Buying a house is a major life-altering event for many people. Even more so for those buying in a different state, miles –  sometimes thousands – away from what they know to be familiar. Buyers have continued purchasing homes without visiting them in person, also called buying “sight unseen”, thanks to the industry’s pivot to better digital tools and in response to the past two years’ events. Because of this, people are turning to the internet to search for, and buy homes more than ever before. 

Similarly, a trend that started during the pandemic has continued in many places – people leaving bigger cities for more space and fewer people. According to a study conducted by United Van Lines, more population-dense states like Illinois, New York, Connecticut, and California have experienced an increase in people moving out-of-state, opening up the opportunity for real estate companies in other states (near and far!) to target and attract these buyers as they’re often highly motivated to buy quickly once they find what they want. 

If attracting more out-of-state buyers is part of your sales strategy, continue reading for our top tips to stand out online and get in front of these oh-so-valuable leads.

7 Tips to Attract Out of State Buyers Online

1. Demonstrate Local Knowledge 
2. Create a Relocation Guide 
3. Use Targeted Keywords 
4. High-quality Images and Videos
5. Highlight Virtual Capabilities 
6. Advertise Using Geotargeting 
7. Establish a Social Media Presence 

Demonstrate Local Knowledge 

People are seeking out more hyper-local content to gain a better insight into the communities they’re searching for homes in. Types of information that are valuable to buyers include entertainment, food, schools, laws, taxes, points of interest, and more. These topics can take the form of blog posts, video tours or interviews, infographics, or maps. 

Specifically for out-of-state buyers, they might be looking for truly hyperlocal information, meaning on the neighborhood, development, or street level.

Create a Relocation Guide 

Similarly, creating a relocation guide is a great way to become a resource for out-of-state buyers. Often, buyers are looking for information and answers on what not only the buying process is like, but also what it’s like to move a significant distance. They want to know what to expect, what they can do themselves, and how you can help them. And, if you have a relocation ancillary business, you can point them to that business and keep them engaged throughout the entire process.

Use Targeted Keywords 

With this content and on your website, you have an opportunity to incorporate specific keywords that will show up when buyers are searching for a home, resources, or information about an area. To start, brainstorm what makes your state appealing to live in (like points of interest, jobs, schools), the types of homes in your communities, local market trends, etc. Then, be sure to include area-specific real estate keywords as well. Using a keyword tool like Google’s Keyword Planner will give you more keywords that you could include in your content and also how much they’re being searched.

High-quality Images and Videos

For buyers, having high-quality images and videos are some of the best ways they can get a feeling of the home and can help picture themselves living there, especially if they’re unable to make an in-person showing. And, having images and videos can even elevate your content and improve your SEO by including alt-text and links.

Highlight Virtual Capabilities 

As mentioned previously, people are turning toward the internet to do research and get as much information as possible about a property. And, over the past few years, real estate technology has evolved to accommodate showings that can’t take place in person. Highlighting your virtual capabilities demonstrates to out-of-state buyers that they can have a similar experience buying a home as if they were in person. If you have virtual tours, 3D images, virtual services, etc., showcase them in blogs, emails, and on social media so buyers will know how you can accommodate them.

Advertise Using Geotargeting 

If you have access to analytics, you can get great insight into where your website visitors and leads are coming from when they’re searching for real estate services in your area. Finding out where people are when they’re searching for you and are browsing your website is a great way to inform your online advertising strategy for real estate. Consider targeting these areas by location to get in front of those buyers. 

Establish a Social Media Presence 

Social media has been a staple in digital marketing strategies for real estate. And, using it to share the content you’ve created is a great way to engage, inform, and even learn about out-of-state buyers interested in moving to your state. You can share your blog content, listings, interviews, videos, and more. The posts with images and videos tend to perform better and be sure to include any relevant links and calls to action when possible. 

These are just some of the digital strategies you can use to attract out-of-state buyers. As always, turning to analytics is a great way to inform your strategy and see where — if at all — you need to adjust and pivot your strategy.

Want to learn more about digital marketing strategies for real estate? Connect with us today!