In the modern-day fiercely competitive online marketplace, there is undoubtedly no shortage of prospective ways to market real estate. However, similar to other online marketing disciplines, it is now more than ever proving to be more challenging to get in front of the appropriate customers. As realtors discover the steep uphill battle the need to climb, they turn to the experts to help them in this highly convoluted and complex field of marketing. And the truth is that unless you are a realtor with a huge online platform, getting in front of the appropriate audience could take time. We have prepared the best marketing practices for realtors to embrace.
Focus on these practices, and you will reap success in online mediums like social media, search engine optimization, video, and blogging. Ignore these practices, and you will find yourself floundering in vast competition, unable to attract the appropriate clients.
1. Build a Professional Website
Those who have mastered the art of online marketing are well aware of the importance of having a professional website. However, the idea of marketing for realtors is not entirely new. All the same, there is a huge difference between a professional website and a regular website. For realtors who are looking to move properties, this is evidently more crucial now than ever.
When building a website for your real estate business, you need to focus on functionality and aesthetics. You need to make sure you address aspects such as ease of navigation, the overall speed of your website, the sharpness of the photos, quality of the content posted, and many others. You should not bombard your visitors with many ads all over your website. Besides, you want to ensure that your website is a haven customers want to visit again looking for fresh content as well as properties.
2. Use Good Quality Photographs
Even the untrained eye can easily tell the difference between a quality, professional photograph and snap that was hurriedly taken. If a client is looking for a new house and the pictures they see are blurry, grainy or at awkward angles, the chances are that their impression of the house will not be as positive as it would have been with a high-quality photograph. From 2018 moving forward, there is literally no good excuse for having poor-quality images in your marketing collateral or listings. And the good news is that you probably don’t have to spend a fortune hiring a professional photographer. Most of the modern-day smartphones come with excellent cameras as well as editing apps we can utilize for the best photographs.
Therefore, before posting your next listing of homes, be sure to take time to take quality images. You can use natural light and try multiple angles for the perfect shot. Besides, there are numerous tips online to learn how you can take the best shots. Your potential buyers will notice this and will probably appreciate it by making a purchase.
3. Actively Post On Social Media
When it comes to effective marketing, nothing lets you reach your clients than aggressive marketing. And while a realtor will not have the time to walk from one neighborhood to the other, their social media presence should be felt, and this can be easily achieved by actively posting on social media.
Almost everyone now uses social media to share different updates about their lives and a realtor should use social media channels to grow and nurture their business. A good marketing practice for realtors is meeting their prospects and clients wherever they are; that is online. One mistake that many realtors make with social media is posting home listings alone. This offers no value to any individual who is not currently in the market to purchase a new home. You will need to share value-adding content on your social media channels. This way, your network will engage with you as they share their thoughts in the comments sections. And as we all know, feedback is essential because it can help you alter your marketing practices to suit your current audience.
4. Create Content That Offers True Value
As a realtor, your main focus is on the clients who are on the market to purchase or sell a home. However, have you taken time to think about the period between these transactions? For clients who are not actively looking to buy or sell, seeing you post a listing after the other is not helpful or relevant. You need to create, share, and send content that contains valuable information to clients, whether they are looking to make a purchase or sale or are just hovering around for crucial information. Having shareable content on your website increases a realtor’s exposure to prospective clients. This way, you will stay at the top of their minds so that they will always remember you when they are ready to make their move.
5. Follow Up With Your Clients
Our marketing practices for realtors would’t be complete without this. For a realtor, it is always vital that you remain in touch with clients you have transacted with before. For many individuals, purchasing or selling a home does not happen quite often in their lives, but when there is a need for it you should be the realtor, they get in touch with. And if you are not already following up on your previous clients, it is high time you started sending newsletters. The newsletters you send to your clients should contain valuable information that helps rather than sells. By offering relevant content and reaching out on a regular basis, your past clients will easily remember you when they need help in the real estate field.
An easy way that will not cost you anything is calling back your clients to thank them, for doing business with you. You could do this if it has been just a few days since they moved in. And if you want a more personal touch, you could send a holiday card to connect in a manner that is not related to your business relationship.
Although real estate marketing is sophisticated, the practices presented above are an excellent way to build a strong marketing program for realtors and achieve tremendous success in the industry.
