Richard Du, AgorafyThere are many online tools that are free, if not low in cost that can greatly impact a real estate professionals’ marketing efforts and maximize exposure. Among the many platforms and strategies that are available, below is a list that can help any real estate professional looking to sell or rent their listing or simply increase their overall branding online.
10. Google Ads. Advertising in general can break the bank, but for very little time and money Google Ads allows users to control the amount they would like to spend in costs and target specific markets that are of interest. Many people aren’t aware of the possibilities there are with Google Ads, so it’s better to jump on it sooner and direct more people to you or your company.
9. Facebook Business Page. Work-life balance is a key skill to strive for when wanting to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Many professionals make the mistake of meshing personal and professionalism online which can be quite detrimental to your branding efforts. Although many people sell their personal lifestyles as a form of their professional branding to be able to relate to potential clients or business opportunities, compartmentalizing your lives will make both lives more holistic. Sharing photos of your grandchildren or messages of a political stance is not appropriate for your professional image and talking about every house that you are marketing to your friends and family will make you become the annoying Realtor that will eventually become ignored. The professional Facebook Business Page should exemplify the expert that you are in the business and a place to share industry related content.
8. Instagram. Pictures say a thousand words and there isn’t any quicker way to market yourself, your product or brand than through a free app on your phone. Hashtags, geotagging and sharing your posts on Facebook and Twitter increases your reach to potential clients. Posting photos of interesting related images on a consistent basis will make you perceived as more relevant and up to date.
7. Guest Blogging. Time consuming, but reputation building. Becoming an expert in any capacity of the industry is one of the key elements to being successful in any business. The opportunity to publish articles on industry leading websites or publications related to the real estate business will help one become an expert and build credibility amongst their peers.
6. LinkedIn. Amongst the various social media networking sites that are on trend, LinkedIn is a powerful tool that can help any professional if utilized properly. LinkedIn is a simple platform to reach out to individuals in the industry or get introduced through your existing network. It is recommended for all professionals to have a complete LinkedIn profile. When searching for individuals online, LinkedIn has a strong pull and you want to make sure that you are best represented especially when you have control over the info being exposed.
5. Twitter. In an information driven age, there is excessive noise that takes place online. The beauty of Twitter is that (and again if utilized properly) can be quite advantageous for any professional. There is no harm in sharing Facebook or Instagram posts onto Twitter, but you’re not maximizing the opportunity that Twitter has to offer by just doing just that. Twitter is a place to have conversations about anything and again, a way to exercise your voice as an expert in your field. In less than 140 characters the platform is for one to express personal opinion about a certain topic or idea with like-interested individuals not only personal friends. Information is concise and shared quickly so dive in, join in on conversations that are of interest, share information, become an expert and the go to person for your profession. Become your own news anchor for your professional life on Twitter. Regular activity and honest thoughts will increase your followers.
4. Video Marketing. Content, content, content. There are various forms of sharing content online. In an information bombarded era, video allows you to capture an audience in a more live approach. One of the many reasons why SnapChat has gained so much traction in a short period of time is that it allows you to share your current moment in a live short clip. You can show how beautiful a new building is in writing and photos, but doesn’t do real justice until you see it in motion. SnapChat for the real estate professional is still premature in my opinion to implement into real estate marketing efforts, but the concept of video marketing is essential in the now and the future when it comes to capturing the attention of your target audience. Photos of office space or a townhome help prospective buyers or tenants get an idea of what is on the market, but videos simplify the filtering of the listing opportunities more effectively.
3. Email Marketing. Common sense is not common for everyone and email is not dead, yet. There is a love-hate relationship when it comes to email marketing. The average person has an 8 second attention span so it can be a quick way to spam and annoy colleagues and target audiences, but it can also be quite valuable if done right with proper strategy. Email subscriptions exist because people are already interested in receiving specific information from subscribed individuals or companies, otherwise that is why there is an easy unsubscribe option. Capturing email addresses, growing the database, increasing the open rate and click rates are some of the goals of email marketing. It’s a way to reach massive amounts of inboxes at once and to differentiate yourself and your brand. In order to do so, survey the type of emails your colleagues are blasting and see where there are areas of improvement. For an example, does the subject line make you want to open the email? If you happen to open the email, does it give you anything that makes you want to click? Email marketing can be bland and take up space in inboxes, but it can also once again, make you an expert in the field in addition to it become a business lead or opportunity if the content is consistently creative and capturing.
2. Syndicating your listings. Get exposure for your listings on as many real estate search sites as possible. A service like RealPlus or Nestio seamlessly syncs your listings with your favorite listing service websites through a simple channel. The majority of the time this can be achieved without any additional effort beyond updating the information on your Company’s website. Syndicating your listings lets you leverage the search traffic and SEO power of sites like Zillow, Trulia, StreetEasy & Agorafy without very little heavy lifting.
1. Posting your listings on your personal website. It is the Me, Me, Me generation. If you already don’t own your own domain, you should stop reading here and purchase one right now. All New Yorkers should also purchase a .NYC domain as well. Professionals are constantly being searched online, so what better way to market yourself than through your own website where you have complete control over your online presence. Other traffic driven sites like Facebook and LinkedIn will have leverage in the search rankings, but with enough consistency on new content and proper SEO, your website can make it to the first page over time.
Agorafy is a real estate marketing website that allow users to search for all types of listings on a single platform. Whether you are a homeowner, renter, business owner, company owner, property owner or broker Agorafy has all the information and tools you need to find that perfect site at no cost. The easy to navigate site gives complete flexibility when customizing the user’s profile and listings.
Richard Du is the founder and CEO of Agorafy, New York, N.Y.
Sign up is quick, easy, & FREE.