Let’s face it… Real estate is an industry known for “old school” marketing methods like in-person meetings and print advertising.
 
Then came 2020.
 
There’s nothing like a global pandemic and over a year of social distancing to force a real estate agent into the world of modern marketing!
 
So whether you’re new to embrace digital marketing or you’ve been at it all along, read on for successful social media strategies for REALTORS®.
 

2 Ways to Make Social Media EASY

1. Schedule It

 
Scheduling ahead of time is a brilliant strategy, but it’s best not to schedule things too far in advance. Dedicate time each week to plan for the following week. It’ll save you time and it’ll relieve your stress.
 
The most important factor in your social media schedule is consistency. Consistency builds authority, and your followers will appreciate the predictability.
 

2. Set it to Auto Populate

 
Don’t stress yourself out by trying to keep up with multiple social media platforms. Focus on one platform, preferably the one your target audience is most likely to use, then auto populate the other platforms. There are automated services to make the process super easy for you.
 

Tackling the Most Popular Platforms

Facebook

 
Take advantage of targeting opportunities. They are very powerful in reaching specific audiences, and most agents find it is well worth the cost.
 
Reviews are another powerful tool on Facebook. (And let’s be real… Do any of us make any decisions anymore without first reading reviews?) Prospects will appreciate the easy-to-read testimonials and transparency.
 

Saves and Shares

 
Shareable content is crucial these days. The more viewers share your story, the better! Providing real value, offering something thought-provoking, or posting an interesting statistic applicable to your target audience are all ways to create shareable content for real estate.
 
A note on sharing other experts’ data and/or analyses… Go for it! Show people you are always learning and researching. But be sure to comment on it. Share your opinion, write a summary, or add to it.
 

Comments

 
Comments, while not as important as shares, continue to prove useful. They give REALTORS® a great opportunity to connect with people. Encourage the engagement by responding to every comment.
 
Comments also serve as an analytical tool… They show when your audience is most active and which topics they are most interested in. Use that info!
 

Instagram

 
Instagram is gaining more and more popularity in the real estate industry, and it goes to show how powerful visual content is. Use Instagram to showcase your real estate listings. And do us all a favor… Hire a professional photographer!
 
A great trick to creating engagement on photos is asking a question. If you share a picture of a pool, rey asking something fun like, “What’s your go-to poolside beverage?” A picture of a state-of-the-art kitchen could get people talking about what they’d cook in it. Be creative and get the conversation going!
 

Hashtags

 
Having one or two branded hashtags will encourage users to share UGC, or user-generated content. As impactful as success stories are, they are even stronger “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
 
Hashtags should be as evergreen as possible, local/geographic hashtags are helpful, jumping on a trend won’t hurt, and (aside from your branded hashtag) be sure to mix ‘em up a bit.
 

Tiktok

 
Capitalize on this trend by sharing your own short, engaging videos. While mostly dominated by Gen Z, TikTok sees its fair share of real estate content from agents of all ages.
 
TikTok has taught us all an important lesson on the power of storytelling. People love a good story, so get to telling them!
 

Stories

 
Because stories aren’t timeless, they’re the perfect place to post about local happenings, current events, and new listings. These vertical videos can be raw, they’re easily repurposed onto multiple platforms, and they boost engagement.
 
Share successes to Facebook Stories, Instagram Reels, Twitter’s Fleets, etc. REALTORS® should share success stories because each one builds trust and confidence in your brand.
 

YouTube

 
As opposed to stories, keep your property tours and educational videos in the horizontal format. Creating a branded video channel on YouTube is a great way to be viewed as an expert in your market.
 

Videos

 
More on vidtelling!
 
Remember to include closed captions. First, they are important for the hearing impaired. Second, most people watch Facebook videos on mute. Last, search engines will “see” those words, so it”ll help your SEO.
 
Other video reminders:
 

1. Write a script
2. Invest in a good microphone

LinkedIn

 
Demonstrate your real estate expertise and establish your professionalism on LinkedIn, which has proven to be better at generating leads than many other social media platforms. It’s designed for business! So make those connections, network with other professionals, and increase your chances of being heard in a LinkedIn message that would otherwise be deleted if sent as an email.
 

Is social media marketing really worth it for REALTORS®?

Yes!

 
Social media is one of the best ways to produce high-quality leads. It beats out all methods but referrals.
 
A big reason social media marketing works for REALTORS® is because it helps build your brand. People will see you as the go-to expert for real estate advice in your area, and your business will be booming in no time!