Written by Alfredo Bloy-Dawson, a real estate marketing consultant based in Southern Spain with more than 11 years of experience working with agents selling to international buyers.
When estate agents in overseas destinations such as Spain, France, Portugal or Italy want to advertise their property listings to an international audience, choosing the right property portal can be challenging.
Here are 5 key things to consider:
1. Domestic vs international
Most countries have dominant property portals which dominate the domestic markets. If you are looking for buyers outside the country you are in, then make sure you don’t confuse them with international portals. Ask them for a breakdown of the countries their traffic comes from?
2. Track record
Pick an established international portal that already has a proven track record in the markets you want to target. Don’t confuse new start-up portals with established ones, they haven’t got the buyers yet.
3. Avoid newbies
To get buyers portals need listings, so new portals usually offer discounts or incentives to encourage agents to advertise. Unless it is free wait until they have the audience before advertising. If in doubt, ask them for details of how much traffic they get and from where.
4. Maximize visibility
Estate agents are buying visibility when they advertise on a portal. Choose advertising packages that give your listings maximum exposure. Although tempting, avoid taking on smaller packages to see if it delivers results. It is a numbers game, the more visibility, the more leads you will get and the quicker you’ll make a sale.
5. Give it time
It takes time for leads to turn into sales, especially in the international buyer market. Agents should evaluate a portal’s performance over a 6+ month period. It takes several months for leads to turn into sales. This is why selecting an established portal gives you peace of mind.
Conclusion:
You should consider visibility, track record, and maximizing advertising packages. It’s important to have realistic expectations and evaluate a portal’s performance over time.