A transparent look at how we market northern suburb and waterfront homes—and why the strategy works.

As someone who lives on the lake and has spent years selling high-end and waterfront properties throughout the northern suburbs, I’ve learned that luxury marketing requires real strategy, not hope. You can’t rely on passive exposure or generic advertising when you’re dealing with lake homes, executive properties, and unique northern suburb neighborhoods.

Every listing has different needs, different buyer profiles, and different marketing requirements. And that’s exactly why we invest our own money into a digital marketing campaign tailored specifically for your home.

We don’t do guesswork. We don’t do one-size-fits-all.
We do proven, data-backed marketing built for this area and this price point.

Every Listing Receives a Custom Digital Marketing Budget—Paid for by Us

Instead of using a fixed number, we build a marketing budget around the home itself:

• Higher-priced lake homes may require a heavier digital push.

• Some properties need a wider geographic reach.

• Others need a more concentrated campaign around the Twin Cities buyer pool.

• And some homes perform best with a balanced, efficient spend.

The investment is never random. We spend what is necessary to compete—nothing more and nothing less.

This is one of the biggest differentiators between us and the average agent. Most agents spend nothing. We invest strategically in every listing.

We Market Where High-Intent Buyers Actually Search

Most luxury and lake buyers start on Google long before they reach out to an agent. They search for things like:

• “Minnesota lake homes for sale”

• “Northern suburbs waterfront properties”

• “Homes on [specific lake]”

• “Luxury homes Shoreview, North Oaks, Blaine, Lino Lakes”

• “Homes for sale with acreage and lake access”

We run targeted campaigns that put your home directly in front of these buyers.

No waiting.
No hoping.
We show your listing exactly where qualified buyers are already searching.

Our Campaigns Are Built Specifically for Lakefront and High-End Homes

Selling waterfront and luxury homes requires a completely different skillset than selling standard properties.

We build ads around what matters to high-end buyers:

• shoreline quality

• water clarity and depth

• lake size and recreational use

• setbacks and zoning

• septic and well considerations

• neighborhood appeal

• price psychology

• lifestyle patterns

This is why our campaigns don’t just get clicks—they attract the right buyers.

Everything Is Tracked, Measured, and Adjusted Weekly

We monitor:

• what keywords convert

• where buyers are located

• which ads generate showings

• which photos get the most engagement

• what price ranges click through most

• what messaging attracts the best buyers

• retargeting performance

We don’t run ads and hope for results—we track them until the results are real.

This is why our marketing produces more serious buyer activity than passive online exposure.

If We Don’t Sell in the First Month, We Don’t Throw More Money at It—We Strategize

If your home doesn’t sell in the first 30 days, we take a step back and evaluate all the data:

• showing feedback

• buyer objections

• performance of each ad

• which photos are driving engagement

• how long buyers are staying on the listing

• buyer profiles and locations

• price positioning

• market movement

Then we rebuild the strategy with intention.

Nothing we do is random.
Nothing is “just for views.”
Every adjustment is based on data and designed to increase real buyer activity and convert it to an offer.

A Proven Process Built for the Northern Suburbs

These lake and luxury markets behave differently than the general housing market. Shoreview is different from North Oaks. Centerville is different from Blaine. Lino Lakes waterfront buyers think differently than Minnetonka buyers.

We understand the nuances:

• seasonality specific to lake homes

• appraisal patterns

• buyer motivations

• waterfront regulations

• price tier psychology

• winter vs. summer buyer behavior

• community-to-community demand curves

Our process works because it’s built for this market—not a generic national model.

Final Thoughts

Selling a home—especially a lakefront or high-end property—requires more than marketing. It requires intention, strategy, and a proven system tailored to the northern suburbs.

We invest real money into every listing because your equity matters. We analyze every datapoint because your timing matters. And we show up with a strategy because your outcome matters.

If you’d like to understand how our system would work for your home, I’d be glad to walk you through it—no pressure, just clarity.

Ornell Group Professional Footer

Tim Ornell | Real Luxury | Ornell Group Real Estate
Northern Suburbs Luxury & Waterfront Specialist
$200M+ Sold | 200+ Transactions
Real Luxury Division (Earned Through Luxury Sales Performance)
Institute for Luxury Home Marketing – GUILD Certified
[email protected] | ornellgroup.com

Content and insights provided by Ornell Group. Real estate services brokered by Real Broker. Luxury lake properties marketed through Ornell Group | Real Luxury. Select content enhanced and supported with AI-assisted tools used by our team. All market data, pricing, and property information subject to change.