Marketing for estate agents

Whilst there is no question that the stamp duty holiday did bring a lot of Investors into the market and pushed up house pricing, how much of an effect have we seen since it tapered off and will this be a lasting impact beyond the end of this month when it stops? Once it does end, let’s look at  how printed marketing such as leaflets and flyers can help local estate agents stand out.

Why do people move?

When assessing the effect on the market, it is worth considering the reasons people move:

• Job 
• Health 
• Schools
• Retirement 
• Financial reasons 
• Relationship break up 
• Geography

This is not an exhaustive list but it covers the main reasons people move, none of which relate to stamp duty. Whilst these are typical reasons people move, some of them have become even more relevant in the last 18 months or so. We won’t know the full impact of the end of stamp duty holiday on the market until October but there are many reasons to feel confident that people will always move and property may in fact become slightly more affordable.

Marketing for estate agents

The online space where many people go to look at houses is busy and it can be hard to stand out. We have talked before about the benefits of printed marketing versus digital but it’s worth revisiting that when discussing the housing market. There are no GDPR constraints with printed marketing for example that can hinder online marketing. With a leaflet drop you can literally pick the portfolio of houses that you want to sell and tailor your leaflet to speak to that exact target market. People are naturally curious and will pick up something on their doormat.

Target audience

The great thing with planning a leaflet drop campaign is that your target market is localised and niche. You can think about the specifics of the locale for example is this an affluent area, what is the demographic, are they likely to be looking to downsize? Once you know what language to use, then you can think on imagery, font, colours and the size of the leaflet and finish of the paper.  You could perhaps include a QR code that puts the recipient into a prize draw by taking them straight to your website for example. Your leaflet or flyer can therefore help draw your potential vendors to your website for some online engagement.

A leaflet that makes you stop and think

If people aren’t thinking about moving, sometimes just having some idea of what their property is worth could spark that thought process so why not add a show stopping sentence to the leaflet such as “Did you know the average house in your area sells for over £500,000?” When people have lived somewhere for years they perhaps have no idea just how much their house is worth. Your printed QR code could take them straight to a valuation page or another online tool to capture their data.