Buyers decide in the first few days whether a listing is worth their time. A new listing gets more attention than it ever will again, from buyers with saved searches and agents watching the market, so a calm, planned launch beats a rushed one every time. Here's a twelve-step plan you can reuse on every listing, from the listing appointment to the end of week two.
Before the listing goes live
1. Agree the story with the seller
What will make buyers choose this home over the one down the street? It might be the south-facing yard, the updated kitchen, the mortgage-helper suite or the walk to SkyTrain. Write it down in one sentence. Every photo choice, caption and post should reinforce that story, and it shows the seller exactly how the home will be positioned.
2. Prepare the home for the camera
Share a prep list at least three days before the shoot: declutter surfaces, turn on every light, open blinds to the same height, hide personal items and remove cars from the driveway. Ask sellers to put away bins, pet bowls and fridge magnets, which show up in more photos than people expect. See the preparation tips on the HDR Photography page.
Our work · Vancouver3. Book the media around the home's strengths
Photography and a floor plan are the baseline. Add twilight for exterior appeal, a Floor View Tour for tricky layouts and video for flow and atmosphere. Our guide to choosing listing media walks through each decision. Group what you can into a single visit so sellers only have to get the home camera-ready once.
4. Choose the cover photo deliberately
The first image does most of the work in search results and social feeds. Pick the single frame that tells the story, which is often the twilight exterior or the main living space with the view. Check it at thumbnail size on a phone: if the home isn't obvious at that size, choose again. Our guide to presenting a home online covers cover images and photo order in detail.
5. Write for scanners
Lead the description with the two or three facts buyers filter on, such as bedrooms, parking and a suite, then the story. Keep sentences short, name the neighbourhood the way locals do, and mention the floor plan and tour so people know to look for them.
Launch day
6. Publish everything at once
MLS, property website, social posts and email should go out together, with every link pointing to the property website. A staggered launch splits attention; a single moment concentrates it. Test every link and QR code before you post.
Our work · Richmond7. Post video natively
Upload the video directly to each platform rather than sharing a link. Use a vertical cut for reels and stories and the full version on the website. Our social media system covers the details, and how video helps sell a listing explains which kind of video to choose.
8. Tell your sphere personally
Send a short, personal message to past clients, neighbours and local contacts who might know a buyer. Personal outreach still produces some of the best leads, and it costs nothing but time. A one-line note with the property website link beats a mass email.
The first two weeks
9. Keep content moving
Post a different angle every few days: the kitchen, the yard, the neighbourhood, the floor plan. One shoot gives you two weeks of posts if you plan the angles before the camera arrives. Variety matters more than volume; the same carousel reposted three times reads as a listing that isn't moving.
10. Promote the open house
Announce it twice: once early in the week and again the day before, with a short video clip. On the day, have printed feature sheets or a brochure with a QR code to the property website so visitors leave with the floor plan and photos, not just a memory.
11. Share feedback with sellers
Show them the views, clicks, showing feedback and open house turnout. Regular, factual updates build trust and make any price conversation easier, because the seller has seen the evidence as it came in rather than all at once.
12. Refresh if momentum slows
If showings drop off, refresh the cover image, add a missing asset such as twilight or a Matterport 3D tour, and re-announce the listing. Listen to what buyers ask: if they keep asking about layout, make the floor plan or Floor View Tour more prominent; if they ask about the lot, aerials may help.
A launch-week checklist
- Story agreed and written down
- Prep list sent and confirmed with the seller
- Media booked and delivered before launch day
- Cover photo tested at thumbnail size
- Property website live and every link tested
- Sphere messages drafted
- Two weeks of posts planned
- Open house dates set
A package that covers the launch
If you'd like the core launch assets in one booking, the Signature package currently includes HDR photography, cinematic video, a LiDAR floor plan, a Floor View Tour, a property website and Brochure Design — photos for the click, video for social, the plan and tour for layout questions, one link for everything and a brochure for the open house. If filmed video is more than the listing needs, Showcase keeps the same photos, plan, tour, website and brochure without the video. The contents are shown live below.
Package
Signature
- HDR Photography
- Cinematic Video
- Property Website
- Floor Plan (LiDAR)
- Virtual Tour (FloorView)
- Brochure Design
A launch plan isn't about doing more. It's about doing the right things in the right order, so the listing's first week counts.
