Five ways to use social media to sell your home

How social media can sell your home
How social media can sell your home

As the housing market grinds to a halt, sellers are getting increasingly frustrated. It's incredibly difficult to sit tight and wait for sellers to stumble across your home on Rightmove or in an estate agent's window - especially when that wait stretches for weeks or even months. It's why increasingly people are turning to social media to sell their property.

See also: House prices stall as average price tags dip £1,000 - Rightmove

See also: Can you cash in on a half price home?

There are five strategies that could make all the difference.

Set up a website devoted to your home
Social media can generate views of your property details on your estate agent's website, but why not send viewers somewhere more interesting? You can drive them to a web page, full of details that will set you apart from the crowd. Some people have published photos of their house - possibly including things like how it looks at Christmas, or how the spare room transforms into a study.

It can include practical information, but also lifestyle details like testimonials from the neighbours, details of local schools, and stories of the best things about living in the house. It gives people so much more than the traditional description and stock photos. Try to use keywords that will attract traffic too, such as 'move to xxx' or 'living in xx'.

Use your social network
You can send out your property details, or a link to your website, on social networks, and ask everyone you connect with to share them. You'll be surprised how far your network reaches - and how quickly you can get your property in front of thousands of people. Try not to spam them though, as there's a fine line between generating interest and looking a bit desperate.

Track down local Facebook pages
These can be great for people hoping to buy or move up the property ladder in your area. Join your local groups, and post your details - or a link to your web page. It's important to check the rules of the page first, of course, as you don't want to annoy potential buyers if selling is outlawed on the page.

Create a Facebook page
You can create a Facebook page, featuring properties in your local area. You can consider what's particularly special about your property, and bring together other homes with something in common. The page could be called something like 'spectacular homes in xxxx', 'the best views in xxxxx', or 'beautiful modern homes in xxx'. You have nothing to lose from including homes in different price brackets alongside yours - as they appeal to different buyers. Your details will then link into your property web page.

You can share the page with local users, and encourage your friends and neighbours to like it and spread the word.

Host a YouTube video tour
Increasingly sellers are producing their own video tours, which they can either post to local Facebook pages, email to friends and family and ask them to share it, or tweet. These can be edited videos with high production values, or an informal and entertaining tour by the owner. Each has their own appeal. You can then ask your estate agent to host it on their site, add it to your webpage, or share it on your social networks.

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