Editor’s Note: Social Skills is a bi-monthly feature in RISMedia’s Daily News focused on social media and digital marketing tips, trends and solutions for agents and brokers.
Halloween presents a fantastic opportunity to inject fun and creativity in your real estate marketing efforts. Whether through spooky virtual tours, in-person Halloween-themed open houses or trick-or-treat events at homes for sale, these strategies can help you stand out from the competition. By embracing the festive spirit, you can engage potential buyers in unique ways while showcasing properties in their best light. Additionally, explore how to promote these events to your audience, ensuring high engagement and attendance.
Create ghostly virtual tours
Virtual home tours have become a staple in real estate marketing, allowing buyers to view properties from the comfort of their homes. During the Halloween season, these tours can take on a new life by incorporating spooky elements that align with the season.
- Add an eerie ambiance with music: Set the mood of your virtual property tour with spooky music in the background. Choose atmospheric tracks that enhance the Halloween spirit without distracting from the property itself.
- Spooky virtual decorations: Digitally decorate your properties with Halloween-themed elements can be a playful touch. Add animated ghosts, flickering jack-o-lanterns or floating bats into your videos. Many editing tools allow you to layer these effects seamlessly, adding a hint of festivity while keeping the focus on the home’s features.
- Wear a costume for your home tour: When filming a property tour, dress up in a costume! A fun, themed costume can showcase a playful vibe, such as a pirate, witch or ghost. While this can be a fun way to engage your audience while keeping the focus on the home.
Host in-person “spooky showings”
While virtual tours are convenient, nothing beats the immersive experience of visiting a home in person. Halloween is the perfect time to host themed showings that go beyond a standard open house, creating a memorable experience for potential buyers.
- Decorate with spooky yet classy touches: Rather than going overboard with Halloween decor, think tasteful additions like candy bowls on tables, elegantly carved pumpkins on the front porch or vintage-style lanterns to light up pathways. This adds ambiance without overwhelming buyers who want to see the home’s true potential.
- Twilight tours: In the evenings leading up to Halloween, host twilight open houses to showcase the home at different times of the day. Properties can take on different qualities when the sun sets, and adding mood-enhancing lighting, both inside and out, can emphasize features like gardens, patios and windows. Add a spooky twist by incorporating lanterns, candle-lit pathways or a few decorations on the front porch.
- Offer Halloween-themed refreshments: Greet your potential buyers with spooky treats to create a welcoming experience. Set up a snack station with caramel apples, candy corn or themed cookies shaped like ghosts or pumpkins. Serve beverages like apple cider or hot cocoa for an added thoughtful touch.
Sponsor trick-or-treat events at for sale homes
Halloween is all about community, making it the perfect opportunity to bring neighborhoods together. Turn your for sale homes into spooky stops for local families to leverage trick-or-treating to boost your marketing efforts.
- Host a “trick-or-treat” stop at your for-sale property: Partner home sellers to make their property a featured stop for trick-or-treaters. Decorate the front yard with festive Halloween decorations and hand out branded candy or promotional items, such as keychains or pens, to subtly remind families that the home is for sale. Bring attention to the property while associating your business with community involvement.
- Throw a mini-Halloween festival: Take things to the next level by organizing a mini-Halloween event at one or more of your listings. Set up fun activities such as pumpkin carving, face painting or a costume contest. Include informational flyers or brochures about the property readily available for attendees.
- Offer a “spooky open house” for parents: While kids are trick-or-treating, give parents the chance to tour the home. Set up a designated area where adults can enjoy light refreshments or snacks while learning about the property. Go a step further and set up some Halloween-themed lawn games for the kids while parents check out the property.
To maximize the impact of these Halloween-themed tours and events, it is essential to promote them strategically across your social media channels and email marketing campaigns. Create eye-catching graphics and teaser videos that highlight the spooky elements of your virtual or in-person showings. Use engaging captions with Halloween-themed puns and hashtags such as #HauntedHouseTour, #SpookyOpenHouse or #TrickOrTreatRealEstate to extend your reach and tap into trending topics.
Leverage Instagram Stories, Facebook Events and live videos to build excitement and provide real-time updates about your upcoming tours and events. Engaging with your audience in the comments section and reposting user-generated content from event attendees can help create a sense of community and further drive interest in your listings. Ask attendees to share photos from your events and tag you for increased engagement.
In your email marketing, create a special Halloween-themed campaign highlighting your spooky home tours and events. Use subject lines like “Don’t Miss Our Spooktacular Open House!” to grab attention and boost open rates. Include visuals of your decorated properties, and provide clear details about event dates, times and interactive activities. Offer limited-time incentives, such as a giveaway for potential buyers who attend your event, enticing them to join and keep you top-of-mind.
By coordinating your social media and email efforts, you will build excitement and ensure your Halloween-themed marketing reaches a broad audience, ultimately helping you capture more leads and showcase your listings in a memorable way. So grab your pumpkins, light those jack-o-lanterns and get ready to make this Halloween a hauntingly successful one!
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