Jumpstart your online marketing efforts in 2015

Technology is changing the way in which the real estate industry conducts business. And one of the fastest evolving fronts is the digital marketing of properties. Consequently, sellers, owners, buyers, investors, and consumers are demanding more from real estate firms when in comes to online marketing and digital information sharing. And recent studies are indicating that real estate professionals willing to harness and embrace available technology to advance client goals are best positioned to reap the rewards and expand business opportunities. The Internet has become central to the success of any real estate marketing campaign. This fact is largely due to consumer behavior and the vast amount of new technology becoming available to real estate practitioners. In the past, real estate marketing may have necessitated only basic approach. For instance, seller or owner's expectations may have been limited to a sign in the front yard of a home or window of a business, an ad in the local paper, and the listing of the space on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). However, this is no longer the case. The Internet, mobile phones with camera and video capabilities, drones, and wearable technology are revolutionizing the industry. Based on statistical findings, real estate professionals must take advantage of online marketing to meet client expectations and remain competitive in the marketplace. Generally speaking, owners and sellers rank marketing their property to active buyers and tenants as the primary expectation of their real estate agent. And today, property seekers are increasingly relying on the Internet to start, guide, and inform their search for a home or next business location. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): * 92% of homebuyers used the Internet as an information source; * 76% of Internet homebuyers drove by or viewed a home they saw online; and * 43% of buyers first found their home on the Internet. Similarly, a 2014 study of tenants and investors conducted by Google and Loopnet entitled Commercial Real Estate Consumer Online Behavior and Trends indicates that: * 80% agree that they rely on the Internet for their commercial real estate information needs now more than three years ago; * Over half of survey respondents (59%) begin their commercial real estate search with an online tool or marketplace. Another 25% indicated that they start their online search by using a search engine; * Over three quarters (78%) use online commercial real estate services or tools; * 6 in 10 respondents search for commercial properties using their mobile devices at least sometimes; * Over half the respondents (55%) reported that they perform their own online searches for commercial property, even when they are working with a broker; and * 62% of respondents believe the Internet is a useful tool for finding a broker. Therefore, now more than ever, real estate professionals need to have a plan and strategy for marketing their exclusive assignments, as well as their professional experience and business brand. Fortunately, real estate professionals have a myriad of online real estate marketing tools to consider and at their disposal. For instance, real estate pros have the ability to syndicate listings to portals, feature exclusives on their custom websites, broadcast details across multiple social media channels, engage prospects through email marketing, create web-based video tours and 3D floor plans, and much more. These are positive developments that are helping the real estate community better market properties, inform prospective buyers and tenants, and ultimately serve client interests to quickly and efficiently sell or lease available space. So what are some tips to jumpstart your digital real estate marketing strategy? * Create a Digital Marketing Plan - Formulate a digital marketing plan that you can share with prospective clients on phone calls and meetings. Take the time to think about a digital marketing strategy and outline the available channels you will use - both generally and specifically - to achieve your client's goals and effectively sell or lease their property. In formulating your plan, research what tools competitors are using, but also look for unique technology that may give you an edge and saving you time and money. * Maximize Your Online Channels - Create a robust, professional, and informative online presence. If you want your experience and listings to be seen, it is important to create professional and well-coordinated online profiles and business accounts to share your expertise, assignments and contact information. This can be your firm website, but also through social media accounts, and professional profiles on portals and platforms. For instance, completing online profiles with professional photos or business logos, description of your business, detailed background and accomplishments, and referencing your recent deals and current on-market listings can help inform sellers, landlords, buyers, and tenants to build trust and generate leads. In short, quality digital profiles will help elevate your online presence. * Generate Accurate, Tailored Media - Sellers, owners and property seekers are becoming more discerning in their online real estate marketing and search requirements. Premiums are placed on transparency, accurate information and high quality visuals of spaces, buildings and surrounding areas. Thus, taking the time to verify listing data, obtain high resolution photos, curate a video tour, prepare a designed listing flyer or 3D floor plans can set you and your client's property apart, while also adding immense value to your digital marketing campaign. For instance, at Agorafy, our users can feature their listing data and tailored media - photos, flyers, setups, floor plans, NDAs, and more - with each of their buildings and listings! And now, when you submit a residential, commercial or investment sale listing to Agorafy, you can also add your Video Tour or Video Walkthrough by simply including the video embedded code! * Buzz - Early on, use the Internet to create buzz for your new assignment by reaching active online property seekers. Consider creating a new property landing page on your website that includes high quality photos, video tours or 3D floor plans. Alternatively or in addition, create a listing on a portal or online real estate platform (like Agorafy). Promote the link(s) to your featured exclusive listing across social media, including resources like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and others. For instance, Facebook has "Just Listed" and "Coming Soon" ad campaigns for agents to take advantage of. Similarly, contact our team at [email protected] to talk about ways you can leverage our online platform and global, dedicated social media following! * More Buzz - Once your listing is online and live, announce it to the world. Engage your local real estate community through social media, email, digital and traditional print, as well as word-of-mouth. Share links to your digital listing pages. Again, at Agorafy, we empower our users with the ability to link directly to their company website listing page. That way, when our broad base of Agorafy property seekers find your listing, they can quickly and easily click through to your landing page to further maximize your potential for converting that lead! Not to mention, we feature your direct contact information on every exclusive listing! * Mobile Is Key - Google recently acknowledged that Google searches on mobile devices now outnumber those on personal computers in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Japan. Thus, having a mobile-friendly website or tapping in mobile-friendly tools is essential to ensuring that you are getting in front of today's mobile real estate audience while providing them an optimal user experience. Rest assured that Agorafy is completely "mobile-friendly" and gives real estate professionals sharp web and mobile-enabled options for displaying assignments and professional experience to reach more clients and interested parties anywhere, at anytime! Again, online marketing is imperative these days. The internet serves as a primary source connecting real estate professionals, clients, and consumers. Clients demand access to online real estate seekers, while consumers insist on meaningful listing and property details. Gone are the days where a real estate professional served as the sole gatekeeper of information. However, this trend should be embraced, as information serves as the basis for client questions and conversations, and allows real estate professionals the chance to exhibit our market understanding and expertise, as well as display our creativity in marketing properties in new and exciting ways. Moreover, transparency and more accurate information serves as a basis for better decision making, which can help reduce issues related to buyer's or seller's remorse. In all, the internet empowers real estate professionals with broad marketing reach, speeds information transfer among stakeholders, and facilitates connectivity to generate great results. Start building out your digital marketing campaign today and reach new heights! Richard Du is the founder and CEO of Agorafy, New York, N.Y.