Top Luxury Real Estate Marketing Ideas
Cutting-edge visuals top the list of must-haves for luxury home marketing
Buyers in the luxury real estate market may have a lot of resources at their disposal, but time usually isn’t one of them.
Before considering an in-person tour of a high-end home, they want to be confident it’s worth their time since they’re usually stretched thin. Before they step foot on a property, they want to get a feel for the flow of the house and wander from room to room. That’s where the right marketing tactics can help.
Although marketing luxury listings is its own unique beast, in the past few years, it’s gotten more complex as technology evolves and buyers increase their expectations. For real estate professionals navigating the complicated world of luxury home marketing, we’ve rounded up a list of some of the challenges you’ll face, new technologies that will get your properties noticed, and the digital channels to include in your property marketing plan. We also explore some tips on how to sell luxury real estate in your area.
The challenges of luxury real estate marketing
Most experts say listings qualify as luxury homes when they’re in the top 5% of any given market. Based on recent research, the average value of luxury homes in the U.S. crossed the million-dollar mark in 2024 (a whopping $1.18 million for the median price in Q2).
With the average total real estate agent commission rate at 5-6%, the potential profit margin on luxury properties is high. That said, it isn’t easy for agents and realtors to break into the luxury market.
Luxury buyers have high expectations, and agents have to work harder to gain their trust. And that’s just one barrier agents contend with to make it big high-end home sales. Below, you’ll find some of the most common challenges in the luxury market.
Knowing the luxury home market
High-touch clients require agents to know all the ins and outs of high-end properties (and market trends in general). Luxury home buyers don’t just want an agent to show them potential properties to purchase—they want trusted advisors to hold their hand through the process.
As a result, luxury real estate agents should be at the top of their game. Coldwell Banker’s Chief Operating Officer Liz Gehringer said in a recent luxury home report that today’s agents have to juggle far more factors to be successful than in the past.
“Now more than ever, there is a very significant role for the agent,” she said, “One that gives the affluent buyer the financial and emotional confidence to do the deal.”
In addition to understanding specific properties and the overall market, clients will likely expect their agents to know about:
Statistics, demographic info, and amenities for a property’s neighborhood
Average offers on other recently sold homes in the area (so that potential buyers can make competitive offers)
Types of financing available through your network of bankers and private lenders
Connecting with affluent buyers
It isn’t easy to even reach potential luxury homebuyers. Some of the tactics agents use to connect with clients for average properties may not be effective for your high-end target audience.
When trying to find potential affluent clients, networking and word-of-mouth are crucial. Agents have to cultivate contacts within specific spheres of influence and hang out in spaces where high-end homeowners are likely to be.
Some common ways to meet prospective luxury clients include:
Linking up with financial experts (bankers, lenders, etc.) who could recommend you to their affluent clients
Connecting with accountants and attorneys who could refer clients
Sponsoring and/or attending charity events and fundraisers for local non-profits so you can mingle with movers and shakers in your community
Visiting art galleries and openings to mix with affluent community members who can keep you top of mind when buying or selling their next luxury property
Taking risks on new technology
New generations of home buyers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are particularly comfortable with technology. These generations are digital natives, so it’s no surprise that 97% of homebuyers used the internet in some capacity in their home search as of 2020.
This is even more true for younger generations of luxury homebuyers. They demand high-tech and high-touch relationships with their real estate agents. Basic, run-of-the-mill listings for luxury properties aren’t going to cut it. To grab and keep the attention of affluent buyers, agents and realtors will need more cutting-edge visuals to promote these properties. Thanks to more advanced technology, potential homebuyers can feel like they’ve visited a home without ever stepping foot on the property. For example, rather than posting a slideshow of basic real estate photos, upgrade to a three-dimensional virtual tour of the entire home.
These 3D virtual tours from Matterport have become popular and effective real estate marketing tools for luxury properties. With three-dimensional virtual replicas of houses, it’s easy for buyers to explore a property on their own schedule and from anywhere.
These replicas, also known as digital twins, are quickly becoming a table-stakes expectation for every type of home in the residential real estate market. After all, studies show that listings with high-quality imagery sell 68% faster and increase calls to agents by 95%.
How to start selling luxury real estate: Advice for new agents
Before ambitious agents are ready to take the luxury real estate market by storm, they’ll need to create a plan of attack. While a drive to succeed is an excellent foundation for a fledgling luxury real estate agent, try some of the strategies below before taking your first steps:
Leverage your sphere of influence. Lean on your existing network—friends, family, and past clients—to find new high-end clients. Nurturing these relationships can pay dividends (literally), so ask for and thank them for their support.
Host meaningful events. As aforementioned, events are a great opportunity to network with potential clients or get referrals. So, consider sponsoring a charity event or hosting a client appreciation event virtually or in person.
Keep learning. Stay ahead of competitors with continuous education and specialized certifications specific to luxury real estate (like becoming a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) or Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS)).
Build a strong team. Marketing and selling luxury real estate requires a team of reliable pros whose skills complement yours, including pro photographers, attorneys, financial advisors, and more. They can provide support, expertise, and even referrals.
Stay open to collaboration. No person is an island—nor is any single agent. Foster positive relationships with fellow luxury real estate agents to share insights and refer clients to one another.
Mastering the art of marketing luxury properties: 6 ways to implement your strategy
To successfully market luxury real estate, agents need a multi-pronged approach to spotlight a property’s distinctive features and underscore how they cater to a buyer’s lifestyle.
1. Highlight unique features and amenities
High-end properties often boast distinctive features that set them apart from a typical single-family home. Maybe that’s a massive bathroom with spa features, a cold room/wine cellar, a home theater, or an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
When luxury homes come with these kinds of amenities, agents should prominently showcase them on the listing and the marketing materials promoting the property. That way, prospective buyers immediately know what makes the home rare and worth the price tag.
2. Use high-quality visuals
You won’t turn any heads if you promote a luxury property with blurry smartphone photos. High-end buyers expect high-resolution images to get a clear look at a home, both inside and out. And pro photos help sell homes faster—up to 32% faster, according to one study.
So, invest in professional-grade photos and real estate videos to capture your luxury properties. Whether you hire a pro photographer or invest in photo or video equipment, agents can offer potential buyers an immersive experience through a variety of high-quality visuals, like high-resolution photos, aerial footage, and 3D virtual tours.
3. Craft a compelling story
Every luxury property has its own story, and part of the agent’s job is to uncover it. Maybe the property has some historical significance, it’s located in a tony neighborhood, or a renowned architect designed the home.
Whatever the story, use it in your luxury real estate marketing. When agents tell a compelling story about a property, these details will stick in a potential buyer’s mind. And if the story resonates with a buyer, it’s also easier for them to forge an emotional connection with the home.
4. Engage with influencers and industry experts
As we mentioned earlier, luxury real estate marketing relies on word-of-mouth referrals. And one of the best ways to spread the word is to work with influencers and experts to amplify your efforts.
Collaborating with an influencer with a sizable following can help promote your luxury properties to their online audiences. Use a tool like Influencer Marketing AI or Popular Pays to find the right influencers to work with.
You can also heighten your credibility with an endorsement from a real estate expert. Getting a public stamp of approval from a seasoned agent can go a long way when building your appeal as a luxury real estate agent.
5. Offer bespoke experiences
Set yourself apart from the competition by personalizing your services—provide private open houses, tailored property tours, or other unique experiences.
For example, you can set up a mini wine tasting for clients touring a home with a wine cellar. Showcase wines from your region and leverage the tasting as a cornerstone of a private showing.
6. Emphasize privacy and security
Our homes are our refuge. Everyone wants to feel safe in their own house, and security is of particular interest to luxury home buyers. Prioritize a property’s privacy and security features in your promotional materials. Call attention to advanced security systems, privacy fences, whether a home is in a gated community, etc.
Luxury real estate marketing materials to leverage in your next campaign
Your real estate marketing materials—both printed and online—can differentiate you from competitors and catch the wandering eye of high-end buyers. When you’re compiling your real estate marketing strategy for a luxury property, consider including a variety of the promotional mediums below.
Digital marketing materials
Digital marketing is necessary for real estate agents to reach a broader audience and establish an online presence. Get started with social media platforms, luxury real estate websites, and email marketing to showcase luxury properties in your portfolio.
Dedicated websites
While the goal for many properties is to get it in front of as many people as possible, that’s not the case with luxury real estate marketing. Because the pool of potential buyers is much smaller, your efforts need to be more targeted.
So, rather than adding a lengthy list of luxury properties to your agent or brokerage website, create a microsite for the individual property. A landing page gives you more leeway to highlight all the home’s best features and anchor it with striking visuals—think aerial footage of the whole property or a 3D tour of the upscale amenities.
Another plus: dedicated websites cut down on distractions. Because there aren’t any links to other properties, potential clients aren’t tempted to click over to another site. And because pages without views are worthless, invest in search engine optimization for real estate. The right SEO will help the right high-end buyers find your pages.
Social media
The same principle applies to marketing luxury real estate on social media: targeted campaigns will be more effective in reaching high-end clientele.
For sites like Facebook and X, focus on reaching luxury homebuyers in your area. Funnel part of your ad budget into a paid Facebook campaign to promote your properties to potential buyers in your region with specific characteristics (for example, you can try Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences feature to market to people who resemble your existing customers).
On professional sites like LinkedIn, highlight your own expertise, experience in the luxury market, and any relevant certifications.
We’ve all heard about the low open rates for email marketing. But as with dedicated websites and social media campaigns, you don’t need to reach a wide swath of people to promote luxury real estate.
Build an opt-in email list of current and previous clients to promote your properties. To get people to sign up, offer something of value like a monthly newsletter, a neighborhood guide, or a webinar about the local market. Keep them engaged with extras like 3D walkthroughs of luxury properties that might be of interest in follow-up emails.
To get buyers to open your email, ensure it’s as personalized as possible. If you’ve already met a potential client, clarify that in the subject line. Mention the area where you’re selling, the type of property you specialize in, or recent sales that homebuyers would find relevant. Don’t forget to always include a call to action, like a link to a home’s microsite that prompts recipients to learn more.
Print marketing materials
While digital marketing is often the go-to for promoting properties, don’t discount physical ads and mailers. Print luxury real estate advertising is still popular in many markets.
Newspapers and magazines
When selling luxury homes, newspapers and other publications can be great resources. High-end buyers still browse top national and international publications like The New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. And because photography packs such a punch, glossy magazines are also a good place for ads with breathtaking imagery.
Depending on the top publications circulating in your area, consider running ads for individual luxury properties in the most popular newspapers and magazines.
Direct mail
A direct mail campaign puts you right in interested buyers’ mailboxes. If you send mailers regularly, over time, they’ll recognize you and associate you with luxury real estate in your area.
Remember: Mailings should be frequent enough that your face becomes familiar and authoritative about the type of luxury real estate that is your specialty.
How Matterport takes luxury real estate marketing to the next level
As with many other industries, emerging technology has turned luxury real estate marketing on its head. Platforms like Matterport have created a wealth of new tools that reduce agents’ workloads, simplify marketing efforts, and sell properties faster.
Features like digital twins, precise floor plans and measurements, and Matterport Digital Pro can help luxury real estate agents take their marketing to the next level—and here’s how:
3D digital twins for virtual tours
One of the most important uses of new technology, at least as far as high-end buyers are concerned, is a more sophisticated use of visuals. Leaders in luxury home marketing have enthusiastically adopted digital twins so buyers can explore a property from anywhere (this is especially helpful for international buyers).
Agents can simply send a link for their luxury property to prospective buyers, and they can take a 3D walkthrough of the home.
Yuya Fukubayashi, Senior Manager of Public Relations at List Sotheby's International Realty, said that digital twins have allowed buyers to inspect a luxury property whenever and wherever it’s convenient.
“Our clients are often busy people,” he said. “Giving them the convenience of viewing a property from anywhere at any time starts the entire sale or leasing process with a positive impression.”
Accurate floor plan measurements
Remember those blocky black-and-white floorplans buyers had to use to visualize the layout of luxury properties? Kick those flat floor plans to the curb. Matterport’s schematic floor plans are easy to create without any additional appointments.
With a detailed schematic floor plan, potential buyers can get an understanding of a property’s flow, layout, and even precise room measurements. Matterport’s measurement tool records the dimensions of any room from floor to ceiling.
The best part? It’s easy to generate a floor plan from an existing digital twin. No extra photos, measurements, or site visits are needed.
Fukubayashi said that homebuyers appreciate knowing right away how much space they are getting.
“Using Matterport, we can show our clients that we understand how much even the smallest details matter,” he said.
Matterport Digital Pro offers quality and convenience
When it comes to visuals, real estate executives opt for all-in-one platforms that can take care of photography, videography, and 3D tours. That’s why Matterport’s newly released Digital Pro has become one of the best tools for luxury home marketing.
Matterport Digital Pro provides a suite of striking visuals in one simple and convenient-to-access package. The Pro plan offers a range of high-definition photography, an intro video, a detailed floor plan, and, of course, a stunning 3D tour of your luxury property.
Here’s a rundown of everything Matterport Digital Pro includes all of the following assets:
4K photography
Guided intro tours to curate the experience
Schematic floor plans
Tags that allow you to highlight important details in a space
Measurement tools to give exact dimensions of the space
Tools to incorporate Google Street View
Virtual staging
Remember that all the images in Matterport Digital Pro are photo-realistic, not renderings or illustrations. It’s a one-stop shop real estate marketing asset package for everyone in the real estate industry.
Have lingering questions about luxury real estate marketing? We’ve rounded up some of the most common queries below to answer your burning questions.
