Old houses and buildings typically have a unique character to them that, in and of itself, helps them sell, but they can still be somewhat of a challenge to move. Much of the issue with older properties is the likelihood of various problems that are common in older structures.
In most cases, historical properties fall into one of two distinct categories: the seller has made countless upgrades to bring the building up to code, or he or she is attempting to sell to a buyer who will take on that burden in exchange for a lower asking price. Before even getting into those specifics, you want to generate interest in the property and get some potential buyers to have a look. How can you do that?
The answer lies in the type of picture you create of the property with the potential buyer. I’m not talking about photographs at this point (well, not only photographs). Since BeezContent is primarily about written copy, I want to keep the emphasis there: using words to complete the picture. Here are a few ways you can do that.
#1 – Write Copy Around Images
I have conveyed this concept in almost every conceivable context within the realm of content creation, and the reason is simple: It is far easier to write a story around a picture than it is to come up with pictures that agree with the story. In the case of real estate, the latter is almost always impossible in the first place.
If the property is already in turnkey condition, your job here is relatively easy. Most Realtors know how to photograph properties for maximum effect, or they contract with photographers who do. Either way your agency decides to manage visuals, the thing that is going to seal the deal for most potential buyers to at least look at the property is the language of the copy that supports those images.
#2 – Convey a Unique Story
Historical properties often have pasts that have either been forgotten or never publicly acknowledged. If you discover that a property has had a somewhat dubious past, you might want to leave that to the buyer to investigate. If, however, there is an interesting story that fortifies a property within its community – especially one that isn’t common knowledge – you should really play up the details.
The more positive things you can say about a property and its history, the higher its perceived value will be with potential buyers. Steer clear of things made obvious in the visuals. Bring the reader in deeper. Make the property feel familiar even before he or she even steps inside. This is a historical property – drive the idea that what you are really selling is a literal piece of history and explain how.
#3 – Blog About General Concepts Surrounding Historical Properties
Let’s steer away from individual listings for a moment and have a chat about your blog. Does your agency deal in a good number of historical properties? If so, you should be blogging about concepts related to them. Even if you typically have a more diverse portfolio of offerings, creating content around every type of property you broker is good policy.
Real estate blogging for historical properties serves two purposes. First, it educates people on subjects like architecture, building materials, and common practices in design-build for the period during which a property was constructed. This is good information to know going in because most historical properties will need some degree of work to accommodate modern needs and living conditions.
Second, blogging about historical properties provides you with an additional resource to answer multiple questions in a single action. Simply refer potential buyers to relevant posts on your blog and let them educate themselves about what they are about to purchase and how much they should anticipate spending to maintain the property long term.
#4 – Share Listings and Related Blog Posts on Social Media
While it might seem a bit obvious, the more exposure you give your properties, the faster they will ultimately sell. We live in a time when getting those listings in front of more people is easy and less expensive than ever. The simple act of posting listings to social media will help you find buyers quickly. If you want even more exposure, most platforms allow you to convert posts to ads to extend your reach.
Keeping a steady flow of blog content in front of your social media followers is the easiest free way to stay visible in their feeds, making this the second (but no less significant) most important aspect of marketing on social media. This is why I always recommend posting everything on social media, from property-specific content to blog posts on general topics related to real estate (or your specialized area of real estate).
#5 – Utilize Your Email List
In today’s world of online marketing, there remains no more powerful and effective marketing medium than email. It is absolutely imperative that you stay in front of your list with quality email messages all the time. Include all the same things in email that you share on social media and present clear calls to action to forward messages to other potential buyers. That last part is important since most people won’t do it unless asked or reminded. When you do, however, your loyal buyers will be more than happy to help you.
Final Takeaway
Throughout this process, keep in mind that marketing is all about trial and error and discovering things that click with your audience. Also keep in mind that the ideas above represent just a few of the avenues you can – and should – utilize to stay in front of potential buyers and unload more properties quickly.
Lastly, if you have other ideas, try them. No one will ever know your ideal customer better than you, so act with your target demo’s likes, dislikes, and needs in mind when creating content. If you find you need help with the process, remember that we are here to assist you with truly expert-level real estate copywriting services. Contact us and let us help you brainstorm a content creation strategy that will help you move even tough, fixer-upper historical properties faster and at a good profit.
