Be Careful What You Post When You Sell Your Home

Finally! Your home is officially on the market. Time to formally document the occasion with a selfie and a tweet, right? Go for it. Just keep in mind that potential buyers (and their real estate agents) may be checking your social media accounts for clues about your home. When crafting your home’s perfect social media post, remember to pay extra attention to the topics below.

Here are the do’s and don’ts of posting on social media when you sell.

Your Home’s Activity

The most important rule to follow when posting about your house on social media is privacy! Avoid exposing your home’s activity and the number of showings and offers you've gotten. While you might be excited or motivated to share these details, sellers should be careful about how much information they give away about their home’s activity because it could weaken their standing in negotiations. We’ve seen numerous cases where a frustrated tweet can lead to a lowball offer because the buyer found out the seller was desperate. Seeing a post that shows frustration with the selling process could even make a potential buyer think something is wrong with your home and avoid it entirely.

A simple announcement post with a link is the perfect (and safest) way to celebrate your home being on the market. You can share it on Twitter, or you can make a photo gallery of your house and share it on Instagram. You can even share it on Facebook to reach a greater audience and attract more interest. When it comes to social media, the more people who see your listing, the better. Your agent will be happy to provide a link for you to use so that they can monitor any traffic on your listing and use it as another opportunity to market your home.

The Condition Of Your Home

The second rule to follow when posting your house on social media is to proofread your posts before you publicize them, and ask yourself, “Would this be a house I’d want to live in?” For instance, no one will want to buy a house with a leaky roof. It’s important to watch what you post when selling, and be aware of what you post, even if it’s not directly about your home. Avoid saying anything negative about your house, even if it seems minor. A complaint or idle comment could scare away potential buyers.

Instead, use your social media platforms to brag about new home improvements, like an updated bathroom or new appliances in the kitchen. Even something as simple as a new front door could increase your home’s value. Take pictures of any renovations or improvements you have made, and post them on Instagram so your followers can see what they look like. Attach the pictures when you post them on Twitter and Facebook, too. You can even use hashtags and tags of the new changes to increase popularity and attract home buyers who are looking for specific renovations that are already completed.

Your Community

The third rule to follow when posting your house on social media is to make sure your posts only include positive information about your neighborhood. It's important to position yourself from the perspective of a home buyer and make sure you don’t include any negative information that would steer someone away. Overall, be careful what you say about your community. Every complaint about a neighbor could be a reason for a potential buyer to skip over your home.

Give your community a shoutout, especially if they have a good farmer’s market or if the local school has a magic bus. Instead of focusing on negativity in your social media posts, reflect on the things you appreciate about your area – like if there’s a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods around you (seriously, it could raise your home’s value). Share the highlights of your neighborhood on all platforms of social media. You can post another photo gallery to Instagram, or make a Boomerang of your kids playing on a playground nearby. You can even make a Facebook post called “10 things I love most about my city.” These posts are sure to get buyers interested in your home and community.

To Share Or Not To Share

At the end of the day, selling your home is a shareworthy life event and there’s no reason not to fire off a post or two about it.

It’s just a matter of being aware of who might be watching (even if you have strict privacy settings). Next time you post about your home being on the market, make sure to use discretion and put yourself in the shoes of a buyer. Also remember our tips and advice, and don’t be afraid to spread the word across all your social media platforms. Happy selling!