How to Realtors Can Stand Apart Online
Standing out as a real estate agent online is no easy task. Agents are constantly working for attention while trying to navigate the plethora of new technologies at their fingertips in order to grow their business and succeed!
In the world of real estate, it can feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle. With so many agents out there vying for a piece of your business and time from potential clients, how do we rise above them all? The answer: strong online presence!
By creating an online presence with your website, social media, and content marketing so you can attract your target buyers and sellers to you.
But how do you stand out as the go-to real estate agent in a crowded digital space? Here are five tips and strategies to help you set yourself apart online!
1 | Get Your Own Real Estate Website
If you work for a large brokerage like eXp Realty, Century 21 or Keller Williams, you will receive a website on the brokerage’s domain. But these carbon copy websites are not enough to set you apart from the rest of the agents in your brokerage, let alone in your local market.
In order to truly set yourself apart from the competition, you need to have your own personal website. A website that can be a direct reflection of your real estate industry expertise, business goals, and service offerings.
Buyers and sellers want to work with someone they can trust. A personal website allows you to grow a consistent personal brand that will stay with you even if your leave current brokerage.
It’s important to work with a professional website designer to properly setup your website. Considering using one of the following website to find a designer for your real estate website:
2 | Write and Share Your Real Estate Bio
Your real estate agent bio is a vital part of your marketing strategy and personal branding. An effective one will help buyers, sellers—everyone know you’re the go-to person for their real estate needs!
Your real estate agent bio is your first introduction to your potential buyer or seller and could be the difference between you landing the client or not. Your bio can be used to connect on a personal level, demonstrate your leadership ability, share your deep connections to the community, and showcase your industry knowledge.
Even if you don’t have any experience (yet), share your background, values, niche and let readers know why they would benefit and enjoy working with you.
It’s important to add your professional photo and real estate bio to the following websites so that you can increase your digital footprint:
? Need some help writing a real estate bio you can be proud of? Check out our Tips for How to Write A Real Estate Bio.
3 | Build Real Estate Social Presence
Social media has quickly become one of the most powerful marketing tools available. By intentionally and strategically showing up on social media can help you build exposure, reputation, loyalty, and a stand out advantage over your competitors like never before.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have made it so much easier for potential buyers and sellers to find local real estate agents.
Social media allows you to not only brand yourself but connect with 100s of potential buyers and sellings all on one platform.
Here three tips for standing out on social media:
Be Helpful
Do not only use social media to showcase listings. Provide helpful information to your audience such as information about your marketing, local happenings in your neighborhood, and tips and strategies for buyers, sellers, renters and home owners.
Be Social
Do not only use social media to push information. Show up and actually talk to your audience. Be responsive to your comments, mentions and direct messages. Show your audience that you are not only a reliable resource but someone looking to make genuine connections.
Be Consistent
Do not post and ghost. Make sure that you establish a consistent posting schedule that you can stick to. You do not have to post everyday but you do need to be consistent. You want your ideal to not only get use to seeing you around on social media but also begin to see you as reliable and trustworthy.
? Want to learn how to show up on Instagram in a big way? Check out our 4 Steps on How to Design a Scroll Worthy Instagram Feed.
4 | Create Real Estate Videos
Shockingly, only 9% of realtors utilize video marketing such as Instagram videos for real estate agents in their social media strategy.
However with social videos generating 1,200% more shares than text and images combined, videos on social platforms help real estate agents get in front of more potential clients more than any other form of content. Agents who incorporate video marketing into their digital strategy see an increase in the number of buyers requesting to view their properties.
Video content is especially important for marketing and reaching new buyers and sellers. Video marketing is undoubtedly worth the effort; however, getting started with real estate videos is much easier than you might think. Simply start by shooting videos on your phone and sharing them on your website, in your emails, and across your social media platforms.
Creating real estate videos takes time, effort, and guts to put yourself out there. But so does cold-calling, door knocking, and networking!
Here are four of the most popular real estate video ideas to help you get started.
- Just Listed Video
- Agent Introduction Video
- Neighborhood Spotlight Video
- Client Testimonial
? Not sure if video marketing is for you? Check out our Why It’s Easier Than You Think to Get Started with Real Estate Videos.
5 | Develop a Real Estate Freebie
Let me tell you a little secret, it doesn’t matter how large that number is under your name on your real estate social media platforms if it isn’t growing your business or leading to more leads on your real estate newsletter email list.
I know real estate professionals with less than 1,000 followers who are generating all of their clients from their social media efforts and I know people who have over 100k followers that don’t have the slightest idea how to actually generate an income from all their liking and following.
It’s not about the number my friends! It’s about whether that number is leading to more listings, more installs, more referrals, more clients, and more profits for your business.
It doesn’t matter if you have 500 followers for 5,000 followers, if you focus on serving them with valuable content that helps to better their lives you will begin to successfully turn followers to clients.
And that can be accomplished by providing a free download or free opt-in to your newsletter.
When someone comes to your website or social media page they will have an option to receive free helpful information, all they have to do is enter their email address to receive it. They receive their valuable freebie and you receive their email address for follow-ups.
Here are some top freebies that you can use to pre-qualify a potential client:
- First Time Homebuyer eBook
- Home staging checklist before you list
- 5 Tips to buying a Foreclosed Home
- Ultimate Guide to Downsizing
- 10 Steps to Applying for Mortgage
In Summary
Inbound marketing is the new frontier for businesses. With in-person sales plummeting, it’s time to turn your attention towards attracting customers online through content and social media channels that they already visit every day! When it comes to setting yourself apart as a real estate agent online you have to take strategic steps in building your digital presence.
Editor’s note: This article was created by Kary Perry, Agent at eXp Realty. Information deemed reliable but is subject to change.
About Building Better Agents
At Building Better Agents, we are dedicated to helping agents build successful real estate careers. We help agents develop a plan, build a database, and work smarter to uncover the keys to success as a real estate agent. All without cold calling, door knocking, and chasing expired listings. Building Better Agents Leaders Kerry Lucasse and Kary Perry are proud to be agents with eXp Realty.
For more information, please contact us today!