school” marketing methods, like direct mail. But that doesn’t mean this form is obsolete! The opposite is accurate, and you can still use direct mail advertising to market your home today. Interestingly, millennials (currently in their early 20s to late 30s), predicted to become the largest home-buying group, often prefer direct mail! “A whopping 92% of millennials are influenced to make a purchasing decision as a result of direct mail they received, as compared to only 78% for email,” according to National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s “Millennials Prefer Direct Mail.” Of course, millennials aren’t the only generation you can target via direct mail advertising. You and your agent should use direct mail to your advantage when marketing your home. Be prepared for follow-up, including phone calls and face-to-face appointments. Don’t try to sell your home over the phone; instead, find out what interested buyers are looking for to see if your home is a fit, and then (with your agent) make an appointment to show the house. Open Houses: Speaking of showing the house, the next component of better marketing is the open house — the perfect opportunity to minimize the disruption to the seller’s life by combining many showings. This helps relieve the pressure to keep your house spotless for showings at a moment’s notice and allows interested house hunters the convenience of casually viewing a home without an appointment. An open house can also increase competition for the home. Open houses can be full and busy in a seller's market, infusing potential buyers with a sense of urgency and competition to place an offer. A bidding war can even begin. You will have much better success with an open house if you’re working with a real estate agent who will use their networks, connections, private mailing lists, social media, advertising, etc., to publicize and promote the open house.
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