Alex Geronimo: Simple Tips to Improve Your Listings…
…(For No Extra Money)
Hey there Daft fans,
Just a message from your favourite Account Manager!
Ever wonder why sometimes it seems that your competing estate agent is getting more hits on their property than yours? Even though you both are selling the two mirroring sides of a semi-detached house?
They may be optimising their ads and you can too. The best part is that it is completely free! The sweetest word in the English language – FREE!
Here are some of the top tips which you can start doing today and you will see the difference in your listings immediately:
Money Talks – Include the price of your property
If your property states Price on Application, sure you’ll get responses from people enquiring about the asking price. However if there is no price listed, you are missing key coverage – interested buyers will set up email alerts at specific price points and will also filter by price when searching the site. Two important areas that you are missing out on with a Price on Application.
Picture This – Always have (high quality) photos in your listings
Yes a professional photographer costs money. Yes a high quality camera is an investment. But in today’s day and age, most people have smartphones. You’re an estate agent, you probably have one. And if you don’t, didn’t you buy one for your kids last Christmas?
Today’s smartphones can take good pictures. Just make sure you change the settings to the highest quality. And don’t forget about those photogenic angles.
The main photo on your Daft ad is a landscape photo with a 4:3 ratio so if you ever wonder why your first photo gets cropped, this is why!
Read On – Have thorough, but easy to read descriptions with all the key information
Like this article, if the description is well-written and entertaining, then people will read it! Wow your potential buyers with a catchy first line to keep them reading. Keep in mind that, especially with the reach of the internet, your buyers might not be local and will be unfamiliar with the area. They might not even be Irish!
Simple details like: how far is the property from town, how many minutes to the motorway, which train routes serve the area – these will help potential buyers make their decision.
You have high quality photos; now match those with high quality text.
do’nt’’ Right LIKE THis – Check your spelling and grammar
In this age of autocorrect and speech-to-text, it can sometimes be easy to overlook something so simple that we learned as children. Make sure you check your spelling and grammar before uploading your listing. An easy way to do this is to write your description in a Microsoft Word document beforehand so you can review the text and ensure there are no errors.
Be the Feature Teacher – Grab the attention of people in a rush and utilise the features section
In addition to writing up a complete and detailed description, it is best practice to use the features tool. You can have up to ten selling points highlighted as features, and this way you can capture your full audience – those who will sit and read the full listing, as well as those who are in a rush and just looking for a quick summary.
With today’s hustle and bustle lifestyle, many people are using the Daft mobile app, whether they are on the bus, driving* or on their lunch break. These rushed mobile users are the type of buyers who are scrolling straight to the features section.
*Please note: Daft.ie does not condone using your mobile while driving. However, if you want to park and then use our app, we do approve!!
Use all the tools – Make use of all the features of your account
There are quite a few tools that estate agents are either unaware of or forget about when it comes to their Daft account.
The receipts function: It is so easy to bill your vendors with the built-in receipts. These are editable, so if you would like to charge your vendors less than the recommended retail price, you are more than welcome to edit the price!
Branded Account negotiator photos: If you are on a Branded account, you can send photos of each of your negotiators to your Account Manager to add to the contact box of your listings. This gives your listings a more personal touch – maybe puts a face to the name, maybe someone you went to school with recognises your face and now wants to choose you as their estate agent.
PDF brochures: Daft listings support the upload of PDF brochures. If you have a brochure for a property or development that you would like to display for its graphics or has some additional information, there’s a place for it.
Now go forth and multiply (your properties).
