Just saw an ad for the Ten program "The Living Room" for this Friday night.  They're featuring a kitchen / lounge reno done on the cheap.
You've got to check this out ... from the shorts, it's a pretty good job and is the perfect demonstration of what I'm talking about in my book '101 Things to do to Sell Your House for More'.  It's one of the Golden Rules - Update, Don't Renovate.  You really don't have to spend heaps to add a surprising amount of value to your home.  They'll be appraising the house before and after, so you'll get a real life example with the facts on what a little bit of work and a small investment can make to the final sale price of your home.  Take some time, or set your recorder ... it'll be worth it.  Here's the link to the Ten Play website where you can set an emailed alarm so you don't miss the show : Friday 21st March, 7:30pm.
And seeing as I've already mentioned it anyway ... you can grab a copy of my book here.

There is a buyer for every property on the market.  It’s my job to make it easy for that special person to find my properties.  This is where the killer advertising campaign comes in.  But how much advertising is enough?  What are the best forums?  Where can you reach the biggest audience?

The advent of the internet, e-mail, text and social media has totally transformed the way the real estate market advertises.  In times not so long past, the first bastion of real estate information was to be found in the monthly Realtor Magazine (the on-line version is www.realestate.com), the weekend real estate supplement in the Saturday Courier Mail newspaper and the window of the local real estate office, not forgetting all those lovely flyers that real estate agents stuff in your mailbox every day.  With any number of real estate listing sites available, traditional media types have declined in popularity.  Even sites like Gumtree.com.au and the Trading Post support real estate listings by private sellers and more recently Facebook and other social media sites have been opened up to listings posted on business pages.  Newspapers still have their place in marketing your property, but are less popular and in comparison, are considered as an expensive option.

So what’s the best strategy?  Without trying to be deliberately vague, the right combination of media will depend largely on the property, the procedures and protocols employed by your agent and their office, and your budget.

We all advertise on the same websites; some agencies use standard listings and others prefer featured listings (like me).  As more properties are listed on the website, each entry is superseded by the next.  Featured listings take priority over standard listings and moved down the page more slowly.

I still like to run an ad in the local news publication; they generally have a good distribution and readership and you never know where your buyer will come from, he could just as well be your next door neighbour or the guy up the street!

I also like to take advantage of my sister offices nationwide and overseas.  The best part of this is that all of the e-mails I send to our associated offices are free!

OK, so back to the original question, ‘How much is enough’?

Internet.  Most real estate websites are free to list (they don’t charge the agency, so you don’t pay either) with some exceptions.  The larger and most known sites do charge for advertising on their sites and traditionally, the charge is passed on to the seller.  For example, my office uses feature listings for all of our properties and because of the volume of properties listed, we receive a ‘bulk discount’ on the fees charged, which we pass on to our sellers.

Newspaper advertising is charged at the going rate for the publication.  It varies from area to area, depending on distribution and readership of the publication.  Once again, my office receives a ‘bulk discount’ on advertising which we pass on to our sellers.

Photographs – there are 2 schools of thought here.

1.  An agent with a good camera and some imagination can produce some great shots of your property and they’re free.

2.  Packages are available from professional photographers starting from around $125 for 15 daytime shots (night or twilight shots are more expensive).

Video – the latest addition to the real estate agent’s tool kit is video.  There are heaps of options emerging as the media takes hold in the market, starting with videos generated from your photographs (starting from around $165), with or without voice overs right up to professionally produced videos with one or more cameras (starting from around $350 for a basic video).  Some agents take a starring role in their videos going to great lengths to produce almost Hollywood style film clips to promote their properties.  It’s been proven statistically that video attracts more view to any internet listing and is fast becoming a ‘must have’ in the killer marketing campaign.

Picture signboards (starting at around $99) can be a great advantage if you are in a high traffic area.  I think they are wasted in the back streets of suburbia and standard agency signboards are free.

Hopefully, your agent loves desktop publishing as much as I do.  I love writing original ads and getting all creative (you probably get that from the length of my posts!).  So all the copy for the internet ads, brochures and flyers (proofed by you before publishing, and distribution) are free, (and fun for me!)

So that’s the basics.  You can do the math.  The object of the exercise is to get your property noticed and sold.  Keep in mind that “Unseen = Unsold”, and every agency has different policies and procedures when it comes to your marketing campaign.  Your agent should be able to advise you of the best options for your sale.  Remember, it’s not a “one-size-fits-all” deal.  Properties are all different and the campaign to sell them should be designed to suit.

Did you notice the title of this little rant?  Really think about it.  It’s your choice.  I don’t want you to feel sorry for me because I’m in a wheelchair and hire me for that reason.  I want you to hire me because you are confident that we can work together and you’re sure that I will do the best job for you.  Remember that you will be spending quite a bit of time with your agent throughout the course of any real estate transaction; do you really want to spend it with someone who, at best, you are basically indifferent to or at worst, intimidates you?  Really?  WOW!  Not me!

You need to approach selecting your agent like a job interview.  Write up a list of questions before you invite them over for a chat.  Seek recommendations from friends and associates and then check them out for yourself.  Google them; their online profile can tell you heaps about what you can expect from them.  Make up a short list of candidates. Take a Saturday or three and ‘secret shop’ the open homes of the agents on your short list.  Observe them in their native environment and get a feel for how they do business.  Ask what you can expect from them and what they will expect from you.  Get the full rundown on the process (sale, purchase or property management) and how they operate.  Look at their track record.  Are they selling properties like yours, now?  How about the advertising campaigns they use; do you like their style?  How long are their properties on the market before they sell?

We’re all different, so don’t be surprised if you have to interview a few candidates before you find your 'chosen one'.  I know that I don’t get along with everyone I meet, do you?  So you need to hire someone that’s a good ‘fit’ with you.  They don’t need to be your new best friend, but it’s a lot easier if you at least like them!

Keep one thing in mind while you’re making your final decision; the cheapest real estate agent isn’t necessarily the one who charges the lowest commission.  The cheapest real estate agent is the one who gets the best price for your property.

You may have heard of the Three P’s of real estate?  The formula used for countless years by thousands of devotees to sell your property post haste?

# 1 - Presentation – self explanatory

# 2 - Position – Yes, that’s location, location, location!

# 3 - Price – ‘Realistic’ please! 

While reading real estate stuff, I came across a much more appropriate version; for me anyway.

# 1 – Preparing the Relationship – that’s about you and me

# 2 – Preparing the Property – your property at its best

# 3 – Put it on the Market – self explanatory

Times change and attitudes need to change to keep up. Selling a house has changed forever with the Internet and Social Media now playing a huge role.  Buyers and sellers can do their own research and don't need to rely as heavily on the knowledge and expertise of real estate agents.  They can go on-line and confirm what they are being told on any number of property research websites.  This has meant that real estate agents need to lift their game and provide better service for their clients.  With that in mind, here's my take on the three P's and what they mean for you.

#1 - Preparing the Relationship.  We need to see if we can work together.  It’s kind of like a job interview where we both decide if we ‘fit’.  We’ll discuss the process, what you can expect from me and what I will ask of you.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and interview more than one real estate agent.  Of course, I want you to work with me, but we're all different and if you're anything like me, you don't get on with everyone you meet.  Take your time to get to know more about each agent.  Start by Googling real estate agents in your area and make up a short-list of candidates.

#2 – Preparing the Property.  Your home will probably never look better than when you have it up for sale.  Once we’ve had a look over your property, we can talk about how to present it in the best light.  We want to look at the property from a detached viewpoint; put ourselves in the buyer’s shoes, looking for things we might be able to improve on or feature.  That doesn’t mean you have to spend heaps or make major changes.  On the contrary, it can be something as simple as ‘weed and feeding’ the lawn or tidying up your ‘junk room’ (be honest, everyone has one of those rooms!) Buying (or selling) real estate is an emotional process.  We want everyone that walks through the door to absolutely LOVE your house.  Moreover, we want everyone that sees the property to want to walk through the front door and see what waits inside!

#3 – Putting it on the Market.  OK, we’re prepared and the house is looking smashing!  We've put together a killer marketing campaign, over all media and identified our ‘target market’ (people who would be interested in your piece of paradise).  We’ve had the photos done and they’re fabulous; the advertising text is written, the advertising space is booked and the brochures have been printed.  Time to put it on the market.