Telling your real estate story with single property sites

When it comes to creating connections between the properties in your area and potential clients, single property websites have a lot to offer.

But what can make your single property site stand out from the crowd?

It can tell a story.

Sure, it’s a website. But it’s also a great tool that any agent or broker can use to draw visitors into a storyline about the people, properties, and places that matter to their clients. And it’s safe to say that stories are much more relatable and authentic than traditional, just-yell-louder marketing tactics.

No matter which side of the transaction you focus on, learning how to tell stories with your single property sites is a profitable skill to learn.

Here are some things to think about as you start to incorporate storytelling into your single property websites.

Single property sites are now included with Paradym. Learn how our technology and coaching can help you win and promote listings!

Mix up your media

Take advantage of all the technology you have available with your single property website and use it to help people imagine themselves and their family as part of the action.

People expect visuals, and they certainly expect video. A good single property website will give you options to include photos and videos as part of the viewing experience.

• Every story has a beginning. Introduce viewers to the property with a carefully selected image.
• Use a combination of photos and videos to capture the imagination of your clients by highlighting important features of the home.
• Consider incorporating 3D models of the home.
• Include a clickable image gallery so viewers can navigate the home at their own pace.
• Use an interactive map that shows the home’s location relative to surrounding community features, restaurants, and attractions.
• Give visitors the option of viewing a guided tour of the home.

Tell a community story

Why not use single property website technology to create a community or neighborhood site?

Real estate professionals have more than one story to tell. Often the community a home is situated in is just as important as the home itself. Given your situation, a well-crafted community story could be your best marketing asset.

• Take buyers on a neighborhood tour of landmarks, shops, restaurants, parks, and more. This is a great way to capture the feel of the area and can go a long way in helping clients imagine themselves living there.
• Put a different spin on a featured property. Use a single property website to highlight the home’s best features, and then tie in some community photos and videos that relate to those features.
• Try creating a site that features local schools. You could even interview teachers, administrators, and coaches to get their take on the area.
• Special events are great for showcasing the life of a community. Plan on attending the next cookout, fundraiser, or sporting event. Snap some pictures, shoot some video with your smartphone, and tell a story about the event with your site.

Use compelling copy

Even in the visual age, words matter. By combining the right words with your photos and videos, you can create a story that buyers want to be a part of.

And you don’t even have to be a great writer. Here are some tips any real estate professional can use to up their storytelling game:

• Express your personality through your writing. It’s more entertaining to read something that sounds like it was written by a real, live human being rather than a robot.
• Keep it real. Avoid hyperbole and tell an authentic story. Your goal is to draw your reader into a storyline that they can be a part of.
• Avoid long paragraphs. Believe it or not, you can tell a great story without going overboard.
• Use words to compliment your visuals. That means don’t just describe what’s in the picture (“Here’s the spacious dining room”), but instead show your reader how they fit into the story (“Host friends and family for an elegant dinner in this luxurious dining room”).

Use technology to help tell your story

So you created an awesome single property website. You made sure you told a story about your listing or community… now what?

People need to see it!

Telling a story is great, but if you’re not getting your story in front of people, you’ll likely miss out on the interactions you were hoping for.

How do you promote your single property website? Here are some tips to get you started:

• Go social. You may be tempted to think that once you launch it, people will start flocking to your site. Not gonna happen. You have to promote it, and one of the best places to do that is on social media.
• Use software to help you manage how you promote your single property websites. Paradym can automatically share your listings and community stories to popular real estate portals.
• Automate the not-so-fun parts of single property website creation (we can help). Then go in and customize your story, change comments, move things around, and make sure your site is telling the story you want to share.

How will your story start?

Sharing stories about the people, properties, and places in your area is vital to your success as a real estate professional. Start using all the tools available to you to get the word out, and don’t underestimate the power of a single property website. Start sharing today!