Real estate marketing today requires you and your business to have an online presence. Most consumers search online for homes long before contacting a real estate agent. They spend hours looking at pictures of homes, their layout, features, price, and location. An online presence is vital to a real estate professional’s marketing strategy.
Before we continue with the top three ways to market yourself as a real estate agent, we offer some advice on mobile-friendly marketing, and the importance of owning the copyright of images you use.
Mobile-friendly. Whatever your online presence, it must be mobile-friendly. Statistics show that more than 60% of organic search engine visits in the United States are made from mobile devices.
Image copyright. The person that takes the photos owns the copyright to them. If you use a professional photographer, have an upfront conversation with the photographer about copyrights.
Real estate marketing ideas for your website
If you want to know how to be successful in real estate, find out by creating a website. It gives credibility and is a marketing tool that works twenty-four hours, seven days a week. But it is better to have no website than a badly designed one. How can you create a quality website?
Design an inspiring homepage
The homepage of your website is the door to your business, and first impressions matter. The homepage layout should be well-designed and the image remarkable. A quality image on your homepage encourages potential clients to enter your website.
Create a user-friendly website layout
Nothing frustrates users more than struggling to find what they want on a website. Ensure your website is easy to navigate and visitors will have a good experience.
Design exciting listings
Your listings and property pages should have high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, virtual tours and easy access to Google Earth and Google Maps. Highlight facilities nearby that you feel buyers might be interested in, like parks, malls, or transport stops.
Real estate marketing ideas for social media
Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn are the most popular social media platforms for real estate marketing. When you create your accounts, try to use a consistent profile name on all of them. Complete all the available fields as it helps relevant users to find you. Ensure your avatar (your virtual image) is professional and use the same avatar consistently on all social media platforms.
All social media platforms have rules about the size of the images you use on their platform. Adapt your images to the required social media image sizes, as high-resolution images slow downloading time. You don’t have to compromise on image quality, use an application created for image compression.
To engage with your audience on social media, share something useful. In your real estate social media posts, place your listings, share niche or community news, provide concise real estate tips, and where possible, do live home tours and Q&A sessions.
Offline real estate marketing ideas
Agent marketing is still done offline through the traditional methods of radio, television, and print advertisements. Other offline marketing methods include:
- Business Cards
- Pamphlets and flyers
- Brochures
- Seasonal cards
- Exhibition stands
- Cold calling
- Word of mouth
- Branded swag.
All these marketing tools are still effective, but why not try something different. Give a local care package after closing. You want your client to remember your name and share it with friends, family, and acquaintances. So, give them a local care package that includes movie tickets, restaurant, or garden center gift cards. It is a great way to cross-promote.
Are you a new real estate agent? Your real estate license will only be renewed when you fulfill the requirements for real estate continuing education. The Institute of Real Estate Education offers all the continuing education (CE) courses you need, and they are mobile-friendly. Real estate marketing is a professional necessity. For more on CE courses, contact us today.