In this section, we're going to be talking about marketing for maximum exposure. We're going to talk about the things that actually move the needle versus the things that sound good but don't really get the job done. So, let's get started.

One of the things that comes up when we're talking about bringing a property to market with a potential seller is how we're going to expose it. Some folks want—professional photography, drone shots, 3D tours, all of the latest shiny objects... And while those things are nice, they aren't what moves the needle. What moves the needle is pricing the property properly.

As we've talked about in previous sections, when people bring a property to market, you have one chance to make a first impression. While having fancy polished photos or a drone video is good, it can be a bit like junk food—it has to have substance. You can't have a property that looks good on paper but is actually priced terribly on the market.

No drone video ever made someone overpay for a property that wasn’t actually worth it.

Actual value…That's why overpricing is a very common reason why properties sit and sit and sit, and why pricing properties properly needs to be the main lever to pull, as opposed to fancy drone or 3D tours which look cool but aren't going to incite someone to make an offer on the property- or worse yet, make an offer due to slick advertising only to find out that the property isn’t worth anywhere near its asking price… All that does is waste everyone’s time that is involved- and that is not how you Sell for Top Dollar Fast.

I've sold buildings—$10, $15, $20 million—with simple photos from an iPhone. As long as the photos are in good resolution, you don't need a professional photographer. You don't necessarily need to have a drone, unless there's something that really needs to be shown about the property. There's plenty of satellite photography, 3D tours, those things are all great, but those are bells and whistles compared to having a property that is actually priced properly and will actually sell in the market so that we can create a bidding war for you.

Off-Market vs. On-Market Properties—Pros and Cons

As investors, everybody wants off-market properties. And I can understand why. They want off-market properties because they want deals that no one else has seen. Why do they want deals that no one else has seen? Because they want the best chance of getting the lowest price for a property. And if you were a buyer in a similar situation, you would want the same thing, too. You don't want to have to compete with the rest of the market.

But if you were in the chair of a seller, you absolutely want to get your property out in front of as many people as possible.

Think of it like this: let's say you're hiring someone for your company. Would you rather talk to one person about the role and hope that they're a good fit? Or would you rather go out into the entire internet—into the entire world—to advertise for that one person who's going to make a difference in your company? What do you think gives you the best chance of having the highest-quality person for the job? Obviously, going out to the largest audience possible.

There's no difference when you're talking about selling a property.

As I mentioned before, let’s say you’re trying to sell a car. You could leave it in your garage and talk to your neighbors about it. Maybe you’ll get an offer. You could put it on the corner of a busy street—maybe you’ll get 50 or 60 cars a day passing by with a “for sale” sign on the front. Maybe you'll get an offer.

Or you could put it in the Hard Rock Stadium parking lot during a Dolphins game, and have 20,000 cars pass by it during the day. Which do you think is most likely to get you an offer—or even better, the highest offer possible? It’s the largest audience possible.

So off-market benefits the buyer and I want opportunities all day long off market when I'm a buyer— I always want to be looking for off-market properties because there's no competition.

On-market properties—when I'm a seller, I want my property to be in front of the largest audience possible to put the most amount of money in my pocket- plain and simple.

Targeting National and International Buyers

There’s kind of a catch-22 here. National and international buyers are good, but sometimes they aren't dialed into what's going on in the local market. National buyers might not understand the real drivers of the Miami market. I'm sure you've heard people come down to Miami and say, "Wow, things are really expensive here." National buyers might not always understand that, unless they're strategically buying in Miami because we are a high-growth market.

International buyers—oftentimes we have what's called "flight capital." That's when people are taking money out of their home currency and putting it into dollars. Sometimes, those buyers overpay. And those can be good buyers.

But some hiccups come with international buyers—titling, visas, and execution. If they’re unable to complete the transaction due to limitations or can’t get their money out of their home country, that can become an issue. I’ve seen that before. Especially if it’s true flight capital and the money is devaluing quickly. What once was $10 million might be a fraction of that when it comes time to close. So, you do have to be careful. They aren’t always what they are cracked up to be.

How the Right Broker Markets in CoStar, LoopNet, Craigslist, and More

One thing we’ve seen over and over again: you don’t just slap something up on the market and hope it brings offers. You have to write it up the proper way. You have to expose it the proper way. You have to position it the proper way.

The right broker isn’t just going to say, “Oh, I have a warehouse for sale.” They’re going to imagine it through the eyes of the ideal buyer and write the content for that person. We not only have been doing that for years, but we also utilize AI to do that as well.

That’s how we’re able to position it to the right people in the right fashion—so that when the highest and best use buyer comes to look at the property, the marketing speaks directly to them. They're most likely to pick up the phone, schedule a showing, and make an offer.

I hope this helps you understand a bit about how the marketing process works—what really moves the needle, what doesn’t, and most importantly, why you want your property on-market vs. off market. We want to get it in front of the largest audience possible to put the most amount of dollars in your pocket.