Now more than ever are people moving across state lines to purchase homes. Just take a look at this report from MoneyWise on where people are leaving and where people are moving to.
That being said, there is a huge opportunity to not only market your home for sale to your local market, but also, out of state buyers. In this post, we are going to cover a complete guide on how to market your home to out-of-state buyers.
Hiring Your Agent
The first step in this guide is to hire the right agent. Your real estate agent can make the process more enjoyable than ever or, the worst experience you have ever had.
That being said, choose wisely! Here are some great questions to start asking your potential listing agents. Remember, you should also get along well with this agent since you will be working closely together for some time.
- Check their reviews.
- Ask them what properties they have recently sold in your area.
- Ask them what they would recommend you do to the property before selling.
- Ask them what their marketing strategy is.
- Ask them how they would target out of state buyers.
- Ask them if they have any experience targeting out of state buyers.
Ultimately, your real estate agent is going to be the one at the forefront of targeting out-of-state buyers. It is vital you have an experienced agent on your side.
Preparing Your Home
Before even listing your home, you need to prep it. This can include, cleaning, painting, organizing, decluttering, staging, and even vacating the property.
Additionally, you might want to consider a pre-listing inspection. This will allow you to fix the important items before going into contract. This will establish more trust with your buyer, help sell your home faster, and help sell your home for more money. Learn how.
We created a useful guide on everything you need to do to prep your home before listing. Check it out here.
Photos & Virtual Tours
Great property photos and a virtual tour is ESSENTIAL to targeting out-of-state buyers. Most out-of-state buyers cannot even visit the property, therefore, you need to use every resource at your disposal to highlight your home to them.
Be sure to stage properly, use great lighting, hire a professional photographer, and use a system like Matterport to create your virtual tour.
Knowing Your Buyer
Before trying to target your out-of-state buyer, you should first think about who you are trying to appeal to.
For example, is your home a luxury Florida beach home for those who need a vacation spot? Or, is your home built for a family that is wanting to move to the suburbs?
Thinking about who the perfect buyer is before marketing will help your better target your audience.
Create Your Internet Presence
Second, to last, you need to finally list your property online. Use your experienced agent, awesome photos, your virtual tour, and your target buyer at your disposal when creating your online listings. Post your property on every possible listing front you can especially the larger ones like Zillow and Realtor.com.
Craft a message about your property that targets those out-of-state buyers who fit your audience. For instance, you might say, “Looking for the perfect vacation home on Florida’s beaches?” This will directly speak to out-of-state buyers looking for that Florida beach home!
Create Your Marketing Strategy
Last but not least, you need to have a marketing strategy to reach those people out of state. You might try digital advertising on Zillow or Realtor.com. Heck, you might even try Facebook Ads!
Depending on your real estate agent, they might have strategies they personally like or have used in the past. Some agents, local to Tampa Bay, frequently use Facebook Ads to reach people in the Northeast looking to make a move to Florida.
It’s important to hire someone professional for this if it is not your real estate agent.
Final Thoughts
Trying to market your home to out-of-state buyers is becoming increasingly important. To start, you need the right agent who has experience with marketing homes across state lines. Next, you have to build the home’s profile. Take awesome pictures, declutter, stage, organize, and take a virtual tour. Lastly, list your home online, target your perfect buyer, and execute a marketing strategy to reach your perfect buyer.
