In our work as HomeVestors of America franchise owners for the past two years, we’ve found that social media gives us an extra boost. Of course, first, there’s the purchase of the distressed home (with all the calculations that go into the selection) and the hard rehab work. But fix-and-flip investors and renovators know that’s just part of the job – you’ve got to get your rehabs noticed before they can sell. And that’s where social media comes into the mix for us.

Here’s how we divide our teamwork

John is the buyer, and Corinne manages the office and the rehabs. Our focus is on wholesaling 35 to 40 houses a year, but we selectively flip the houses that fit Corinne’s criteria. She looks for a great neighborhood, low days on market, good schools and a floor plan with good bones.

Before renovations

When Corinne starts the rehab, John photographs the house in its original state and then takes “work in progress” photos from the same vantage points, creating a library to choose from.

We wait until we are halfway through the project before we start posting the shots. It helps compress an eight- to 10-week project into 30 days. We try to tell the story of the work going on at the property and show that it’s not as easy as the reality shows make it seem.

The photo montages typically begin with delivery of the dumpster, landscape cleanup, roofing, demolition, floor coverings, kitchen and bath installs, paint and lastly staging.

We regularly show all our hard work on our Facebook page, Citygate Homes LLC. Through social media, we have hundreds of followers who love to watch the transformations of the properties we acquire. And it really pays off when it’s time to put the house on the market.

After all the changes

We do a big push on Facebook the final weeks before the open house, and we typically have more than 100 people attend. John does a “before and after” video for the event, and those alone get 2,000 to 3,000 views. Because of the large turnout, we have multiple offers, and our houses sell quickly.

A case study in point

John was on a buy call this summer, and it was our social media presence that helped him seal the deal to purchase the house. The homeowner had moved out of town to live with her daughter several years earlier, and the house had been vacant ever since.

In talking with the daughter and other family members, it was clear to us that they wanted what was best for their mom, but the main focus was taking care of the house they loved and in which they grew up.

While on the phone with them, John directed them to our Facebook page, and the deal was done. The family watched the transformation from afar and commented on the progress regularly. They were amazed that we took down walls, totally changed the bathrooms, added a bedroom and moved the original back door to facilitate a better kitchen layout.

When the house was completed, the daughter traveled six hours to see the final results. It’s a story that had a happy ending and was a win-win for everyone. This rehab took 12 weeks, but that was only due to a change in contractors. Our usual rehab timeline is eight weeks.

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  • John and Corinne Tesh

    John and Corinne Tesh are real estate investors and owners of Citygate Homes, LLC, a HomeVestors franchise in Greensboro, N.C. John’s background as a professional photographer and Corinne’s expertise in interior design play a big part in the success of their business, which includes not just rehabs but also buy-and-holds and wholesale properties. Contact them at john@citygatehomes.com or corinne@citygatehomes.com or 336-854-8000.

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