Real estate marketing has shifted to online platforms. At the beginning of the year, the cost of portals for advertisements for selling, renting real estate has risen sharply. A couple shares their experience.
With the rise of digital technologies, prospective buyers can view properties from the comfort of their own homes and access a wealth of information about the local real estate market with the click of a button. However, if you want to sell or rent out a property yourself, there are a few things you should keep in mind when advertising and marketing it to avoid legal problems and keep an eye on costs.
Mr. and Mrs. Hofer have decided to sell their condominium independently. They invested time and money to create photos and a detailed description. But the interested parties failed to materialize. Prospective buyers wanted better pictures, clear floor plans and detailed information before making the trip to view the property. The costs for the insertion period piled up and Mr. and Mrs. Hofer lost control of the budgeted amount.
Advertising costs complicate budgeting
The cost of real estate advertisements on the leading portals has risen sharply since the beginning of the year. Prices now average CHF 12/day for the basic function and over CHF 25/day for premium offers. Premium listings are reported to have a 130% higher probability of successfully attracting buyers or tenants. While the introduction of weekly billing for advertising costs has given advertisers more flexibility, it has also created new challenges. Without accurate planning and monitoring of costs, the marketing budget can quickly get out of hand. In addition, advertisers often have difficulty calculating the actual cost of an ad.
Costs that are not apparent at first glance, such as ad creation and keyword optimization, are often overlooked and can quickly become a burden for real estate providers. Careful planning and monitoring is required to ensure long-term budgets.
Free portals with limited reach
After the cost of the insertion was exceeded, the Hofer couple tried to advertise the property on free online portals. Even this did not bring the desired reach and demand. Although this offered a good opportunity to save costs, free portals usually do not offer the same range of functions and access to potential buyers or tenants as the well-known real estate portals.
Lack of outreach and tools such as professional exposés can reduce a property’s chances of being marketed. In addition, the couple found that potential buyers often asked for legal documents and records they didn’t always have on hand, leading to uncertainty and overwhelm. There was also an increase in dubious calls.
Professional help with cost control
Another problem is the widely varying insertion times on different portals. It became increasingly difficult and time-consuming to keep track of and update all the ads.
When the couple saw in SRF properti, a leader in the sale and rental of real estate, they decided to seek professional help from the expert.
Thanks to properti, they were able to access a wide network of potential buyers and received professional advice and support in marketing their property. The service includes an all-round offer from professional market value assessment and competitor analysis to the creation of 360-degree tours and the provision of contract documents. Among them, automatic processes for updating and renewing ads, as well as a secure system for transferring documents. Best of all, the cost of the listing is covered by properti, as owners only pay here if the property deal is successfully completed.
How can properti offer such good conditions? The answer lies in the automation and digitization of fundamental processes. These measures not only increase efficiency and quality, but also make it possible to process real estate transactions on improved terms – without financial risk.
Legal requirements: For potential buyers or tenants, it is crucial that all relevant information is available at all times and that all required documentation is complete.
Pricing: In order to determine the value of a property or the rental price, an owner should set a realistic price that corresponds to the market conditions and the characteristics of the property. A competitive analysis of similar properties in the region is recommended.
Insertion costs: Since the beginning of the year, real estate advertisements on leading portals have become significantly more expensive, which requires careful cost control.
Insertion times: The average insertion days for real estate ads vary greatly by canton and region, from 4 to 60 days.
Professional listing content: You should make sure that the description of the property is accurate, detailed and attractive. Professional photos and clear floor plans are part of it. Nowadays, 360° recordings or VR tours are in demand, giving prospective customers a good first insight.
Data protection: When advertising the property, data protection laws must be observed, and the publication of personal information such as address or telephone number should be avoided.
Viewing & Consulting: It is important to allow sufficient time for organizing and conducting viewings and, if necessary, staging vacant properties to increase their attractiveness. Potential buyers expect professional advice, whereby legal aspects should not be neglected.
Excerpt from “der Hauseigentümer” (HEV Schweiz) of April 1, 2023. Further publications can be found in our Newsroom.