5 Social Media Tips for Real Estate Agents

Hey, Real Estate Agent – What Can You Do?

The times have certainly changed. More and more businesses are being active on online social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. It is now considered the norm for real estate agents to be active on social media. But how do you make sure that your firm has an edge over the competition when it comes to this unique form of marketing? In this article, we explain some of the ways your agency can improve its social media presence.

1 – The 80-20 Rule

To have a truly customer-centric social media presence, stick to the 80-20 rule. This rule says that 20% of your output should be about your brand and 80% should not. In curating the 80%, think about your company’s philosophy. While 80% should not be directly promotional, you can still think about how your brand comes across here. Sharing events in the local community can also help, as it can give prospective homebuyers a glimpse into life in the neighborhoods in which you sell properties.

2 – Think about the Platforms That Your Customers Might Use

With so many social media platforms around, it can be hard to decide which to maintain a presence on. For example, LinkedIn may be useful if you’re looking to hire staff but it is unlikely to be a popular destination for those looking to buy a house. Instagram on the other hand, tends to be more visually-focused and because of this visual focus, it might be very useful to interact with potential home buyers, although not so much with the sellers.

3 – Use Live Video to Engage with Your Audience

It’s a well-known fact that videos appear higher up on Facebook feeds than other types of content, but did you know that content using the recently-added live video feature appears even higher? With many potential customers leading busy lives, they might not have time to go and see a house in person, but with a live stream, you could lead a virtual house tour. Not only that but the video can be made available to view afterward. In addition, you could answer questions on the property in the comments section.

4 – Be Attentive to Complaints

Social media has led to anyone being able to say anything about your business, which inevitably leads to some of your less-than-satisfied customer complaints being aired in the open. Fortunately, social media also provides the perfect recourse for these complaints. By reaching out to these customers, you have a chance to make amends and improve your reputation. Remember: your buyer might become a seller one day and reach out to you to point them in the right direction if you leave a good enough impression!

5 – Approach Customers Who Are Using Relevant Words or Hashtags

There’s another upside to all the venting that takes place on social media – you can use it to have meaningful and empathetic interactions with customers who are disgruntled with their current agent. If a customer laments that their agent is not being attentive to them, it’s your opportunity to show that your firm does care about the customer and will be attentive to them. Try finding these by looking at tweets directed at your competitors; if they go multiple days without a reply, then it’s only fair that your firm should be able to get in touch to help them out. Try and use language that is welcoming, but not pushy. A good tweet just lets the customer know that you’re there for them, rather than being too aggressive.

Treat potential customers as you’d like to be treated. Be attentive and supportive through this huge process which is to buy a home to call your own. You may not own a home yet, but one day you will be on the buyer side of things going through the home buying process yourself. So, wouldn’t you want to have a top-notch service offered to you? Plant a seed now and offer your top-notch service to your potential buyers so you can reap your fruits later on.