What is an advertising schedule?

A good advertising schedule can be the difference between selling a property quickly for a great price and not selling at all.

An advertising schedule is an itemised list-like document, produced by a real estate agent after consultation with their vendor, which outlines all the marketing activities planned for the sale of a property, complete with a budget. It’s the blueprint for a sale.

Damien Brooks, State Sales Manager for Victoria at REA Group, says with 86% of Australian property seekers using the internet to find their dream home, realestate.com.au, which gets six million visitors a month, should feature prominently in any advertising schedule.

“The effectiveness of advertising online through a popular real estate site like realestate.com.au is indisputable, so it should be part of any comprehensive online advertising schedule,” he says.

No two schedules are ever the same, Brooks says.

“To reach the maximum number of potential buyers without blowing your budget, your property’s advertising schedule should be tailored to work for you and your property, taking into account things like average days on market, other properties for sale in the area and the value of the property,” he says.

“You also need to think about how you can stand out in what can be a crowded marketplace. If the market you’re in is full of say, Premiere listings on the site, how can you set your property apart from that?

“Also, think about how you can target passive buyers, through things like Audience Maximiser, a sophisticated targeting system based on behavioural data, which presents your ad to house hunters after they have left realestate.com.au,” he adds.

Traditional marketing methods, like sign boards and brochures still have their place, but should be considered on a case-by-case basis, Brooks says.

An understanding that “information is key to the consumer” should be at the heart of an advertising schedule.

“Buyers want information, they want great images, floor plans, even 3D walkthroughs and videos, which are becoming increasingly popular. So if the budget allows it, give them this,” Brooks says.

What does an advertising schedule look like?

Advertising schedules are usually split into three main sections and costs will vary depending on the agent and location of your property:

Property marketing: This is the basics of selling your property and will consist of photography, signboard and brochures.

Online advertising: This is all about getting your property online to sites like realestate.com.au.

Print advertising: Getting your property in the local / state paper.

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