In the digital marketing era, realtors now have the luxury to spread the word about their brand to millions of people on an everyday basis.
If you’re struggling to gain leads or market yourself effectively, it could be from a lack of social media exposure.
There are a lot of benefits to using social media for a real estate business that every realtor should be aware of, but it takes more than creating an account and letting your page sit dormant (other than the occasional random post here and there).
Curious on how social media can accelerate your real estate career, or better yet, how to get started with a real estate social media strategy?
In this guide, we’re looking at the best social media platforms every realtor should use and the best tips for creating a strong, memorable brand online.
The Benefits of Social Media for Realtors
Because of the power these channels have to leverage your earnings, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be investing in a social media marketing strategy.
But if you need a little more convincing, here are 4 benefits social media provides realtors that all contribute to building a lasting brand.
Increased Brand Awareness
The hunt for houses has moved online, which means your brand should move online too.
Social media allows you to establish a strong presence on all the channels you use so you can share your listing, success from previous clients, and your industry knowledge.
We’re going to assume there’s several realtors in your area so you have to give homeowners a reason to choose you over the rest when it comes time to buy or sell a home.
By creating avenues for prospects to interact with your brand, you’ll constantly keep yourself at the forefront of their mind so they know who to turn to when they need a realtor.
Enhanced Lead Generation
With each platform having millions, even billions of viewers, the lead generation potential from social media is unmatched.
Now it’s easy to connect with prospects in your area by posting content relating to their needs and also pushing out your posts to reach those in your area.
You also have the ability to engage with your audience much easier through the form of direct messaging or comments.
Cost-Effective Marketing
One of the best parts of using social media for marketing is that it’s (almost) free!
For the most part, there are no costs associated with signing up for social media channels and posting content. The only time you have to pay for advertising is when you decide to experiment with paid or sponsored ads.
This strategy can be tremendously cost-effective unlike traditional print advertising. And, not to mention, a lot more fun!
More Website Traffic
Because of the ease in integrating your content on each social media channel, it’s now easier than ever to boost your website traffic.
Sharing links to educational blogs you just wrote or new property listings is a great way to get prospects on your website that in turn, increases your search engine ranking which also leads to conversions.
Best Social Media Platforms for Realtors
Now that you know the benefits social media brings to your real estate brand, let’s look at the top platforms you should be on as a realtor and how to use them to boost your business.
Facebook is arguably one of the best social media channels for realtors and real estate firms. Facebook is home to 3+ billion users that are constantly browsing the home feed that consists of advertisements from business pages like yours.
On top of its massive users, the channel offer a range of business for your business and marketing efforts, like:
- Local reach: You’re able to connect with homeowners in your area who can benefit from your services.
- Paid ads: Facebook allows you to create paid ads that targets your ideal client (we mentioned that the platform’s users are in the billions, right?).
- Showcase properties: With the platform’s visuals, you’re able to post pictures and videos of properties you’re listing or testimonials from happy clients.
Right behind Facebook as the best social media channels for realtors is Instagram for all the same reasons.
The biggest difference between Facebook and Instagram is that Instagram is more visually-oriented, which is crucial for any real estate business.
The platform gives you all the tools you need to market and grow a real estate brand from videos, pictures, and brand building you need to increase engagement.
YouTube
With its long-form video capabilities, YouTube is a must for your real estate brand. Video content is top performing and this platform can be used for a variety of business marketing purposes, like:
- Listing walkthroughs: Representing a must-see property? Film a complete walkthrough of the property showcasing your listing in all its glory for potential buyers to see.
- Home buying or selling advice: Answer the most common questions your followers ask or give them practical advice for buying and selling a home in a tell-all video.
- Realtor introductions: Regularly reintroduce yourself to new followers and subscribers by posting a fun video that allows potential clients to get to know you.
- Market insights: Since the market is constantly changing, the common homeowner likely cannot keep up or understand the market like you, the pro, can. With that said, post videos explaining exciting marketing insights that prompts homeowners to buy or sell… with you!
- Real estate vlog: “Get ready with me” realtor style. Show subscribers what a day in the life of a realtor is like. Not only all content has to be educational or ‘stale’ to market yourself and earn business. Relatable vlog-like content converts just as well in today’s marketing world.
- Testimonials: Having a really positive customer experience? Ask your client if they’d be willing to testify on camera how pleasant their experience working with you was so prospective clients can see.
- Neighborhood spotlights: Similar to listing walkthroughs, film a video of a sweet neighborhood in your service area that should be intriguing to potential customers.
TikTok
TikTok functions like YouTube, but with shorter videos. TikTok has increased their video length to 30 minutes, but the algorithms have found the app’s famous shorter videos to be the best performing.
While you can use TikTok for the same content as YouTube, humorous videos tend to perform a lot better. Just don’t forget to add the essentials to your posts like a quirky caption, real estate-focused hashtags, and trending sounds.
Though LinkedIn is more of a professional platform, it’s still a valuable social media channel for realtors solely for the networking purposes and credibility it lends your brand.
LinkedIn allows you to connect with other realtors and professionals in the industry that you can learn from for possible business opportunities, plus share content relating to real estate insights.
You could also take advantage of the job posting tool to find new employees for your firm if you find yourself in a position where you need to hire more workers.
X (formerly Twitter)
Twitter, now known as X, is still alive and well and a great place for realtors to market their services.
Though the posts only allow you 280 characters, you can share brief information on listings, insights, or more for followers to see and interact with.
Plus, you can post content that links to other platforms so you integrate other channels for maximum exposure and engagement.
How to Use Social Media for Your Real Estate Brand
We’ve gone over the benefits of social media for real estate brands plus the best platforms realtors should be on, but lastly, let’s look at how to use these channels to build your business.
Here are 8 ways to use social media for your real estate brand.
Determine Your Audience
The goal of social media isn’t to be another account on each platform, but to create tailored content.
How do you do that in a way that acts as a lead generation or converting measure?
By knowing who you’re targeting first.
The type of content you make for a retired 65 year old is not going to be the same you’d make for a 27 year old first-time home buyer.
First, the situations are polar opposites and so are the age gaps.
The 27-year-old is going to look for and respond to videos, pictures, personality, and captions that speak to them (their age and situation) versus how the 65 year old would respond.
So, before you start filling your page with glamorous snapshots of your listing, take a moment to consider who your business primarily targets or who your potential customers are by creating an ideal client profile.
This will give you the insights you need as to how your clientele thinks so you create content that’s more effective (and hopefully) has a higher conversion rate.
Educate Your Followers
Some social media tips work for all kinds of customers, like this one (yes, we know how contradictory it sounds).
Because real estate is a complex industry with market changes occurring every day, clients are not usually up to speed on all the latest happenings or generally feel that they know little about the local market, which makes them hesitant to buy or sell.
One of the best ways to use your social media channels is to educate your followers – but, going back to our first point – in a way that resonates with your target audience.
For instance, if you know of a luxurious retirement community with freshly built houses looking for occupants, you can post a video or photos of the community and update them on all its amenities.
The same works for younger clients.
If your clientele is first-time home buyers, young adults, or middle aged families, teach them about the best tips for buying their first home, how interest rates work (or if they’ve just been lowered), or the best ways to sell a home quickly.
Showcase Photos
As we mentioned earlier, real estate is a visual-heavy field. After all, clients interested in a property have to see a home in person prior to making an offer.
No real estate social media channel is complete (or effective) without the mix of photos here and there.
But, the photos don’t have to be listings only (though that’s the main attraction).
Here are some other ideas for photos to post on your social media channels that boost your credibility as a realtor and shed some light on local market happenings for prospects:
- Open houses: Share photos from a successful open house you just had.
- Home renovations: Listing a property that’s had a major glow up? If you have before photos, share those along with the after ones taken when the property was fully renovated.
- Professional development: Show clients that you mean business (literally) but posting lifestyle content of you at a seminar or professional development happening.
- Local amenities: Showcase parks, unique restaurants, or gorgeous neighborhoods that happen to be in the area of your listing for prospects to see an inside view of the local environment.
- Testimonials: Show prospects that you aim to please by posting photos of testimonial graphics or previous happy clients.
Share Walkthroughs
Similar to photos, walkthrough videos are content forms that perform well since it gives clients a taste of homes you’re representing.
Plus, people are bound to watch videos of homes regardless of where they’re all in the home buying process.
If the video is shot well, features a crisp picture, and shows a beautiful home, your views will skyrocket and likely land you more followers.
Respond to Engagement
Once you start to post regularly, followers are bound to ask questions or leave comments on your videos and pictures or in your DMs.
Make sure you take time daily to respond to this engagement so that you not only interact with prospects, but create a positive environment surrounding your brand.
This, alone, can take you a long way in your business since positivity boosts your credibility and makes prospects more willing to work with you.
Weave In Other Content
One of the best features of social media channels is that it’s easy to weave your platforms together. Meaning, did you just share a sweet video of a home on your Instagram? Inform those who follow you on LinkedIn or X while also providing a link for them to access the video.
Did you just write a super informative blog on the 11 things homeowners must do before listing a home? Tell your followers on Facebook or TikTok while providing a link there as well.
Always remember to put the links to your website or content form in the bio section of all your profiles.
Once your following begins to increase, prospects will like to have easy access to the best content method, which your website provides.
Hook Your Viewers
You can have an account on all the social media platforms that exist but without engaging content, your accounts will do you little to no good.
After the profile is set up, you must consciously post content that hooks your readers.
What does this mean?
Finding ways that make your videos interesting or grab the attention of your viewers quickly so they stick around to watch the entire video (or engage with a photo), plus hit the follow button to interact with future posts.
Write captions or film videos that intrigue your viewers by either asking a question, follow the “what if” method, or address a pain point.
Stay Consistent
The key to building a relevant real estate brand with the help of social media is by consistently posting.
The good news with social media is that it’s okay to post more than once per day, but it might take a few experimental tests to see how your viewers respond to multiple posts.
Posting consistently keeps your brand fresh in the minds of viewers by always reminding them you’re available for real estate services.
Here’s a general rule of thumb to follow for how often to post on each platform (but remember to experiment on your own to see what works for your account):
- Facebook: 1-2 posts per day
- Instagram: 1-2 posts per day, or 3-5 posts a week
- YouTube: 1-3 posts a week
- TikTok: 1-4 posts per day or 3-5 posts a week
- LinkedIn: 1-2 posts per day or 3-5 posts a week
- X (Twitter): 2-5 posts per day
Of course, at the end of the day, the main focus of concern is the quality of your content versus the quantity.
Quality posts will get better engagement than batch content with no substance since you’re not addressing clients’ needs.
Also, don’t forget to utilize other aspects of your social media accounts like the stories feature to share quick updates or build interaction.
Social media for realtors is supposed to be fun and experimental, so have fun with your digital marketing channels while remaining professional as you work to build your brand.
