At Great Leap Studios, we have opportunities to work with people from all different industries and all different backgrounds. From psychology to landscaping to Silicon Valley, our team has helped partner with and market a wide range of product and services.
At this point, it has become cliché to talk about how valuable the internet is for marketing. Most companies – indeed, almost all companies – understand that digital marketing is a critical tool for building their business. But there are some industries that have long been resistant to change that are starting to realize how genuinely important the internet is.
The “We Buy Ugly Houses” Industry
Real estate is one of the few resistant industries. It’s not that real estate is generally opposed to internet marketing – not at all. Many realtors advertise on websites like Trulio, Realtor.com, Craigslist, etc. But they don’t necessarily think about the actual active online marketing.
TANGENT: I’ve personally met several real estate agents that didn’t know why THEY need a website. I told them that, even if you rely on referrals, people will search for you online to verify that you’re a good agent. The more they find about you, the more they trust you. But many still resist.
Anyway, one area of real estate – the “cash for homes” sector, where investors buy homes for cash in order to flip them, sell them, or rent them out – almost requires online advertising. That is because the industry itself is built upon getting a good deal on a home, which usually means offering less than a traditional home sale.
These types of home buyers are basically offering a service:
- They’ll buy homes as is, in any condition.
- They’ll buy homes fast.
Homes that would never sell on the market because they are in massive disrepair/unattractive, or homes that need to be sold right away, are both purchased for cash for a discount. Then the home is remodeled and sold again for a profit.
It’s easy to see how some businesses can be predatory here, trying to take advantage of those desperate to sell their homes. But there are also many reputable ones. That is why the reputable ones rely so much on internet marketing.
Why Internet Marketing?
“Earned trust is everything in this industry,” said Dan, a cash for homes investor in the Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado County areas, “I need to be able to prove to people that I’m someone they can trust – someone whose reputation is built on quality service.”
Dan, and home investors like Dan, use website content, Facebook, and other forms of marketing not just to reach potential leads, but also to simply have a strong internet presence. That way, if someone searches for more information about the company to see if it is trustworthy, they have a lot to see and explore. It’s a way for people to learn more about them and know that they’re an honest company working in a useful field.
These methodologies help with marketing as well, of course. But the internet presence is about more than just leads. For trustworthy investors trying to make a name for themselves, it is the best way to show that you’re someone they can count on for the fairest deal.
