The real estate profession… what could be less online-oriented? Sure, you can look at pictures, but your customers have to see the house, walk around, feel the vibe of the place. How can social marketing tools help you? What does Facebook or Twitter have to do with selling a property?
A lot !
Every real estate professional knows that selling homes isn’t about buildings, it’s about people. And between advertising and networking, pros spend 50-75% of their time trying to reach and interact with them. Current clients, potential clients and former clients form the core of a real estate agent’s social network. Naturally, every active agent wants this network to grow.
But how?
Even at the most basic level, a site like Facebook allows you to reach, contact and interact with many more people than you could ever see face to face. It just has a wider range than your phone. Something as simple as creating a Facebook page instantly puts you in the pool where you can swim with lots of others.
Build your web presence and create an online community through Twitter and Facebook pages for your business. So reach out. Explain what you do and do it in a way that shows your Facebook Page fans how you can help them. It’s not about you, it’s about your customers.
Hit this theme a dozen ways. Create a survey to find out their biggest gripes when buying a home. Post relevant news, submit photos, use the discussion forum to generate buzz. Let everyone know about upcoming events.
Nothing wrong with self-promotion, however, done the right way. Tell fans on your Facebook page how you just closed a deal and made a young newlywed couple excited to own their first home. Talk about your city, how it has unique characteristics. If he made a list of the best places to live, even better. Tell everyone!
Social marketing ideas to promote your real estate business now – take it to the next level with Twitter. Twitter is much more about real-time interaction.
You are in the middle of an exciting case. A family has just moved to your area and you introduce them to some of the unusual properties that are newly on the market at historically low prices. Tweet your enthusiasm to everyone. Passion begets passion.
Invite all of your online friends to visit at the earliest opportunity. Give free advice on how to find a good carpenter, gardener or plumber. List of open house information. Let everyone know about local market trends. Today, everyone is interested in the impact of the economy on real estate and vice versa. Be the go-to guru on Twitter for this information.
Real estate professionals can keep in touch with their current client list, and significantly expand it, by taking advantage of the latest social media tools. Real life, meet virtual reality. See how one improves the other.
Facebook and Twitter pages are where you can –
- Build a community around your business and gain visibility
- Share valuable content on DIY resources and ideas. What’s new in the field of “green housing”? What are the biggest advantages of using a real estate agent rather than doing it all yourself.
- Update fans on what’s happening in the real estate industry. Are house prices rising? Down? Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. Tell them how they can best approach finding a home in today’s market. How can they better stretch their dollar? Don’t forget sellers – let them know the top 10 things they can do to increase their chances of selling their home in today’s market. Or what they can expect when they first put their home on the market.
- Ask fans for reviews and feedback on their house hunting experiences. What were the biggest obstacles and how did they overcome them? Could they list the best resources they used for their home improvement projects?
- Create contests and special offers
- Be a little crazy and creative – relax and have a little fun
- Advertise your upcoming events, such as open houses, etc.
- Upload your videos and photos of the houses you are selling. Encourage your Facebook fans to upload “Before and After” renovation photos and videos.
- Advertise your new products/services
- What’s happening in and around your city? Encourage people to move to your city. Think about the different ways you can do this. Find out what different neighborhoods do for fun and excitement. Why not share them with your social network visitors?
- What about other related topics that interest your audience? Could you provide them with information on: interior decorating tips, green home project ideas, flooring options, DIY resources, return on investment for typical renovation projects, how to recycle their old ones materials from renovation projects – indoors and outdoors in the garden. The list goes on and on when it comes to home and garden topics.
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