How To Effectively Use Social Media For Real Estate

Updated: February 10th, 2020

For most people, buying a house is the single biggest investment decision they will make. It is also a highly emotional one. Your clients need – and are looking for – someone who holds more than a real estate license. They want an agent who will champion their interests and help them navigate the complex waters of property ownership. Buyers and sellers alike are looking for a lighthouse. Someone they can trust and who can lend them confidence. Someone who can show them the way through what, for many of them, are unknown and uncertain seas. Most people are full of questions when they set sail on their real estate voyage. And you are the one who is there to guide them home.

But in order for prospective clients to select your services, you need to be where they are . There was a day when the first action of a home buyer or seller was to contact an agent. Today, three quarters of all buyers search for a house online. That percentage increases with younger generations. In fact, according to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors , ninety-five percent of all home buyers (ninety-nine percent of millenials) look to the internet as a source for buying a house.  If you want to connect with prospective clients, whether they are dipping their toes in the water or have already left the dock, you need to present a significant presence online.

 Social media provides you with an excellent opportunity to reach prospective, current, and former clients – and generate new leads (according to the same survey, nearly half of realtors said that social media results in higher quality leads than other sources). A sound social media strategy will help you to engage and open up a dialogue with your audience, to share advice, and to nurture an ongoing relationship with buyers and sellers. That way you can gain the edge in your local market and make a lasting impression.

In today’s market, where people are heading to the internet to do their own research before consulting a real estate agent, you will need to carefully craft an online social media profile to highlight your business, your brand . You need to attract and keep their attention. Social media allows for brand reinforcement, quick engagement with your audience, creative content publishing, advertising opportunities, social messaging, and a way to manage customer relations.

Which social media platforms should I use?

Options abound for social media tools in your real estate business. The list ebbs and flows and is added to all the time. Here is a sample of some of the most popular social media platforms available to your business today:

With so many options from which to choose, you could get lost in the fray. So could your followers. It is good to have a widespread social media presence. It is better to have a quality presence. If you want an audience, a faithful following, to remain engaged, choose the platforms that will have the best bang-for-your-buck and the ones on which you will remain engaged.

What kind of material should I post on social media sites?

When it comes to deciding which platforms to use in your social media strategy and what to publish, it is helpful to remember a few key principles.

For instance, no matter how many social media sites you choose to engage in, make sure to present a consistent picture of your business – a consistent   brand identity  . Your logo, website,   print materials  , and each appearance on social media should feature a recognizable design, the same look and feel, so that your audience finds your material to be familiar. Whether you use a   QR code  on your print material to link viewers to a social media site or use social media to link to your business website, your brand ID should permeate each area. Also, make sure to include your contact information, address, list of services, and links to your website and other social media pages.

If you want your social media campaign to be successful, it also needs to be current and relevant. To be up to date, you need to be available. To have a consistent presence . Chat with your followers. Respond to their questions. Respond to their comments – both positive and negative. Each response is a chance to bond with your audience. It does little good if someone finds your profile on a social media site only to discover that you have not posted anything new or useful in weeks. Keep it fresh.

More than simply a way to “hang out” with your followers, social media is an occasion to put relevant and interesting information in front of their eyes (just as you would with a print brochure ). Educate them. If you have a blog, write about home-buying tips and other tricks of the trade. Excite their imaginations with exterior and interior design ideas. Talk about the latest trends and how them might capitalize on them. Be creative and give them content that means something – to them . Here are some other ideas:

Just be sure to offer quality content. When it comes to digital resources, volume is not enough. It is often said that “content is king”. Value is more important than quantity. People have an eye for quality. And so do search engine algorithms when implementing a well-planned SEO strategy. Excellent content brings visibility, gets people talking, and sells them on your brand – while attracting attention from Google and other SERPs .

And be yourself . While there is certainly nothing wrong with bringing someone on board to craft creative content for your blog or website (in fact, there are strong reasons why professional writing can increase the effectiveness of your website), when it comes to social media engagement, your content needs to be genuine (duplicate content is a no-no in the digital world and can have a negative impact on your website rankings). It needs to match your style, your personality, your brand. Buyers and sellers want a personal relationship with someone they can trust – not with a ghost. So, even if you hire help for some of your content, engage with your audience personally.

While you are at it, keep an eye open for posts that you can re-share on your social media site. Share posts of pictures from your current clients when they buy a new house. Or share a testimonial when one of your buyers sells a property. If someone asks a question or replies to a post and the information might be universally useful, share the post with your followers. Engage, not only with future clients, but also with current and former ones. Keep your network alive and look for creative ways to engage in the online community.

And when you feature a property on social media, go beyond a simple share of the listing. Highlight the community as well. Home buyers are interested in more than property details. They want to know all about the city or town they are looking to move to. For example, a majority of home buyers believe that the quality of a neighborhood is more important than the size of a house. Help your buyers to see a clear picture of the pros and cons of the neighborhood and surrounding community, not just the thirty-thousand foot flyover view. You are an expert on your community. Use your expertise to educate your followers about their surroundings.

Of course, you are likely to use high-quality, high-resolution HDR photos in your social media posts. After all, a picture is worth at least 250 words. But, more and more every day, realtors are turning to high-end video and 3D virtual tours (such as Matterport 3D Virtual Tours ) to engage both sellers and buyers. Your current and future clients can imagine themselves inside a home or apartment (or any other property for sale) at any time, night or day. Your website might also get a boost on search engines with the addition of expert video content (as well as professional photographs and copy). 

When posting to social media, make sure to also include plenty of calls to action . Give viewers an opportunity to schedule a meeting, check out a blog or video tour, visit an open house , call now. Each CTA is a chance to drive conversions, not just viewers.

Above all, keep it professional . Yes, you want to come across in a relational and engaging way. Sure, you want your followers to feel comfortable engaging with you. But your social media material needs to be presented in a professional manner, with the best writing, photography, and video content you can get. You are representing your business – your brand – with everything you post. Be aware of how your social media pages might be viewed by prospective clients whenever you post or share something.

As a real estate professional, you understand that “location, location, location” is everything. But in today’s marketing world, location means little without relationships . If you want to position yourself as the best option for helping guide home buyers and sellers in your area, creating a social media campaign can go a long way to reaching and relating with your audience.

The post How To Effectively Use Social Media For Real Estate appeared first on Hometrack Real Estate Marketing .