Idaho Real Estate >> ID Real Estate Specialist

Let's face it, very few Realtors that sell any kind of real estate were ever trained in writing skills, photography etc.  You can pickup any real estate publication in anytown, USA or read the vast amount of Realtor ads on Craig's List and you will see very few ads that generate good leads

I want to talk about real estate advertising on the internet.  Many Realtors have embraced postlet and vflyer for producing beautiful and even stunning home flyers that wow mostly themselves, the seller and if they are lucky, a buyer now and then.

Some time ago a friend of mine and I started testing what styles of ads work and what styles don't and were amazed by the results.

We tested some very appealing postlet ads at first on Craig's List and ran them consistently for 2 months and posted several new listings per week.  The result was not impressive. We had some links to our websites and I had one buyer contact me but nothing came of it.

I had read an email that my friend Allan Hainge had sent me regarding the proper use of Craig's List and writing ads that work.  One particular Sacramento Ca. Realtor Allan mentioned in his email had buyer assistants that were earning $100,000 per year directly from the proper ads they were writing and posting on Craig's List.

What they did was to write "Eye Catching titles" and simple but enticing content.  Every ad they wrote had a link back to their website and they said this was the key. Many Realtors type their URL into an ad but don't add a link.  A link is the key because this will cause the buyer to click the link and go directly to your site.

By making it not only easy but enticing for buyers to click to your site you accomplish two things 1)  They get to see "other" listings on your site and may even meander to other areas of your site and 2)  The search engines love it when top sites like Craig's List link to your site often.  This is an SEO tool that will help your site.  I have seen it work.

The result of this style of writing ads has yielded me 19 closings and 2 pending offers in the past 25 months directly from Craig's List.  I also wrote a Craig's List ad for my stager friend Sue Argue a couple of weeks ago and she received a quality lead within 3 days that has now contracted to use her.

Here is an example of a home ad Wilder ID home for sale and a lot ad Wilder ID lot for sale   If you want to add you website link without having the entire URL show up copy this:

<a href="http://www.searchidahohomes.com">Search Idaho Homes</a>

and paste it where you want your URL to show up.  After you paste it simply replace my information with your website name.  The first section is the way your URL shows up in the address bar.  The second section is how you want your website name to appear to viewers. I showed Sue Argue how to add the entire URL and she figured out how to add it without the entire URL showing up.

My point is that when we give "too much" information there is no reason for anyone to link to your website.  They may or may not be interested in the home you are advertising but by visiting your website you may get them interested in another home you have posted on your site which is a good thing. Also keep one advertising rule in mind: "If you give away the farm in advertising there is no need for a buyer to contact you".  Don't wow visitors with the ad you write...wow them after you get them to your website.

I am also "thinking outside the box" and writing ads that would amaze you and are yielding calls when nothing else is working to draw buyers.  My point is "use your imagination" and think of what would interest you if you were a buyer. 

"Thinking outside the box" is what is going to separate the movers and the shakers from those that are barely surviving or not surviving at all.