Are you a realtor looking for new ways to market to potential customers? You may find our list of 5 real estate marketing ideas helpful for standing out among your competitors. Read on to learn more.
Invest in Your Website Before Focusing on Other Real Estate Marketing Ideas
Don’t overlook your website as you work on other aspects of your business. When people are looking for a service, including professional real estate help, they’re going to look online. You want your website to be ready to impress at first visit.
Your website should look neat and professional. It should be easy to navigate and contain the quality content that potential clients are looking for, including a brief explanation of who you are and your experience in the industry. Place great focus on how you present the photos of your current and past properties, as this area of your site is sure to receive the most traffic.
Want to give your site an extra boost? Include a blog with quality content that will appeal to your clients. Create posts about common industry questions and topics, like tips on buying your first home or how to apply for a pre-approved mortgage.
Make a Strong First Impression with Quality Photos
The first impression you make will often be presented by the photos you share of your properties. If a potential client sees blurry, grainy photos, they’re going to wonder about the quality of your work in general. You want your photos to represent you and your properties in the best way possible.
One option is to hire a professional real estate photographer. You can establish a relationship with this person and depend on them to take impressive, high-quality photos of your clients’ homes. Most realtors find that the hiring a professional photographer yields a valuable return on their investment.
Still, if you’d rather save some money, you can take your own photos and make them look professional. Invest in a good camera or learn to use your phone camera and the countless editing apps available. You can find tips and tutorials online and work on perfecting your photography practice.
Master the Art of Social Media
Social media has changed the marketing game for virtually all industries, including real estate. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reach a vast audience through various social media platforms. Create an account for your real estate business on Facebook and Instagram, and don’t be afraid to experiment with Twitter and Snapchat as well.
Post often, and make sure you’re sharing content that will attract your audience and encourage them to engage. Share photos of your newest listings, updates about successful sales, and news and advice that your audience may find valuable.
If you have some extra marketing budget, you may want to explore paid advertising on social media. Create target audiences based on location, demographics, or interests, and offer quality content to help drive awareness of your business and attract new clients.
Encourage engagement on your social media accounts by asking your followers to share their own thoughts and experiences. Be sure to respond to comments, especially questions from potential clients.
Ask for Referrals and Testimonials
People place a high value on recommendations from people they trust. In fact, 84% of respondents in a Nielsen survey said word-of-mouth advertising was most influential to them. Use your reputation and experience to grow your business by asking clients to refer you to their friends, family, and colleagues.
You may even want to start a referral rewards program. For example, if a past client refers someone who ends up doing business with you, they may receive a gift card to a home furnishings store or local restaurant. If you choose to do something like this, advertise it on your social media and website.
Another creative real estate marketing tactic is to use testimonials. Ask current clients to share brief summaries of their experiences working with you, and then use these testimonials in your marketing. You may even want to dedicate a specific page on your site for sharing these.
Testimonials can also be created as reviews if you have a business account on Facebook, Yelp, or Google+. Remember, you have a huge audience of potential clients who are online, and you want to have a presence wherever they may be browsing.
Consider Options for Marketing Automation
Once you begin to experiment with all the different types of marketing tactics that are available, you may find that you need to better organize and streamline your work. If you reach this point, it may be time to consider automating some of your marketing.
Start simple with something like email automation. Find a platform that works best for your needs and budget, and then set up automated sends for your emails. Create e-newsletters and announcements about new properties available and have them sent to the appropriate audiences on a regular schedule.
You may also want to streamline your social media marketing. Tools like Hoot-suite allow you to create posts and schedule them for automatic posting. You can do this at the beginning of each week or even each month, so you don’t have to worry about posting every day.