including during viewings. Punctuality, printed documents, and allowing enough time and flexibility for the viewing also make a good impression on the day.

Tip: Although you have an emotional connection to your former home, it's important to keep a cool head when critical questions arise, no matter how difficult they are. Taking a neutral stance on the property helps foster trust among potential buyers.

Do you have any questions about selling your home?

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