In most cases, leveraging social media marketing is one of the best decisions that a real estate agent can make for their career and brand. There are several ways that social media can act to make their business grow. In this article, we are going to examine how you can use these platforms to increase your visibility, market yourself and your brand, grow your network, and generate leads.
Instagram is a no-brainer for real estate agents. It’s a visually focused social media platform with a plethora of Gen X & Gen Z for you to market towards. Instagram provides an opportunity for you to showcase properties through photos, images, and videos. As well as feature listings, announce open houses, and showcase carousels of images from past or present listings, open houses, and more.
Facebook is the world’s most popular social media platform. A benefit of marketing on such a big platform is that when using a business account you can leverage the social media giant’s vaunted data collection engine. This allows you to advertise and post to attract your target audience using interest-based metrics. Another feature that some may find useful is Facebook Live. It is a great way to invite your followers to a virtual open house. You can host a live stream of the open house without requiring in-person attendance from potential buyers.
TikTok
As the newest and fastest-growing platform on this list, TikTok allows users a way to post funny, short videos to share with followers and other users. The audience of TikTok is younger than that of the other more established platforms, so keep that in mind when making content here. A few ideas to consider include; making a short video about office culture, what it’s like to be a real estate agent, and how to network as a new agent.
Now for the underdog of the social media platforms. Pinterest provides a unique opportunity for real estate agents to expand their audience and client base. Posts on Pinterest can gain traction very fast when users on the platform “pin” and share your content. You can take advantage of this by pinning photos of beautiful homes that you have listed, videos of tours, or even showcasing interior design and home styles for people to “pin” as inspiration. Use proper keywords and phrases so that your followers can see everything related to a specific term. One example is the category “Ranch Homes” or “Victorian Homes” and similar concepts.
LinkedIn is the go-to place when you want to connect with other real estate professionals. The potential in LinkedIn for agents lies in the powerful networking opportunity. Consider creating or joining a group of real estate pros that are like-minded or operate in the same state. Engage with other agents to discuss the current market and trends, learn how to land more commissions, or how to work smarter and not harder. Using the proper strategies, LinkedIn can allow you to build a priceless network and a strong clientele.
Best Practices
Follow these simple tips & best practices to elevate your social media marketing game. Keep in mind that it may take time to build a following and establish yourself, so the sooner you start on these, the better.
- Be genuine. No one likes someone who is overly salesy on social media. Be honest, authentic, and genuine to attract your followers.
- Promote the neighborhood. As you’re driving to an open house, have a Facebook Live video that shows how quickly it takes to get from the closest school to the home for sale. Don’t make each social media post about the house for sale. Make it about solving a problem for your target audience.
- Engage with followers. Respond to posts, chat with them live, field questions from them, and answer them as soon as you can.
- Educate your audience. It’s not always about selling your listings. That’s what your MLS listings are for on your website. Talk to your audience about how to get your home ready for a sale, passing inspection, documents needed for a mortgage application, and helping your audience purchase a home.
Takeaway
Social media in this age is essential for many professions, especially real estate agents. Remember, It’s a jog, not a sprint when it comes to social media marketing. If you can successfully establish yourself on any of the social media platforms listed, you will be en route to success online! However, ensure that you are using the best practices for each, as salesy and deceitful tactics will not provide you long term results.
Interested in expanding your knowledge and continuing your learning? Consider taking continuing education courses through us at the Indiana Real Estate Institute. We’re proud to be one of the #1 choices for students across Indiana.
Brian is a highly acclaimed speaker, broker, instructor, appraiser, and construction expert with over 25 years of experience. Brian received his bachelor’s degree in finance & real estate from Indiana University and is currently attending IU McKinney Law. GO Hoosiers! After his disappointing attempt at being the next ultimate Jedi Master in the latest Star Wars movie, he found his force talents were much better served as a real estate instructor and speaker.
His vast knowledge and background has taken him all over to teach many topics regarding real estate agency, brokerage, business operations, contracts, appraisal, and investing. He hosts multiple podcasts on real estate education, as well. He is all about helping agents learn what they didn’t know they needed to know.
When he isn’t yacking his head off in front of an audience or helping his talented agents achieve real estate glory, he TRIES to keep his wife happy and occasionally makes his kids laugh.
