Remember when buying a property involved heading into a local estate agency and viewing brochures? Print ads would serve as marketing tools for realtors, while prospective buyers often cruised around neighbourhoods looking for sale boards.
Technology has changed the real estate sector, making it easier for people to view, buy and let properties online. However, its accessibility means realtors must work harder to secure more clients.
Along with having a dedicated website that prioritizes user experience, social media is central to attracting interest and gaining a stronghold in your location.
In this guide we’ll explore:
- Why real estate and social media marketing go together like pancakes and syrup.
- The steps to creating a social media strategy.
- The key takeaways.
Why real estate and social media marketing go together so well
Social media is an intrinsic component of any digital marketing strategy, with Hootsuite revealing that over 60% of real estate agencies utilize social media when promoting properties.
When compared to traditional marketing, such as print ads and billboards, social media is more cost-effective, allowing realtors to reach an active audience and highlight their properties.
If you’re not using social media, it’s safe to say you’re falling behind.
Here’s why.
Targeted advertising
Placing a billboard in your city can seem like a good idea, but out of everyone who sees it, only a minority will be considering buying or selling a property. Social media allows you to target specific groups without the huge ad spend, making it easier to secure results.
Showcase your properties
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok enable you to create impactful property portfolios highlighting each building’s characteristics. Your target audience can see videos, and this will make it easier to secure more bookings from genuinely interested parties.
Attracting sellers and landlords
The right content can make a significant difference to sellers and landlords who want to find buyers and tenants for their properties. If you can highlight what makes you unique and showcase previous results, attracting new clients is easier.
Connecting with your community
As most real estate agencies operate in distinct areas, forming connections with local audiences is essential. If prospective clients trust you, they’re more likely to use your agency, which means long-term growth.
Steps to creating a real estate social media marketing strategy
Social media still offers numerous benefits, but its popularity also means brands must work harder to reach prospective clients and implement a strategy that creates qualified leads.
We’ve broken it down into six steps so that you can streamline the process and deploy a strategy that scales with your brand.
Step One: Know your audience
Are you trying to attract buyers, sellers – or both? Do you cater to a specific market, such as luxury homes or condos? Knowing who you are will help you identify and understand your audience.
Asking the following questions can help you figure out what makes specific demographics tick:
- How much money do they pay for a property?
- Are they professional developers or homeowners looking to move?
- Which social media channels do they spend most of their time on?
- What do they look for in a property?
Once you have a deeper understanding of your target audience, creating content that will reach – and resonate – with them is easier.
Step Two: Consider your objectives
Jumping into social media marketing with your eyes closed, and no clear objectives in place are like setting off on a journey without a destination in mind. What do you want to achieve with your social media strategy?
While some estate agents want more bookings, others might need to attract sellers. You can track progress by carefully assessing your goals and using the SMART technique.
Step Three: Choose your real estate social networks
With so many social networks available, knowing where to start can be challenging. Instead of opting for every channel, choosing two or three is best because you can focus your efforts instead of neglecting a consistent posting schedule.
- Facebook: A business page lets you showcase properties and communicate with your audience in groups. Facebook is usually ideal for general audiences.
- YouTube: Did you know YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine? There are plenty of opportunities to upload videos that prospective buyers can view.
- Instagram: High-quality photos of properties can attract more bookings, and Instagram is the go-to place for visual representation.
- LinkedIn: If you deal in commercial properties, LinkedIn can be an excellent platform for connecting with businesses looking for new offices.
Step Four: Create epic content
You can set up your social media profiles properly and have a deep understanding of your target audience, but great content is vital in attracting clients. Social media for real estate highlights who you are and what you’re about—not just selling properties.
When done right, you can tell people about your social responsibility and create an authentic brand story that resonates with an audience.
Remember, visual content such as images and videos are non-negotiable for real estate services. Spending more time and money on your posts today means more opportunities tomorrow.
Step Five: Use social media advertising
With social media becoming increasingly competitive, organic growth is no longer a given. Instead, you can rev up your posts and build a following using the many advertising solutions available.
Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram Ads, allocating some of your budget towards promotion can help you connect with your audience. Is it a long-term solution? No. But it can give you immediate growth.
Step Six: Analyze your results
By this point, you’ve been putting significant effort into your social media marketing strategy, and now it’s time to see whether it’s paying off. Analytics tools can help you evaluate which posts perform well and make changes to your accounts.
Whether it’s focusing more attention on one account or creating videos, analytics provide valuable information that moves you toward your goals.
Key takeaways
- When it comes to real estate, social media is a viable marketing strategy that produces tangible results—with the right execution.
- Any online promotion requires investment, but social media advertising generated an average ROI of 250% (Gitnux).
- Remember to think about your prospective clients and create personas for each demographic.
- Optimize your social media profiles, ensuring people can find you—whether with hashtags or other measures.
- Establish your brand identity and maintain consistency across social media networks.
- If you’d like to focus on other areas of your business, investing in real estate social media marketing companies is a good idea.
- Analyze your progress regularly and be willing to make alterations to your strategy.
