Marketing That Creates Competition for Your Home
In today’s market, simply listing a home on the MLS and syndicating it to Zillow and Realtor.com is not enough — and it’s certainly not fulfilling a listing agent’s full responsibility to you. The goal of a great marketing strategy isn’t just to find a buyer. It’s to find multiple motivated, qualified buyers — because competition is what drives the price up and gives you the negotiating power to choose the best terms.
We’re Susan & Kurt Johnston, REALTORS® with Iron Valley Real Estate of York County. Our Property Marketing Plan uses a combination of professional content creation, digital advertising, social media, and network outreach to generate the kind of early buzz that produces strong first-week showings and competitive offers.
Why Marketing Makes the Difference
Think of your home sale as a brief auction. The more qualified buyers who know about your home at the same time, the more competition you create. More competition means more offers. More offers means more leverage for you — not just on price, but on closing timeline, contingencies, and terms.
The agent who puts a sign in the yard and waits is leaving that leverage on the table. Our approach is to seed the market aggressively before and immediately after launch, so your home generates maximum attention in its most important window — the first two weeks on market.
Our Property Marketing Plan
Here is exactly what we do to market your home — with timing for each activity:
| Marketing Activity | Timing |
|---|---|
| Professional photography & video tour produced | Before listing |
| Property listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) | Launch day |
| Listing syndicated to Zillow, Realtor.com, and major home search sites | Launch day |
| Property landing page published to our website | Launch day |
| Property tour video added to our YouTube channel | Launch day |
| New listing email announcement sent to our buyer database | Launch day |
| Sign posted in front yard | Launch day |
| Postcard mail campaign to surrounding neighborhood | Launch week |
| Agent door-knocking with printed flyer in the immediate area | Launch week |
| Photos & video posted to Facebook Business Page | Weekly |
| Photos & video posted to Instagram Business Account | Weekly |
| YouTube ad campaign targeted to active real estate searchers | Ongoing |
| Facebook ad campaign to real estate interested audiences | Ongoing |
| Instagram ad campaign to real estate interested audiences | Ongoing |
| Google Display ads to active real estate searchers | Ongoing |
| National agent network outreach for relocation buyers | Ongoing |
| Open house campaign & event | Monthly |
| Metrics evaluation & campaign adjustment | Weekly |
| Agent feedback report from buyer tours | Monthly |
| Home warranty offered with listing | At listing |
Professional Photography & Video: Your Home’s First Impression Online
The overwhelming majority of today’s buyers begin their home search online — which means your listing photos and video are your home’s true first showing. Low-quality photos are one of the most common and costly mistakes sellers make, and they’re entirely avoidable.
Every home we list receives:
- Professional photography — wide-angle, properly lit images that show your home at its absolute best
- Property tour video — a walkthrough video that gives buyers a feel for the flow and space before they schedule a showing
- Compelling marketing narrative — written copy that helps buyers envision living in your home, not just a list of features
Digital Advertising That Reaches Active Buyers
We don’t wait for buyers to find your home — we put it in front of them. Our digital advertising campaigns target buyers who are actively searching for homes in York and Lancaster Counties, as well as people who have expressed interest in real estate in our region. This includes targeted ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Google Display — all running simultaneously throughout your listing period.
Our National Network
Iron Valley Real Estate has a national network of agents and a strong regional presence in the Mid-Atlantic. We actively promote our listings to agents who work with relocation buyers — people moving into York and Lancaster Counties from other markets who are highly motivated and often capable of moving quickly.
Metrics & Transparency
We track the performance of your listing’s marketing campaigns and report back to you regularly. Online views, showing requests, ad performance, and buyer agent feedback all inform our ongoing strategy. If something needs to be adjusted — whether that’s the marketing approach, the photography, or the pricing — we’ll tell you proactively with data to back it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you hold open houses?
Yes. Open houses are one part of a comprehensive marketing strategy — not a substitute for it. We run structured open house campaigns that are promoted in advance through our digital channels to attract genuine buyer traffic, not just curious neighbors.
How quickly will my home appear on Zillow and Realtor.com?
MLS listings typically syndicate to major consumer portals within 24–48 hours of going live. Your property landing page on our website and our social media posts go live on the same day as the MLS listing.
What if I don’t want open houses or a yard sign?
Those are your decisions to make. We’ll discuss your preferences during your listing consultation and structure the marketing plan accordingly. Some sellers have privacy concerns that shape how we market — we’ve handled those situations many times and will always respect your wishes.
How do you handle showing requests and buyer feedback?
Showing requests are managed through a showing service — buyers and their agents can request appointments online or by phone, and you’ll receive notifications and can confirm or reschedule easily. After each showing, we follow up with the buyer’s agent for feedback and share that information with you on a regular basis.