As a realtor, did you notice a major shift in the last ten years? Did you notice that clients are now buying real estate properties differently? With the rise of social media marketing strategies, homebuyers often begin with online market research. In fact, according to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 84% of baby boomers and 94% of millennials use various websites to search for their future home. With this capability, more and more buyers now have a clear vision of what they want.
While real estate agents are still vital in the home-buying process, more buyers are looking to do some of their research before involving the experts. But what does this mean for you as a realtor?
Well, with more buyers spending time on the internet and social media platforms, it drives home the importance of having an active online presence. If you are not active, networking, and engaging online, then you are missing out.
Winning the Real Estate Marketing Game
If you want to leverage real estate social media marketing strategies to boost sales leads, here are 10 tips for you to consider:
Tip #1: Set Yourself Up for Social
With approximately 2.3 billion users spending a great amount of time browsing social media (with an average of 50 minutes per day spent on Facebook alone), setting yourself up for social media is highly important.
First and foremost, you need to set up your social media accounts. You can start with the biggest social media platforms, namely Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. From there, you can venture out to other social media platforms that you think best suits your purposes. With your social media platforms, you can promote your properties, interact with buyers, share property images, and more!
Tip #2: Keep a Close Eye on Your Competitors
Check out the other realtors in your area. Which social media platforms are they on? What do their websites look like? How are they interacting with their audience? How active are they on social media? Keep a close eye on your competitors (and their online activities) and take note. Watch out for any mistakes that they may be doing, avoid them yourself, and replicate their success!
Tip #3: Add Social Sharing to Your Pages
Chances are, shoppers are eager to share their top property picks with family and friends. So, ensure that it’s easy for prospective buyers to share their choices online! You can do this by adding social sharing buttons on your website.
Do this on your social media platforms as well. For instance, you can add links to your Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media platforms on your Twitter bio. This will make it easier for your clients to find you on other social media platforms and share content from there too.
Tip #4: Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Tech-savvy customers spend a lot of time on their mobile devices. A recent study has shown that 90% of people use their mobile devices for online activity. Therefore, it is important that your website is mobile-friendly. Even better, consider signing up for a mobile app (or develop your own) where potential buyers can review your listings.
Tip #5: Be Responsive
Today, property buyers expect instant responses to their inquiries and concerns. However, where they ask those questions has changed. In the past, buyers would call up their realtors but today, the majority are going online. They send Facebook messages and tweets to real estate offices.
Make sure that you are ready for this outreach. Monitor your social media platforms and be responsive to inquiries. You can use this opportunity to start a dialogue with buyers who might still be in the early stages of the buying process. This all helps build your sphere of influence and local reputation as someone to be trusted.
Tip #6: Hire a Professional Photographer
Great photography is one of the key elements of a successful real estate marketing campaign. After all, bad photos can diminish interest in even the best properties. Amazing or unique photography, such as aerial footage will also make you stand out. This is why it is important that you hire a professional photographer to take beautiful images of your properties. Preferably, hire a professional with experience in photographing architecture and homes.
Tip #7: Ask for Testimonials and Reviews from Previous Clients
Don’t have testimonials yet? Reach out to your previous clients, and ask them to leave a review on your site. Place them strategically on your website, and share them every now and then on your social media platforms. On the other hand, you can also ask your clients to review your services as well.
Having testimonials from your previous clients can be a great thing to have. Seeing real, live people endorse your services means a lot to potential clients. Many of today’s buyers read testimonials and reviews first before making a purchase.
Tip #8: Give Them a Virtual Tour
Your clients’ time is precious. Before visiting properties in person, they want to have as much information as possible. Virtual tours are an excellent way to give your potential clients an accurate view of the property that they like. Consider creating a short video, and share it on your social media platforms such as YouTube where it can be easily seen by your potential clients.
Tip #9: Hire a Writer
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in today’s content marketing and social-media-driven landscape, a thousand words need to go along with your pictures! Real estate agents think nothing of hiring professional videographers and photographers, but what about writers? Hiring a writer can make your listings more appealing! As much as possible, your content must tell an engaging story, something that will catch the attention of prospective clients and make them curious enough to call you and set up an appointment.
Tip #10: Promote the Local Scenery, Not Just the House
In many ways, you are not just selling a house. You are selling a whole area or town. Property buyers want to know the good and bad aspects of each area or town where they are considering to move. Use your social media platforms to give potential clients a better understanding of the local area. For instance, share images of the local neighborhood and popular spots. Showcase the best that the area has to offer with beautiful photos.
The Takeaway
Being on social media is the first step to a successful social media marketing campaign. However, simply having a social media account is not enough. You need to match your competitors’ marketing campaigns, be responsive to your followers, and post relevant and beautiful content and images.
