According to the National Association of Realtors, 97% of buyers shopped for homes online in 2020.
Pandemic conditions might have had a lot to do with this, but this number isn’t likely to drop all that much. Homebuyers want to browse homes and get a feel for the market from the comfort of their own homes.
This doesn’t mean that real estate agents are obsolete—far from it. It just means that real estate agents need to pivot to meet clients where they’re at. And that is on social media.
Are you wondering if you need a social media marketing strategy as a real estate agent?
The answer is, absolutely.
If you don’t yet have a realtor social media marketing strategy in place, you’re missing out on business and opportunities to build your brand.
Put an end to this and continue reading to find out why every realtor needs a social media marketing strategy more than ever before, as well as a few insider tips for social media success as a real estate agent.
House Hunting Has Moved Online
One of the primary reasons why real estate agents need to have a social media marketing strategy is that house hunting has officially moved online.
Reports show that also 40% of millennials are comfortable with buying a home completely online, without viewing it in person. There is also a high rate of demand for virtual features like 3D tours, online floor plans, and self-tour technology.
Millennials are driving the current shift as they age into becoming the largest home-buying demographic. Hot on the heels of the millennials are the Gen Zs, who are even more comfortable with technology and are accustomed to fully online processes.
If you’re still focusing on offline methods to sell homes and attract clients, business is likely to dry up at some point in the future.
Social Media Is Where Your Clients Hang Out
To attract real estate buyers in 2022, you have to reach them online. And one of the best places to do this is on social media.
According to statistics, the average person in the US spends 2 hours a day on social media.
During this time people are looking to connect with others, be entertained, get informed, etc. In other words, they might be more receptive to your content than when doing something like checking their inbox.
A great way to think of it as a real estate agent is social media is a kind of virtual equivalent to in-person networking. In previous times when you might have spent time at the golf club exchanging jokes, news, and info a lot of this is now happening on social media.
Social Media Drives Buying Decisions
Besides being the place where your clients are probably hanging out, social media is also a major driver of consumer buying decisions. Statistics show that social media influences a whopping 71% of consumer buying decisions.
Some of the reasons for this are social proof and word-of-mouth. For example, if one of your clients shares on social media how you facilitated a seamless home buying experience for them, this is strong social proof that you are an agent that people can trust.
Social Media Is One of the Best Avenues for Building Your Brand
Another reason you why should absolutely have a social media marketing strategy as a realtor is that it’s one of the best avenues for building your brand.
Whether you are an independent one-person show or work for a larger real estate company, brand building is essential. The format of social media and the exposure it brings is ideal for building your brand through content.
Once you have defined your brand, you can use social media to consistently post content that aligns with your brand persona and values.
Social Media Marketing for Realtors Can Trigger Trust and Nurture Relationships
One of the most powerful advantages of social media marketing for realtors is it can instill trust and help you nurture relationships.
Having an active social media presence lets people see that there’s a real person behind wheel. It adds a human touch to your brand and helps followers and leads get to know you.
This is pivotal for building trust and making people feel like you’re the agent to turn to.
Some of the ways you can build trust through social media are posting frequently and consistently and sharing tips, knowledge, and expertise. You can also tap into social proof by posting testimonials from your clients.
If you want clients to feel like they know you before even reaching out, try incorporating some of your personality into your real estate social media posts. For instance, if you’re a foodie, you could share some of your favorite food spots in the areas you’re selling.
If you’re a lover of unique architecture, you can highlight interesting architectural elements in your listings and share your thoughts on them.
Social Media Is Ideal for Providing Free Value
Besides giving you a chance to build your brand and trigger trust, social media is also an ideal place to offer free value.
Now you might be wondering, why would I want to give value away for free?
Free value is one of the biggest drivers of modern marketing. Ask any digital marketing agency for realtors and they will tell you free content that provides value is a cornerstone of digital marketing success.
Free value attracts new leads and makes you stand out. It demonstrates that you know what you’re talking about. If someone gains value from one of your real estate social media posts, this also inspires trust and helps establish a connection.
When it comes time for them to buy or sell a property, you’ll be top of mind as the agent of choice. This is why creating free value is one of the integral parts of growing your business with social media.
Tips for Providing Value in Your Social Media Marketing Strategy
If you have never created a social media marketing strategy before it can be tricky to figure out what to post. The last thing you want to do is simply blast out self-promotional marketing messages. This won’t attract followers or trigger engagement.
Instead, you want to opt for a blend of promotional posts and other posts that offer value, such as tips, free info, or entertainment.
Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing if you’re stuck on what types of real estate social media posts would be valuable to your audience:
- Tips for a smooth home buying process
- Tips for mortgage approval
- Tips for buying a house that will sell easily later on down the line
- Insider tips on the local real estate market
- How to spot hidden issues in a home
Besides these types of posts, you can also post attractive images of the neighborhoods you’re selling, and the homes themselves. Everybody likes a little homebuying eye candy.
Finally, you can also look into doing live streams and Q&A sessions. Live video is due to be one of the big social media marketing trends for 2022, and it’s a great way to connect directly with your audience and build connections.
Your Competitors Probably Already Have a Social Media Marketing Strategy
Because social media can be such a powerful tool, there’s a high chance that most of your competitors already have a social media marketing strategy in place.
Currently, 60% of surveyed agents believe that having a social media marketing strategy is more important than having a website. Having a website is typically considered step one in maintaining an online presence, so this widespread sentiment among realtors illuminates just how powerful a good social media marketing strategy can be.
It also highlights how many real estate agents are focusing on growing their social media reach.
If you don’t create a social media marketing strategy, you’re going to fall behind the competition.
It Shows That You’re Current
Another reason to start crafting real estate social media marketing campaigns is it shows clients you are current. As the real estate market becomes driven by millennial home buyers, you want to make sure that you come across as in touch with current trends.
If clients get the impression that you’re stuck in the past, they’re probably less likely to trust you with helping them buy a home.
Imagine if you were a millennial buying your first home. Would you want to work with an agent who has their finger on the pulse of current trends and technology? Or would you want to work with someone that still thinks cherrywood cabinets are the epitome of classy design and misses fax machines?
A Social Media Marketing Strategy May Help Your Ad Campaign
Social media marketing for realtors is great for driving organic traffic and leads. However, it can also reinforce the effectiveness of your ad campaigns.
If you’re running social media ads, such as Facebook ads, these can dovetail perfectly with your social media presence. In general, you will direct your social media ads to your landing page, not to your social profiles.
However, by running ads and maintaining a strong organic social media presence, you can strengthen brand recognition. If someone has already seen an ad from you, they might feel a sense of recognition if they get shown a post.
Alternatively, if they have already been exposed to your posts, an ad will remind them of you and might be the perfect prompt to get in touch if they’re in need of an agent.
Real Estate Social Media Posts Can Showcase Your Listings
One of the biggest reasons why you should leverage social media as a realtor is it’s a perfect place to showcase your listings. People love seeing beautiful homes, especially on places like Instagram.
Video tours often make for high-engagement real estate social media posts, especially if they’re well-edited and paired with the right music. You can also post sneak peeks of listings.
On platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can do a mixture of video and image posts. You can also repurpose longer videos into shorter segments for Tiktok and Instagram reels.
Social Media Allows for Easy Targeting
Targeting the right audience is key to maximizing your marketing strategy and budget. Social media allows for easy targeting in two ways.
For an organic social media marketing strategy, you can look at the different demographics that favor each social platform. For instance, Facebook and Pinterest typically skew older, while platforms like TikTok have a younger demographic.
LinkedIn has more young and middle-aged professionals and could be ideal if your market is commercial real estate. It’s also a good platform for connecting with other agents and people in your space and establishing yourself as a thought leader and real estate expert.
Social media platforms also allow for detailed targeting when you’re running ads. If you utilize social media ads, you can be very specific with your ad targeting. This allows you to maximize your ad budget and get a better response because you’re able to target your ads to the right people.
Realtor Social Media Marketing Is Great for Maintaining Relationships and Triggering Referrals
Besides attracting fresh organic leads, social media is also great for maintaining a connection with existing clients and sparking off referrals.
Once a buyer or seller works with you, it won’t be all that long before you fade out of their lives. If you are connected on social media, however, they will continue to see your posts and remember the role you played in their transaction.
This can result in repeat business from them in the future. It can also keep you front of mind should someone they know need a real estate agent.
Do You Need a Social Media Marketing Agency for Realtors?
Social media is a powerful tool for building your brand, establishing trust, and generating new leads. However, it can take a lot of work to create a comprehensive social media marketing strategy.
Nailing down the finer points of effective social media marketing can also require a fair amount of trial, error, and research. If you’d like to execute a killer social media marketing strategy, the easiest way is to hire a social media marketing service.
If you pick an agency that knows their stuff, they’ll be able to map out in-depth campaign and work with you to refine your brand voice.
Do you want to leverage the knowledge of experts and conserve your time? Here at DesignLoud, we offer social media marketing consultation services. If you want to hand over the grunt work and capitalize on our expertise, you can also take advantage of our social media management service.
Contact us today to start using social media to its full potential for your real estate business.
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