7 real estate marketing 'must haves'

Marketing is an essential component of business success. It has the power to not only build brand awareness for a business and generate leads and sales; but it can also offer a significant competitive advantage if done well. Because of this, it’s crucial for real estate agencies to nail their marketing strategy to appeal to a larger market of prospective buyers, tenants and sellers.

Here are seven awesome real estate marketing ideas that will give your agency the competitive advantage you’ve been looking for.

1. Social media
   Social media is one of the most common marketing tools out there. It’s a form of free marketing and is a great way to reach your target audience and build email lists. If you have it already, be more active. If not, jump on the bandwagon.
   
   Ways to utilise social media:
   1. Have your agents sign up to LinkedIn. This will act as their online business profile. This will make them seem more approachable.
   2. List properties on Facebook and Instagram. You’ll be surprised how many new people you can reach.
   3. Selling a house is an achievement so post this on your social channels too. Ask your clients if it’s okay to post the photo of them in front of their sold sign. People love seeing clients happy and it will reflect positively on your agency.
   4. Link your website where possible. Social media is a great way to build email lists - the real gold in digital marketing.
   5. Be unique! Create content that isn’t similar to your competitors. You need to be creative to stand out from the rest and win inquiry.
   
   Of course the problem with social media is that your business does not have control over any policy changes that occur within any of the platforms, nor can they control any other external market forces that may affect them e.g. Share prices dropping and providers losing subscribers (and therefore your audience). The real gold in digital marketing is building your own email list; and social media is one tool that can help your business do this.
2. Email marketing
   Once you build your own email list, it is yours forever. Facebook can't take it off you, Google can't take it off you, no one can take it off you. Your own email list is the holy grail of digital marketing. Utilise this to interact with leads by keeping clients in the loop with new property listings. Not everyone has the time to browse the web so sending it straight to their inbox is a great way to make sure properties and open houses don’t go unseen.
3. Paid digital
   Paid digital advertising is an effective way to target a specific set of prospects. Utilising this tool will allow you to market to those that are actually interested in buying, selling or renting. It’s also a great way to stay ahead of your competitors. However, while pay-per-click advertising can help build email lists by directing traffic to gated content or a webform, it shouldn't be relied on. PPC can be really expensive depending on what keywords your bidding on. Use this tool sparingly and don't be afraid to ask for external help from someone who knows best.
4. Google My Business page
   Interactions with a new business can be somewhat daunting. For this reason, Google has made it easier for customers to find out more about a business. Building up your My Business page will reflect positively on your business and will make it easier for clients to interact with your agency. It also improves domain authority which in turn helps Google page rankings (provided you've got heaps of positive reviews and a high rating).
5. Gated content
   This content will be a bit different to the content you produce on social media. eBooks, blogs, webinars and news articles - this is the kind of content I’m talking about. Free content accessible on your website in exchange for an email address is a great way to capture leads. It gives off a perception that your agency is willing to help and seem more approachable. Ensure you have a robust content strategy in place that will outline what types of content you will produce, what format and how frequently you publish - ensure this aligns to your overall business objectives.
6. Videography
   Having a virtual tour available online for a property will save you and potential clients a lot of time. The potential buyer or tenant can get a good feel for the layout of the home before attending an in-person inspection or open house. Photos can be deceiving. With a virtual tour, you’ll find that you’ll attract more serious enquiries.
7. Mobile-friendly website
   More people than ever are using their mobile phones for research. In fact, 72% of people only use their mobile phone to access the internet (CNBC, 2019). Having a mobile-friendly website will make it easier for people to navigate properties and will therefore, increase their likelihood of interacting with your agency. If your site isn't mobile-friendly, chances are potential clients will get fed-up quickly and move onto the next agency. This pretty much means you’re forfeiting to your competitors and you DON’T want that.

Need help with your marketing?

Implementing a top notch marketing strategy doesn’t have to break the budget. With the help of offshore staff, you can control costs in your business. To learn more about how a blended marketing team works, check out this blog.