Next Level Real Estate Marketing: Creating the Most Amazing Winter Listing!

January 22nd, 2018

During the winter, it can be tempting to make like a bear and hibernate until spring. But you don’t have to wait for the melt to start creating amazing listings — winter listings can be just as incredible. But as with most things in real estate marketing it’s up to you to make sure someone who is listing or looking for a home knows it.

The good news — technology makes doing this that much easier!

You can use your real estate marketing tools to build listings that show more — such as aerial imagery. Show how a property looks from the sky. It can even include adjacent properties and structures, which can really a potential buyer visualize the size of the yard when it’s not covered in snow.

And don’t forget about street view imagery. This will let potential buyers know how their property looks from the street at warmer times of year.

Winter listings also have a decided upside. Anyone who’s spent a winter in Canada knows how essential winter road maintenance is to your quality of life. So, shopping for a house in the winter, or putting a home on the market, can let would-be buyers gauge how the city or town maintains the streets, for example.

Another benefit of winter listings — if you get a home inspected during the winter season, it allows you to see how the home does in the most extreme weather. Buyers will get a taste of what type of shape the home is in. If you’re seeing a home in the spring or summer, you’re not necessarily thinking about heat retention or drafty areas — things that make the difference in home comfort.

Still not convinced winter listings are an untapped market? We’ve got plenty more reasons to put more focus on them. Consider the following:

  • Research shows homes listed in the winter actually sell faster. A winter home shopper is more likely to have to move for a reason — either a selling deadline, a job, expanding family, etc. Which means they are more primed to buy.
  • The slower season is a good time to try out different techniques. Especially if you’re still building up your real estate business, the winter season can be a good time to tweak and evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts when there are fewer sellers demanding your time.
  • Shovelling a driveway for showings is much easier than maintaining a lawn and garden.
  • And finally, let’s not forget, Canadian interest rates are increasing. They’re likely to go up again in 2018. A potential buyer shopping now may be able to lock in at a lower mortgage rate than will be offered in the coming, warmer months — an unfortunate reality you can use to your advantage.

With the right real estate marketing mindset, you can take the challenge of selling a house in winter and turn it into an opportunity.

GeoWarehouse has the tools to help you make the most of your winter listings. Access aerial imagery, street views, property information, and more.

Visit www.geowarehouse.ca today.