Social media is a prime destination for building relationships, networking, and nurturing prospective real estate clients. With nearly 2.5 billion active users, Facebook is the largest social networking site in existence with no signs of slowing anytime soon.

There are a lot of platforms to consider when you begin or enhance your social media marketing efforts. Whether you are a real estate agent or real estate attorney, there are a lot of good reasons to have a real estate Facebook page — building brand awareness, reinforcing your credibility, access to its advertising platform, to name a few.

As people are increasingly turning to social media and virtual communications tools for social connections, leveraging these mediums is more important than ever.

Here are our top tips for creating that stellar real estate Facebook page.

Know the real estate Facebook page basics

Facebook is the front door to your brand. Along with Google and LinkedIn, Facebook is one of the first places people will look when they are considering working with you. Your page should be as polished and professional as you are, and it should relay to your clients that you are both a savvy marketer and an expert source of information.

Of course, a Facebook page is only as good as the effort that goes into creating a sound strategy and engaging content.

Follow the 4-1-1 rule

Nobody wants to follow a page that is all advertising, all the time! So, the 4-1-1 rule is a great guideline to follow when you begin posting content on your Facebook page.

It is a simple process that divides the content you’ll be posting into three categories: four pieces of curated content from external sources (examples: blogs, news stories), one piece of content created by you, and one piece of content that is advertorial (think: any post that says “hire me if you want to buy or sell real estate!”).

Keep in mind that quality matters more than quantity when posting to any social media site.

Be a trusted local expert

So, if we’re telling you not to sell on social media, then what do we want you to post? Think of social media networking the way you would any other networking event.

Would you walk into a room and immediately tell someone, “Hi, I’m a real estate attorney. contact us today!” and hand over your business card?

You would more likely introduce yourself,  talk about your interests, your areas of specialty/expertise, and maybe share a client anecdote or two.

Think of social media the exact same way.

Talk about your involvement in the community, be it volunteering, an interest in local sports, commentary on recent local news, and or update your audience on upcoming local events.

Everything you post should check at least one box: informational, educational, entertaining and/or inspiring. If your content is all sales all the time, people will be less likely to follow your real estate Facebook page.

Ask for audience feedback

Facebook is an excellent place to poll your audience for feedback. As you build a following and adapt your content strategy, there is no need to guess what kind of content your community would like to receive from you.

Instead, use the Facebook ‘polls’ feature to find out whether your audience likes personal, behind-the-scenes snaps, or industry tips and market updates.

Celebrate social media holidays

Did you know that National Random Acts of Kindness Day was on February 17? Or that June is National Homeownership Month? These manufactured “social media holidays” might seem a little bit wacky, but they can go a long way to help you generate ideas and engagement among your following.

These posts can add a little fun to your real estate Facebook page and spark conversation amongst your fans.

Only post images that are high-quality and on-brand

From your profile image and cover photo to the images that accompany your regular posts, quality is key. Choose images that are a minimum of 72 dpi, reflect your personal branding and, if applicable, adhere to your brand color scheme.

Images that are dark, blurry, or out of focus will not do your brand justice. If you take a lot of photos on your iPhone, you might think about investing in an inexpensive ring light or desktop tripod to give your content a more polished and professional vibe.

Keep an eye on the time

If you talk to 40 marketers, you will hear 40 different opinions about what is the best time to post on social media. Some sources say that the best time to post on Facebook is 3:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Others suggest 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays or Fridays, and some prefer 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. on weekends.

We have found that as long as you post between 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., your posts will not suffer. What is more important that posting by a certain time every day is posting quality content and regularly engaging with your audience.

In every aspect of social media, quality matters most. Facebook is a great place to position yourself as a relevant, respected resource in your community, but you do need to have a content strategy and show up every day to engage your audience online.