Digital marketing is a field that spans a variety of industries. From medical practices to services, restaurants to selling products online, all industries should consider various forms of online marketing. And one of the most competitive industries that internet marketing applies to is real estate.
Ask any real estate agent and they will tell you that the industry is as cut-throat as it gets. Due to the level of training required to obtain a real estate license in a particular state, it’s a relatively easy career to get into. This is why a lot of agents found real estate as a second career. Nonetheless, for anyone in the industry – new or experienced – everyone has to consider digital marketing strategies.
Here are five different ways you can incorporate internet marketing to your real estate business.
1. Build A Website with IDX Functionality
Most agents belong to a larger firm like Coldwell Banker, Century 21 or Lynne Koy Real Estate. In many cases, these firms have a website but individual agents get very little visibility. For this reason, it’s important to have a website of your own where you can control the listings that are shown. This type of website, known as an IDX integrated site, allows the website to host real estate listings from the local MLS. With this technology, real estate agents can show their preferred neighborhoods, showcase their own listings and provide information for people looking to sell their home.
2. Don’t Ignore Social Media
We all know how important social media is, but do you know how many people are talking about real estate through Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok? It’s imperative for agents to have a presence on these networks and to be part of the conversation. Post content as often as possible (without overwhelming users of these platforms) and always try to highlight your own listings. Even though you may think Facebook is reserved for stay-at-home moms, you would be surprised how many people start their home buying journey there. Likewise, video channels like Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube give agents a spot to visually showcase their listings. Best of all, these platforms are free to sign up and have a presence.
3. Hire An SEO Consultant
Search engine optimization, abbreviated in the marketing industry as SEO, is complex and a long-term game. If you’re a real estate agent who plans to be in the industry for the long haul, you’ll want to begin investing in real estate SEO as soon as possible. With SEO, things take time to build up and rank in Google search results. However, once you get yourself ranked in these results, you’ll seen the value repeats itself over and over again.
PRO TIP: Most real estate databases use the same information for every agent. Consider using your own unique property descriptions and bullet points to stand out in Google.
A Chicago luxury real estate agent once told us that he blogs 3-4 times per month to maintain his SEO presence. While it’s an important strategy, it’s also very clear that it takes time to develop and execute.
4. Hire a Professional Photographer
All too often we are shown real estate photos that look like they were taking on an iPhone. When you’re getting ready to market a new listing, be sure to hire a real photographer who can get a variety of shots of the property. Remember to advise the photographer to take photos inside and outside of the home, and think about taking nighttime photography.
If you have your own website (recommended above), be sure to use the photography on your site. This could further attract sellers who want to see the quality of your listings. Remember, you have to spend a little money to make money and photography is one of these areas.
5. Don’t Forget About Reviews
Once you have a successful transaction with a client (either buying or selling), you’ll want to collect a review from them. Reviews on Google, Facebook and even Yelp can go a long way in attracting new clientele for future transactions. You’ll need to ask your client to leave a review as soon as possible. If you wait too long to ask the client to leave a review about your service, chances are they will forget. Simply send an email or a text shortly after your client has closed on their property and remind them that reviews go a long way for you.
If you’re in the real estate industry, what other small business digital marketing tactics would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.
