How to market a luxury listing in New Jersey

At the top of the market, the listing does more of the work. Buyers are often relocating, buying a second home or working through an agent of their own, and many will decide whether a house is worth a visit from what they see online. The marketing has to answer their questions before they ask them, and look like it belongs with the house.

Start with the house, not the media

No shoot fixes a house that isn't ready. Before booking, make sure the work is finished, the landscaping is done, and every room is clean and clear. Professional staging is worth considering for key rooms, and the pre-shoot checklist covers the rest. A vacant home can be virtually staged instead.

The media that earns its place

• A complete photo set, with details. Buyers expect every main room covered, plus the things that justify the price: millwork, fixtures, a wine room, the view from the primary suite.
• A twilight exterior. Usually the lead photo. When twilight is worth it covers real vs. digital.
• Aerials. Grounds, pools, outbuildings and the setting are a large part of what's being sold, and they only come across from above.
• A cinematic film. A polished video of the property, with no one on camera, shows how the home flows and feels in a way stills can't.
• A 3D tour. It lets an out-of-town buyer walk the house room by room before they book a flight. More in does my listing need a 3D tour?
• Floor plans. In a large home, buyers want to understand the layout: where the bedrooms are in relation to each other, and how the main floor connects.

Put yourself on camera too

A cinematic film sells the house. A vertical video with you walking viewers through it sells you, to the buyers following you on Instagram and Facebook, and to the next seller deciding who to list with. For a luxury listing it's worth doing both: the film for the listing and the website, the walkthrough for social. See how to win more listings using video.

Protect the seller's privacy

• Keep security out of frame: alarm panels, cameras, safes and gate codes.
• Put away personal items, including family photos, documents, children's names, and anything valuable that's easy to carry.
• Agree on what's shown. Some sellers don't want certain rooms photographed, or aerials that show neighboring properties. Settle it before the shoot.

Get it in front of the right people

Media only works if it's seen. Beyond the MLS and the listing sites, use it on your own website, on social, in emails to agents who work at that price point, and in a printed piece for the showings. Ask for photos in both print and MLS sizes, and choose the video's format (vertical or horizontal) for where it will be seen most.