The Marketing Plan Red Flag: If Your Agent Isn't Doing THIS, You Hired the Wrong One

Most sellers don't know what a real estate marketing plan should look like.

And that's not their fault. Nobody teaches you this. You hire an agent, sign the agreement, and trust that they're doing everything possible to get your home in front of the right buyers. Then six weeks later you're asking: Why isn't my home getting showings?

Here's the honest answer: most agents don't have a real marketing plan. They have a checklist. List on the MLS. Post on Zillow. Maybe throw up a few Instagram photos. Then wait.

Today's buyers and sellers don't just want a sign in the yard and a flyer in the mailbox, they expect a marketing experience. 

I'm Danielle Edney, a third-generation Angeleno and Los Angeles real estate specialist serving Ladera Heights, View Park-Windsor Hills, Baldwin Hills, Culver City, Playa Vista, Santa Monica, Venice, and Mar Vista. I'm going to show you exactly what a real marketing plan looks like, and give you the checklist to evaluate any agent you're considering hiring.

What Most Agents Actually Do Let's Be Honest About It

Before we talk about what great looks like, let's name what most sellers actually get.

The bare-minimum agent's "marketing plan":

• Take photos with their iPhone

• Write a generic listing description

• Enter the listing into the MLS

• Syndicate automatically to Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com

• Post once on Instagram

• Hold one open house

• Wait for another agent to bring a buyer

Sellers turned to professionals to price their homes competitively, help market their homes to potential buyers, sell within a specific time frame, and find ways to fix up their homes to sell them for more, and yet the majority of listings receive none of these things at a meaningful level.

The result: your home sits. Buyers scroll past it. Other agents deprioritize showing it because there's nothing compelling about the listing. And by week three, buyers are already asking: What's wrong with it?

What a Real Marketing Plan Looks Like The Danielle Edney Homes Standard

Here is what I actually do for every listing I take. Not what I say I'll do. What I do.

Before Your Home Goes Live:

Professional Photography Not Optional, Not Negotiable

Video listings boost inquiries by 403%. Homes with professional photos sell 32% faster, spending an average of 89 days on the market compared to 123 days. Buyers spend about 60% of their time looking at photos versus only 20% reading property descriptions.

I hire a professional photographer, interior and exterior, every time. No phone cameras. No dark rooms. No wide-angle distortion that makes rooms look bigger than they are and then disappoints buyers when they show up.

Matterport 360° Virtual Walk-Through

As Matt Grander, owner of Grander and Associates, put it: "I'm going to use the best technology in the marketplace to present your home and people want to hear that. They want to hear what you are doing differently. Matterport absolutely makes me different."

Matterport creates an immersive, interactive virtual tour, with floor plans and measurements, that qualified out-of-area buyers can experience before flying in. This expands your buyer pool beyond Los Angeles.

Professional Videography

A high-definition 2-4 minute property tour with SEO-optimized description, published to my YouTube channel and embedded throughout your marketing campaign.

Staging Consultation

Coordinated within 48 hours of signing. A professionally staged home doesn't just show better, it photographs better, tours better, and commands stronger offers.

Coming Soon Campaign

Three days before your home hits the MLS, before any other buyer can see it, I activate a Coming Soon campaign that reaches buyers currently searching in your price range. This creates anticipation before the listing is public. The goal: offers waiting before the first open house.

When Your Home Goes Live:

Paid Social Media Advertising This Is Where Most Agents Fall Completely Short

For intent-driven targeting, Google Ads and Google Local Inventory are still the top contenders for marketing spend. Today's serious homebuyers and sellers search using terms like "homes for sale in Mar Vista" or "real estate agents near me." Agents can capture clients with retargeting ads, video-based ads, and local-first placements to stay in front of clients throughout their house-hunting journey.

I run targeted Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns featuring your property tour video. This isn't boosting a post. This is a structured, paid campaign targeting buyers by location, income, buyer behavior, and search patterns reaching people who are actively looking for homes like yours.

These campaigns generate 50,000+ views per listing, from qualified buyers, not random scrollers.

Retargeting The Technology Most Agents Have Never Heard Of

Retargeting means that once a buyer engages with your listing online, views the video, clicks the link, visits the property page, I place a digital marker that follows them across their web browsing. When they're reading the news, checking social media, or browsing other real estate sites, your home reappears.

This is how sophisticated brands stay in front of consumers. It's how I stay in front of your buyers.

Full Platform Syndication

Your listing goes live on Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, Facebook, YouTube, and DanielleEdneyHomes.com, with paid listing enhancements to keep it in prime position, not buried. Weekly updates keep the listing fresh in search algorithms.

Agent Network Outreach

I email a professionally designed e-flyer, with a direct barcode link to your home's website, to every active buyer's agent in Los Angeles County. Because in a market with a 15-day median days on market, your buyer may already be working with another agent right now.

Individual Property Website

Your home gets its own dedicated website, not a generic listing page, with printable brochures, a full photo gallery, the virtual tour, a property map, school scores, neighborhood information, and a direct contact button.

"Pick Your Neighbor" Campaign

High-quality, 4-page full-color brochures hand-delivered to 100 immediate neighbors. Why? Because the person most likely to know a buyer for your home is someone who already lives nearby. This campaign turns your neighborhood into your sales force.

Just Listed Direct Mail

A mass mailing to 500-1,000 surrounding households within 7 days of going live. Physical mail in a digital world gets noticed.

While Your Home Is on the Market:

Bi-Weekly Marketing Reports

You receive a written report every two weeks on exactly what's happening: how many people saw your listing, how many clicked through, how many agents showed it, and what feedback they provided. No radio silence. No "trust me, it's going fine."

Real-Time Campaign Optimization

I analyze traffic data continuously, and if a campaign isn't converting, I adjust it before you ever ask. This is how performance marketing works, and it's what I bring to every listing.

The Side-by-Side That Should Make Your Decision Easy

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Real estate marketing in 2026 is about consistent, value-driven content, not sporadic posting or spamming listings. 

In Ladera Heights and View Park-Windsor Hills, 65.96% of homes sell within 30 days, at an average of 101.49% of list price. The homes that achieve that outcome are the ones that generate urgency in the first two weeks. The homes that don't, the ones sitting at 120+ days selling at 92.87% of list are the ones whose agents listed and waited.

When marketing is handled well, clients feel confident. Their home sells faster, for a better price, and they tell their friends. 

The right marketing plan doesn't just sell your home. It generates the competition that drives your final price up which, in this market, is the difference between closing at list price and closing above it.

The Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Before you commit to any listing agent, ask these questions:

• "Can I see examples of your paid social media campaigns for previous listings?"

• "Do you use Matterport or another 360° virtual tour tool?"

• "What does your Coming Soon campaign look like?"

• "How many views do your listings typically generate from paid advertising?"

• "How often will you communicate with me and in writing?"

• "What happens if my home isn't getting showings in the first two weeks?"

An agent who can answer every one of these questions immediately, with specifics, examples, and data, has a real marketing plan. One who hedges, generalizes, or promises to "do everything possible" without naming a single specific tactic does not.

Want to See the Full Marketing Plan?

I've assembled everything I've described above into a comprehensive marketing presentation that I share with every seller before they sign anything. It details exactly what I do, when I do it, and how it produces results, with real examples from previous listings.

Reach out directly to request your copy or visit DanielleEdneyHomes.com to start the conversation.

Danielle Edney Real Estate Agent | Los Angeles, California

(424) 353-2761 

www.DanielleEdneyHomes.com

Danielle Edney is a real estate agent in Los Angeles, California specializing in Ladera Heights, View Park-Windsor Hills, Baldwin Hills, Culver City, Playa Vista, Santa Monica, Venice, and Mar Vista, helping homeowners sell their homes for top value with a smooth, strategic process. As a third-generation Angeleno, she is known for her concierge-level service and results-driven approach.