It’s difficult to bring arguments against social media use for real estate agents. We won’t even try to do that because the importance of social media presence in the real estate world can not be overstated.
But you don’t have to take our word for it.
A quick go over the recent study conducted by the National Association of Realtors, will show you how social media became an integral part of the real estate agents’ revenue production. From scoring new clients to closing deals faster, social media is taking the industry by storm. Just look at the numbers below for a more detailed and factual analysis:
- When it comes to social media, 77% of real estate agents use it in their business;
- When it comes to quality leads, 47% swear by their social media results;
- When it comes to target demographics, 99% of millennials and 90 % of baby boomers start their real estate search online.
In other words, social media can be a gold mine for any real estate agent or business owner that wants to keep up with the changing times. But even a gold mine can turn out barren if you don’t apply any strategy to your dig site. Figuring out how to organize it may not be as easy as your usual social media posts, but it’s not rocket science. The best thing about it is that this is something you can hire a professional to handle for you.
Social Media as Real Estate Marketing Tools
The schedule of real estate professionals can be hectic, especially if their business is going great. Busy schedules means an occupied schedule and real estate agents usually occupy much of their time with prospective clients and listings.
However, aside from the fact that these marketing tools can be delegated to someone else, using social media platforms for their marketing strategy can bring more revenue when done correctly. Real estate agents need to understand what social media platforms are worth the time and focus.
According to the same study conducted by the NAR, Facebook is used by 97% of realtors for marketing purposes. LinkedIn comes in second with 59% real estate professionals using it, while Instagram captured the interest of 39% of the realtors on the US market.
Facebook for Real Estate Agents
Based on the numbers above, Facebook is a no-brainer. This social media platform maintains its position as the staple of marketing for realtors. The main reason for this is the fact that the platform’s user demographic and the real estate agents’ target audience is that same when it comes to age and income. Aside from that, the platform itself has several built in features that are perfect for real estate businesses. Through Facebook, real estate agents can provide updates and content related to listings they have available. Booking appointments and communicating with customers is easy through the platform's chat and event features. As an added bonus, real estate agents can curate reviews on their own time.
The features mentioned above are available for any business user. However, Facebook ads come as an extra marketing strategy within the app, allowing real estate agents to target their audience. The app users who showed interest in buying or selling properties in a particular area will get ads targeted to their needs based on the platform's algorithm.
LinkedIn for Real Estate Agents
While LinkedIn may not be the best platform to find new clients, this B2B network provides one of the best places to network for real estate agents. Whether in search for real estate agents to collaborate with, provide or receive mentorship or simply showing their experiences. LinkedIn provides a place where real estate agents can grow their community, learn from the experience of others and share opportunities amongst themselves.
While real estate agents might not spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, this platform that includes a digital resume for individual realtors, is a great place to go back-and-forth with fellow agents and grow their online presence. Through the activity on LinkedIn real estate agents can make a name for themselves within their community simply by sharing their experience and connecting with fellow real estate agents.
Instagram for Real Estate Agents
The percentages specified above might lead one to believe that Instagram is not the best platform for real estate agents. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. This platform learned a lesson or two from its big brother Facebook and it’s catching up fast on the real estate business coverage right now. As a platform that became popular due to its photo sharing functionality, stylish properties and great staging techniques are right at home on Instagram. After all, isn’t that what social media influencers are all about?
The luxury and boutique real estate businesses are turning towards Instagram as users are growing more interested in those catalog interior design styles. The days of browsing through actual, physical catalogs are gone and here are the days of Instagram scrolling. The instagram story features even gives real estate agents the opportunity to share quick, easy and personalized property content on a daily basis.
What Real Estate Content to Share on Social Media?
While there are many social media options real estate agents can use, prioritizing the ones that actually work is important. Now that we understand why we shouldn’t waste time and energy on those that don’t, let’s see what to actually post on the ones that do.
While bragging about what you do on social media may not be the best course of action for other industries, social media doesn’t work for real estate agents if they are shy. Show off your portfolio because great property pictures will gather a lot of interest for your business. Here’s what works best for real estate agents who use social media to promote their brand.
- High-quality property pictures - hire a professional photographer or use the features available on these social media platforms for your benefit. Premium Instagram filters or 360° photos on Facebook will make your visual posts gather more likes, shares and closed deals.
- Client testimonials - highlighting success stories is a great benefit of social media platforms as they provide proof of satisfied customers. The story features on both Instagram and Facebook are great tools for this and free of charge to use for you.
- Business milestones - any awards, certifications or accolades shared on social media will highlight your business’ success and trustworthiness. These accomplishments can win you more clients in a highly competitive and saturated market by helping you stand out.
- News - the general public doesn’t usually focus on real estate news, but any helpful content or advice can keep your clients updated on changes that might impact their real estate decisions. From a potential crash or boom in the market, to changes in the areas management will affect them, but they might not have access to this information otherwise.
- New properties and listings - this is a no-brainer, but actually posting information and updates regarding listings is the main thing real estate agents should do. How else are they going to gather interest for a new listing if nobody finds out about it?
- Tips and tricks - a great way to keep followers on real estate social media pages is by providing renovation tips, maintenance tricks and any other educational advice that applies to household management through blog posts.
- Events - sharing events like open houses that are targeted at potential clients is a great way to encourage participation. Emails and texts work too but can be seen as pushy. However, creating a Facebook event that followers get through social media is a great way to place the ball in their court. Instagram posts with details of the event also work.
Conclusion
Living in the age of social media has transformed our life from top to bottom. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, as well as the much newer alternatives (TikTok) can be used by anyone with an opinion and the desire to share it. Real estate agents can use these platforms to grow their business and they should. Despite the bad rep some of these platforms have, an average user’s impact is minimal in the grand scheme of things but incredible for the individual.
Likes, shares and comments are a new type of currency and it doesn’t cost anything to engage with a post. So like, share and comment your business away, get your followers to engage, provoke them for a response and your profile, portfolio, clientele and revenue will grow. Be consistent and respectful as you do this as kindness and dependability are also free to give.
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