Buying or selling a home is an important financial (and emotional) decision, and your clients want an agent they trust, who will protect their interests and help them navigate the complexities of the process.
This is where social media marketing for real estate comes into play. When used correctly, it can be a great way to start conversations, share advice, and build lasting relationships with buyers, sellers, and renters.
That’s why I’m covering the value of using social media as a real estate agent, a list of tips and trends, and examples of social media posts you can incorporate into your real estate marketing strategy.
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The Power of Real Estate Social Media Marketing
A social media presence helps you build brand awareness and inspire trust with your audience.
They may not be ready to make a purchase or even initiate a switch. However, if they see that you are consistently active on your platforms or come across one of your ads, they may remember what you offer and come back to you when they are ready to begin the process.
Not convinced? Here are a few statistics to help you understand the power of social media marketing to grow your real estate business:
So statistically, your audience is already on social media – why not meet them where they are? Additionally, in addition to the organic strategies I share here, social media also offers targeted advertising opportunities tailored to audiences in specific locations.
Ready to put it into action? Let’s dive into some of the best strategies for building your social network in real estate.
15 Social Media Strategies for Real Estate Agents
- Promote the city, not just the house.
- Be yourself.
- Inform your buyers.
- Chat with your followers.
- Respond to good and bad comments.
- Grab attention with hooks.
- Be playful.
- Don’t just shout about your real estate listings.
- Be sure to use videos.
- Remember, you’re not just engaging with first-time buyers.
- Focus on your audience.
- Remember your existing customers.
- Prioritize connections and relationships over viral spread.
- Don’t go into one type of post.
- Use your content for other purposes.
1. Promote the city, not just the house.
Home buyers want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of every city they plan to move to. Still, most real estate blogs only provide buyers with basic demographic statistics and perhaps a few flowery words about the area.
Instead, use your social media channels to give potential customers a much more comprehensive understanding of the markets you serve and educate them on the pros and cons of each neighborhood.
Many cities have a “@CityOf…” social media handle that you can mention directly in your posts. Use these identifiers to advertise properties you have listed in that city. City accounts typically respond to these leads and may repost you, increasing the reach of your post her Trailer.
Instagram Business Accounts are also prime properties (pun absolutely intended) so you can post beautiful photos of the city your properties are listed in.
2. Be yourself.
I’ve heard of many real estate agents paying a ghostwriter to write their marketing copy, but this approach has its flaws. The copy just doesn’t ring true; Failing to give customers a sense of who you really are.
Studies show that consumers want to build a personal connection with those they do business with, and there is no shortcut to writing your own, authentic social media content that reflects who you are as a real estate agent.
Let your personality shine through on whatever social network you’re on. It’s a great way to open a dialogue with a customer before they even pick up the phone. I love this TikTok example of two real estate agents showing off their personalities.
@indianahomegirls Our newest offering in Fishers has room for everything! Comment on STEP CLASS for more information 😂 #Stepbrothers #funnyvideos #realestatetiktok #listingvideo #indianarealtor #fishersindiana #lipsync ♬ Original Sound – Amazon Prime Video Australia – Prime Video AU & NZ
3. Educate your buyers.
Some of the most stressful days as a real estate agent turn out to be great lessons to share with our clients.
By addressing common real estate pitfalls, your buyers will become smarter, have a smoother browsing experience, and qualify to work with you.
Social media is the perfect medium for this. If you have a blog, consider writing articles about home buying tips. You can then use social media to promote them.
Maybe you can tweet a “real estate fact of the day” with the hashtag #realestate.
4. Chat with your followers.
Home buyers today expect immediate answers to their questions, but the way they ask those questions has changed.
Home buyers are calling real estate agents much less often than they used to when they have questions about a property or neighborhood.
You go online and use Facebook’s recommendation functionand tweeting at real estate offices on Twitter.
Be ready for this outreach, answer it, and use these questions as an opportunity to engage with followers who may be early in the buying process.
5. Respond to good and bad comments.
Respond promptly and politely to address readers who post comments on your social media sites. One caveat: Don’t feel compelled to respond to those who post offensive comments.
Social media attracts a lot of online bullies, and not every comment directed at you is worth your breath.
Resist the temptation to engage with your harshest critics and acknowledge those who praise your services.
Many people who reach out to you are simply looking for more information about a listing – or a listing they thought was still available but has been sold or rented.
Pick up on their frustration and use their comment as an opportunity to direct their interest to other properties.
6. Grab attention with hooks.
People’s attention spans are shorter than ever. So, to grab your audience’s attention, you need to get them to stop scrolling long enough to consume your content and (hopefully) take action.
The key here is to captivate your audience with something that makes them stand up and say, “Hell yeah, I want to know more about that.”
This video teaches some great hooks (especially in video format):
@onbrandbysarah Hook Examples for Realtors! This has been highly requested and there are countless ways to make your videos more personal and compelling!!! Try it ❤️ #hookexamples #videohooks #socialmediamarketing #Broker #realtoroftiktok #contentstrategy #businessmentor ♬ Original sound – Sarah | Business mentor 🪩
7. Be playful.
What do other real estate agents do that makes you laugh or roll your eyes? Play with it. This video is real and fun:
@stevenkimhomes ✨magical✨ real estate hack! #Broker #realtoroftiktok #realtorhumor #funny #for sale #Magic #toronto #richmondhill #Real Estate ♬ The reason – Hoobastank
8. Don’t just shout about your real estate listings.
It’s okay to let people know about the homes you’re marketing, but don’t make the home itself the main topic of your conversation.
Think about common questions home buyers and sellers ask you and turn them into posts. Provide valuable content and keep people coming back.
9. Make sure you use videos.
There is more than 1 billion daily video views on TikTok.
It’s tempting to forgo the cost of recording and editing a video, but online videos are an important part of home marketing.
Think about it: Home buyers are visual buyers, and when done well, a video creates an emotional connection with them that they might not make through a purely photo-based listing.
YouTube videos also improve your website’s ranking on search engines like Google – a common place where home buyers and renters begin their search for a new home.
10. Remember that you’re not just engaging with first-time buyers.
According to a current report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR)24% of home buyers in America are 41-50 years old or younger.
Only 26% of them are for the first time Buyer. If you think you only talk to first-time home buyers on social media, think again.
Social networks like Facebook are great places to target “fans” and hear from their agent what they are looking for. However, keep in mind that not all of them are new to the buying process.
Have content appropriate for all levels of the home buying experience that you can deliver to your fans and followers – you never know who you’ll connect with.
11. Focus on your audience.
A post, link, photo, or tweet on your profile might look nice Youbut it means very little if it doesn’t resonate with the people who follow your page.
Social media is more about listening than talking. Pay attention to what people say about you and your brand.
Ask your audience for feedback and collect it through informal surveys or through free survey services like Survey monkey or Google Forms.
This ensures that every piece of content you share on social media reflects your customers’ interests.
12. Remember your existing customers.
Invite your previous buyers and sellers to join you on social media – they are one of the most important parts of your real estate social networks.
This way, your websites become richer communities with shared experiences and objective advice from people who have recently completed the purchase/sale of a home.
13. Prioritize connections and relationships over viral spread.
Even though it can feel good to go viral, that doesn’t mean you’re connecting with people who are actually potential customers.
After all, going viral probably means you’re getting views from people who have little to no local interest, and in real estate, locality is everything.
Instead, focus on building meaningful connections with people close to you and helping them get to know you. Sure, you can share your listings, but focus on why they would hire you.
This could mean creating content that empathizes with their vulnerabilities and sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos.
However, it also means going to forums and engaging with posts, responding to comments and questions, and generally being helpful.
14. Don’t respond to one type of post.
Variety is the spice of life and your real estate social media marketing plan. Or it should be.
Play with different types of content and change things up regularly to continue to build your audience and connect with what they want. One way to do this is to pay attention to big trends and find ways to capitalize on them.
Test videos, still images, humor, and different ways to highlight what your audience can expect when working with you.
15. Repurpose your content.
Shoot a video? Consider publishing clips to other platforms.
You may not want to share the exact same content because different platforms have different audiences (and expectations), but you don’t have to create something new every day.
You may be able to get a lot of value out of a single video or conversation and create dozens of posts from an original recording.
Social media real estate trends post-pandemic
While social media has always been a valuable tool for real estate agents, COVID-19 restrictions led to trends that continue to take center stage years after the pandemic ended.
Virtual demonstrations
Some agencies reserved virtual tours for specific circumstances or luxury properties, but this is now common practice: “We previously maintained our virtual tours for our luxury properties, but we have found this enriches the home buying experience for our clients. ” says Lisa AlexanderPresident of Del-Co Realty.
Video walkthroughs
When I sold a home in 2020 and bought one in a new city, beautiful photos and videography were a must to understand the floor plan.
After this experience, I would not consider working with an agent who did not actively plan to use these resources to sell my home.
While these existed before the pandemic, they have now become a must. Not only do videos help buyers get an idea of their home, but they also perform very well on social media.
3D house tours
My favorite feature as a buyer was the real estate agent creation 3D house tours on Zillow This could be shared anywhere, including other listing sites and social media. It gets 60% more views and 79% more saves, meaning a lot more interested eyes are on your listing.
While the pandemic is in the rearview mirror (thank goodness!), it has had a lasting impact on real estate social media marketing – which is incredibly convenient for buyers who are moving quickly in highly competitive markets and may be purchasing homes up close must. invisible and invisible to sellers who want to sell their homes for the highest price.
Social media marketing platforms for real estate agents
Not sure which platform to use?
The short answer is: go where your buyers are – and the longer answer: also use a platform you are familiar with.
With this in mind, here is a brief overview of the top real estate social networking platforms.
Facebook is an excellent tool for real estate professionals, especially when it comes to advertising.
It offers several high-quality options: targeted advertising for local listings, Facebook Messenger for conversations with customers, and the ability to share multiple forms of multimedia: images, videos, and even live videos.
Instagram allows agents to create a business account and include contact CTA buttons so that those who land on your profile can send you a message on the platform, an email about a real estate picture they saw that intrigued them, or can send other personalized options.
The platform is ideal for sharing high-quality image and video content. The image below is an example of a new real estate ad.
TikTok
I fully admit that I am obsessed with TikTok. I’ve shared several examples of how you can use it to connect with your audience.
One of the best reasons is that you can build a following by being authentic without investing in quality or professional content.
This is especially true considering TikTokers prefer content that takes a look behind the scenes, which is exactly what home walkthroughs are (the video below is an example).
Real estate social media content ideas
Now that you have your platform, what should you share? Here are a few ideas.
Go live for open houses and virtual showings.
Real estate agents can do this on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. A benefit of going live is that the videos can be saved and later shared to your profile, acting as an additional form of content.
Answer audience questions.
All social media platforms are a great place to answer audience questions because you can interact with your audience and build a rapport that leads to a working relationship.
Another advantage of answering questions publicly is that this is the case publicand everyone can see your answers. This can help interested buyers contact you with qualified questions further down the sales funnel.
Share customer testimonials and success stories.
All platforms are a great place to share customer testimonials and help you leverage user-generated content to build legitimacy and credibility with your audience. The following Facebook post is an example of a customer testimonial.
Share real estate photos, videos and tours.
I touched on the virtual tours and videos above, but don’t forget to share them on social media!
Real estate photos are a must for real estate agents on social media, especially Instagram and Facebook. You can give your clients a taste of what they can expect from the property and entice them to contact you to find out more through a virtual or in-person tour.
Here is an example of high-quality real estate photos on Instagram:
You can share real estate photos on TikTok as still images, but the platform is better suited for videos. Check out this example:
@the608angelica Girly has so much potential 💕 @Dom Murray . . . #HouseTour #Real Estate #oldhouse #victorianhome #Wisconsin #historichhome #hgtv #homedecor #home ♬ Sunshine – WIRA
And here is an example from Instagram:
Share your agent bio.
Agent-client relationships are important because they trust you to take the things that matter to them and point them in the right direction.
Therefore, using social media to share agent bios is worth considering. Your audience can learn more about your offering and reach out when it feels right.
Have fun!
There’s a place for sophisticated content, but you can also have fun with it, like this video that always makes me smile:
@nmccaslin I can’t believe this house didn’t sell…but I’m not giving up yet 😝 #realbroker #dancereal estate #27goingon65 #sobertok #soberfun #Real Estate #owensboroky #realtortok #givemethemusic #resistant #treatyourself #marketyourself #train ♬ Everyone is dancing now dancing все – 💫РЕТРОЛЁТ💫
Social media is (part of) the future of the real estate industry.
One thing is clear to me: unless our future fundamentally changes, social media is a huge piece of the real estate marketing puzzle.
If you take the time to create a social media presence that includes high-quality photos of the properties you sell, interact with customers, and follow a consistent schedule, you’ll likely find yourself attracting new customers and closing on more homes .
Additionally, at the end of the day, your followers could turn out to be your strongest real estate advocates.
This guest post was written by Leslie Manna real estate agent with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty from Weston, MA.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2021 and has been updated for completeness.
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