What’s the worst thing agents do when they sign a new listing?
Wait.
They wait to get marketing materials ready, they procrastinate on the social media blast and then let the listing sit stagnant on MLS. While they wait, time slips away and buyer interest quickly evaporates.
Here’s the problem…
The first 24 hours a listing goes live is the best opportunity to build buyer awareness. Miss this window and the listing goes stale. Hit it out of the park and watch your listing gather steam right from day one.
In this post you’ll learn…
- Why Day 1 Is THE most Important Day
- Why Fast Promotional Printing Will Help
- The Complete 24 Hour Listing Launch Checklist
- How Print Marketing Gives You An Edge Over Other Agents
Why Day 1 is THE most Important Day
Think about when a new listing first goes live.
Buyers receive notifications. MLS portals mark the property as “new.” Everyone pays attention because new listings = hot news.
That flood of attention your listing receives when it first goes live is the most attention it will ever get.
Sure, there will be sporadic buyer interest as the property goes under contract. But for the most part… once that initial buzz settles down, buyer interest goes away.
Research shows that 97% of buyers search online for homes. This means it’s critical to make a great first impression with digital marketing. But it also shows that you NEED physical marketing materials to supplement online activity.
Think about flyers, brochures, door hangers, open house signs… ALL of these items work together to drive local buyer traffic to your listings.
But here’s the issue. Creating marketing materials takes time. And by the time most agents have their marketing materials “ready to go,” that initial buzz is long gone.
That’s why it’s important to learn about rush printing.
How Fast Promotional Printing Helps
Fast. Promotional. Printing.
Don’t underestimate how much this can help.
Agents who understand the importance of day one have access to resources that allow them to market a new listing within 24 hours. That means from the time the listing agreement is signed until the first open house, ZERO delays in marketing activity.
With the right printing partner offering 24 hour rush printing, marketing a listing in 24 hours isn’t just possible. It should be expected.
Agents that can pull this off know that same-day and next-day printing is available. They know who to call and what to order in order to market a new listing FAST.
Printing marketing materials within 24 hours of a listing agreement won’t just change your listings. It will CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS.
The Complete 24 Hour Listing Launch Checklist
It won’t happen by magic.
You have to have systems and processes in place to market a new listing within 24 hours. Here’s how to do it.
Professional Photography
There is absolutely no excuse for listing a home with amateur photos.
Period.
Brokerages that sell the most homes KNOW this and have professional photographers standing by ready to take listings at a moments notice. Photos HAVE to be sharp and professional. Homes with professional photography sell 32% faster than those without.
Here’s what works best…
Have the photographer take wide angle shots of each room in the house as well as exterior shots. Include an aerial photo for larger properties. Highlight key features with close-up detail shots.
Do this before the listing agreement is even signed.
Print Marketing Materials
Not having marketing materials ready to launch on day one shows sellers the agent isn’t serious. It also prevents reaching local buyers that might not be searching MLS.
Buyers love getting something PHYSICAL in their mailbox. Postcards, flyers, brochures… these items are still great ways to get a listing in front of eyes.
There are four main pieces of marketing collateral needed on day one.
- Property Flyers. Include professional photos and all the details that make the home shine.
- Just Listed Postcards. Drop these in the neighbors mailboxes so they spread the word.
- Open House Signs. Get drivers slowing down to see the open house.
- Door Hangers. Generate some face-to-face conversation about the listing.
Social Media
Social media works best when it’s hyper targeted. That means announcing the new listing across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and any community groups IMMEDIATELY after the property goes live.
Ideally, a “Coming Soon” post should be up at least a few days before the listing even goes live. When that “Just Listed” notification drops across social media, it will trigger EVERYONE that saved the pre-listing posts.
A few proven methods include…
- Carousel Post – This allows you to showcase the best photos.
- Video Tour – Take a minute or two to walk viewers through the home.
- Saved Audience – Build up excitement with a post days before the listing goes live.
- Stories & Reels – Maximize reach with IG stories and reel videos.
Pro Tip: Comment back to EVERYONE who engages with your posts. The more you comment, the more your content will be pushed around the feed.
Email Marketing
There is an entire buyer database just waiting for new listings to hit the market.
Send out a “Just Listed” email within hours of the property going live. Make sure the subject line catches their attention, include the photo viewers expect to see and finish with a simple call-to-action.
MLS Optimization
This goes back to the point about making a killer first impression.
Everything from the listing description to uploaded photos MUST be done correctly. Too many agents rush through MLS entries and leave fields blank. Or worse, use only one or two low-quality photos.
If the listing doesn’t look professional and complete, it gets passed up.
Print Marketing Materials Give You a HUGE Advantage
Direct mail achieves a response rate 8x that of email marketing.
Do you see what that means?
Printing isn’t dead. Neither is direct mail.
Postcards, flyers, brochures… when done right, these items create a physical connection that digital advertising simply can’t compete with.
When was the last time someone left a REALTOR social media post on the fridge?
Day in. Day out. Agents who include print marketing with their digital strategy ALWAYS outperform those who go fully digital.
And luckily, with services like rush printing, there’s no need to spend days (or weeks) designing and waiting on marketing materials.
Bringing It Home
Want to know the difference between an agent who sells and one who struggles to?
Day One.
How a listing is marketed from the moment it hits the MLS sets the tone for EVERYTHING that follows. Get day one right and the listing will maintain momentum and attract buyers from day one.
Get it wrong and every day becomes an uphill battle to gain traction.
Here’s the 24-hour listing launch process again:
- Book the photographer BEFORE the listing agreement is signed
- Order print materials with next-day delivery
- Blast the new listing across social media the second MLS goes live
- Email the buyer database immediately
- Make sure the MLS listing looks professional and complete
Day one matters. Don’t waste it.