Having quality properties for sale isn't enough to ensure your real estate company is attracting clients and closing deals. Therefore, building solid real estate marketing strategies is crucial for success in any market, which is why every real estate business should know about these approaches to putting your company’s name in front of the people that matter.
Online Marketing Strategies
In this digital age, the absolute best way to bolster your real estate business is by making sure that you have a high-quality and up-to-date website. Pretty much every potential home buyer will use the internet to search for homes and explore new places to live, so the importance of maintaining an online presence cannot be overstated.
There are several platforms you can use to host your site such as Wordpress, Wix, and Squarespace. Each site has different price plans and features, so do your research to find out which option is best for your real estate business. These sites are generally user friendly and make it easy to get up and running, but you should consider hiring a professional web developer if you want an eye-catching real estate website.
Have a Blog
Having a website that gives clients a place to explore your real estate solutions is a must, but it’s also a good idea to host a blog on your site since this will attract more eyes while keeping you relevant. One of the most important things to consider when starting a blog is that writing posts on a regular basis will ensure traffic is being driven to your site. Try to post at least once per week.
There are many things that you can post on your real estate blog.
If you’re not super confident in your writing abilities, consider hiring a freelance writer to produce content for your real estate blog. Either way, it’s a good idea to research SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategies so you can make sure you're producing content that will drive traffic to your site.
Develop Email marketing strategies
Your website should have an email collection feature that prompts users to provide their email address. Collecting email addresses at every opportunity is a good way to ensure you’re building a list of contacts, which is obviously crucial for effective networking in the digital age.
But what can you do with all those email addresses? One of the best options is sending out a monthly newsletter that highlights features of your real estate business. The newsletter can contain content that calls attention to - it can discuss community involvement activities, new businesses that opened recently, new blog content, and it can display satisfied home buyer testimonials.
Be Active On Social Media
Having a good real estate website and blog is a great start when promoting your company, but don’t neglect the importance of building and maintaining a solid social media presence. To start, make sure your real estate business has Facebook, Instagram, and more recently Tik Tok pages that not only show off your properties and company values, but also sells a lifestyle that will appeal to your target demographic.
Besides posting rich and engaging content regularly, also consider paying for advertising features that will put your accounts in front of people that will get the most out of seeing them. Also understand how social media algorithms work; make sure that you know how to properly use hashtags to make sure that you’re being savvy with the way you build your social media presence.
Also consider starting a Pinterest board for your company since visual aids are not only useful, but this platform can also drive traffic to your business and website. There is also the option of creating a Zillow profile since this is one of the premiere online real estate sites that homebuyers look at.
It’s also important to use YouTube as a platform for promoting your real estate company. Make and post videos about homes you have for sale, neighborhood and community features, and anything about your company that might make homebuyers trust and like you. Make sure that you share your videos on social media. It’s also important to make sure that you promote these videos to particular audiences; use social media advertising features to target specific demographics for the best results.
Building a solid social media presence can take some time which is why it’s a good idea to develop social media campaigns. These campaigns are coordinated marketing efforts that focus on specific aspects of your business strategy. Consider running campaigns that highlight local features including:
- Businesses
- Restaurants
- Nightlife
- Educational institutions
- Health resources
Try Virtual Staging
The internet gives real estate agents revolutionary ways to connect with homebuyers to provide services that would otherwise require travel and inconvenience. One of these methods is virtual staging. Do some research since there are several sites and software options that provide this service, but virtual staging essentially gives home buyers the opportunity to tour a house online by allowing them to view interactive photos and videos that you’ve uploaded.
Produce Visual Aids
Making sure that potential homebuyers are able to see as much as possible will go a long way in helping you build your online presence and reputation. Consider investing in drone photography since aerial images can leave great impressions on potential clients. Hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of the community and homes that you have for sale can also lead to sales, but keep in mind that you can always produce your own photos and videos with a cell phone–just make sure that they’re of good quality.
Send Texts
Don’t be shy about reaching out to contacts that have provided you with their cell phone numbers. Short texts that tell clients useful information can help them make a decision about not only which home or neighborhood to choose, but also which real estate company is their best option (which is your’s, of course).
Texts can highlight and celebrate local events and holidays and there should be a goal of making them engaging, which can entail sending entertaining and humorous content. Just make sure the texts are short and sweet, and don’t send too many too often.
Local Marketing Strategies
Online marketing is crucial for success in the digital age, but it shouldn't obscure the fact that old school marketing strategies are still very useful for the success of your real estate business. Just like online marketing, local marketing strategies require different approaches that use creative insight to focus on your target customer demographic.
Get Involved In The Community
Establishing yourself and your company with community leadership goes a long way in building trust and rapport within your area of operations. One way to do this is by seeking out volunteer opportunities to establish yourself as someone that wants to make the place where you work a better place to live. You can set a goal of volunteer hours donated per year by your business and employees, and don’t be shy about letting everyone know this amount.
It’s also useful to look for opportunities to sponsor local events that will not only put your name in front of prospective clients, but that can also set yourself apart as a community leader. Whether it’s sponsoring school events, local charities, and/or fundraisers for good causes, always be open to budgeting some funds that will make the neighborhood a better place to live, work, and learn.
You can also host and support local events by partnering with local businesses to establish communal bonds. Does your real estate area of operations have festivals that you can help sponsor? If so, be sure to get in touch with the organizing body and discuss ways that your sponsorship can put your business name in front of potential clients.
You can also contact local businesses and partner with them to host events that will ensure mutual marketing exposure. Something to remember with all marketing strategies is that it’s important to target specific audiences that fit your homebuyer demographic, so make sure you do plenty of research before committing to any sponsorships.
Produce High-Quality Marketing Materials
Giving people something tangible that they can actually touch and keep goes a long way in helping them remember your real estate brand. It’s a great idea to invest in branded swag
such as t-shirts, hoodies, beer koozies, coffee mugs, and anything else that people will find fun and useful.
It’s also crucial that you have eye catching business cards that can be given out whenever the opportunity arises. Good business cards not only give potential clients reliable ways to contact you, but they also convey a commitment to professionalism and dedication. Don’t be shy about giving out your business cards; the more hands they go into, the more likely they will end up in front of the eyes of someone who will be a client.
You may also want to invest in flyers, pamphlets, and direct mail marketing materials. It’s also crucial that you have high quality signage that lets people know which houses you are selling and which houses you have sold. An attractive SOLD sign conveys your company’s professional ability to satisfy clients, so be sure to invest in one that’s durable and sleek.
Old school advertising also takes the form of TV and radio commercials. If you don’t want to use your voice or image for advertising, consider hiring a marketing agency that can produce visual content and look into freelance actors and voice-over professionals that can help you get your brand’s message out. Also keep billboards in mind since these can give solid advertising exposure to commuters that may see them frequently. Also consider writing articles for local newspapers and magazines.
Try Experiential Marketing
To give clients the best understanding of the community, consider hosting a tour of the area that you do business in. You can promote neighborhood highlights such as unique community features, educational resources, and thriving local businesses. Just make sure that you’re mindful of time, dates, and weather forecasts when scheduling these events.
Referral Based MarketingOnline and local marketing strategies are surefire ways to build your real estate company’s presence in the community, but it’s also important to remember those homebuyers that have helped you succeed. Therefore, it’s a good idea to build your referral network through relationships with clients, but also by taking walks and talking to locals and people doing business in the community.
Stay In Touch With Past Clients
Maintaining contact with past clients should be prioritized since you want to treat people like people–not just sources of sales. Consider sending holiday cards and be considerate of religious and cultural factors when doing so. You can also host thank you events that may include:
- Pizza parties
- BBQs
- Renting out a movie theater
- Reserving a night at a local club or restaurant
Offer Services
Building trust with people in the community that you operate can go a long way in helping you find homebuyers. Consider hosting free seminars that teach people things like how to finance a home, how to choose the best home for your targeted demographic, and how to plan for retirement. Look into your skill-set and knowledgebase to figure out which useful things you can teach with confidence and honesty.
Offer Free Advice
If you want the community to trust your expertise and leadership, then make sure that you are there for people in whatever ways you can be. Letting people know that they can call your office to find out about things they are unsure about is a great idea. Topics that you may be able to help out with include contracting and remodeling, refinancing options and strategies, or anything else that makes clients like and trust you.
Offer Gifts
Giving thoughtful gifts can include features that are not in the listing. For example, offer to purchase washer and dryer, an automatic garage door, or security features if you think this might help you close. But remember that each gift is only tax deductible by $25 per person ($50 per couple).
You should also send a care package after closing that includes things like gift cards to local restaurants, movie tickets, and hardware store gift cards. Also think about personalized gift boxes that can include a few nice things like a candle, personalized mug, and/ or unique gift for their kids.
Conclusion
When it comes to selling homes and closing deals, make sure your company is doing everything possible to get the word out about your professionalism, inventory, and commitment to the community. With a solid marketing strategy that exists both on and offline, your company is sure to find success in any real estate market.