Now more than ever, it’s vital to have a strong network and build valuable relationships with other professionals in this industry and beyond.

Since the pandemic, the growth of online networking and social media marketing mirrors the larger digital transformation we’ve been experiencing. People spend more time interacting with brands via online channels than they do going to brick-and-mortar outlets. 

If you’re not particularly familiar with what it takes to establish a vibrant community of followers and supporters on social media, here’s a handy collection of top tips for real estate professionals. 

The Best Platforms for Your Business

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past 15 years, you’ve probably heard of Facebook. But what you may not know is that it’s been steadily improving the benefits for real estate pros and now features a wealth of built-in analytical tools to help you see what you’re doing right.

Facebook also features an easy-to-use ad manager and surprisingly affordable, highly targeted paid advertising. It’s also a superb way to stay in touch with clients, gain referrals, and promote testimonials from satisfied customers — which is much more effective than chasing cold leads.

You may think Instagram is just for posting food and pet pictures, but it’s also quite useful in attracting and staying connected with clients. It skews towards a slightly younger demographic and it’s the ideal place for visually stunning posts and leveraging relevant hashtags (more on those below).

LinkedIn isn’t the first platform you’d think of for drumming up new residential business, but it’s essential for networking, growing your ecosystem, and engaging with industry thought leaders.

TikTok is all the rage with the kids these days, but this short-form video smorgasbord lets you tap into the lucrative millennial and Gen Z audience, who are much more likely to buy a home they’ve only seen virtually than any other age group.

The 280-character limit on Twitter can make it seem like this platform isn’t really cut out for real estate marketing, but it’s incredibly useful for driving traffic to your website. It also offers some fantastic analytical tools to help you find and engage with leads. 

Content is King

The number one way to gain more followers and increase engagement is to provide a variety of interesting, relevant omnichannel content, from blogs to videos and more.

Besides the obvious items like listings and open houses, you can also strive to become a subject matter expert (SME) on one or two key topics related to both real estate and what makes you and your business exceptional.

It’s not easy to maintain a steady posting schedule on social media or a blog when you’re dedicated to providing the best possible service to your clients. Make your life a bit easier by using a free online aggregate posting tool, such as Later or Hootsuite (they have both free and premium options.)

With one of these handy programs, you can plan and schedule posts for the week across every platform you use at one time, set it, and forget it. 

Remember, it’s crucial to practice restraint and not overwhelm your followers by putting too much out there too frequently. There are also different optimal times to post, depending on the platform.

If you’re feeling blocked creatively and can’t come up with any fascinating ideas off the top of your head, there’s help for that too. Here are a few types of content that are simple and typically perform well:

• Giveaways, contests, and challenges
• A series of useful tips or life hacks
• Tutorials
• Spotlighting or sharing insights from your clients
• Celebrating holidays (it’s literally National Something Day every day)
• Opinion polls or “this or that?”
• Behind-the-scenes and sneak peeks
• Share your take on fun trending topics

Keep in mind that organic, unpaid content is being ranked by an algorithm, but there are definitely tricks you can use to game the system and ensure you’re getting the engagement you deserve. A catchy title or intriguing caption will encourage more clicks.

Hashtags also bring more visitors to your social media, especially on Twitter, where they can increase your engagement by 100%. Don’t overload every post with a million of them though — there’s a sweet spot for each platform. Many Instagrammers utilize 11 or more tags while the Twitterverse prefers only one or two. 

Adding popular hashtags like #realestate, #housegoals, #homegoals, #househunting, and more can get your content in front of thousands if not millions more eyeballs. 

The Value of Consistent Branding

In the real estate world, you should have at least one stellar photographer in your network and have professional headshots taken. This will help you put your best face forward and generate familiarity with your personal brand online. 

It’s also key to utilize a truly visually appealing logo and the same font throughout. Make sure you’re consistent across platforms with your headshot, business graphics, and messaging. 

Consumers these days crave authenticity, and they hate getting a hard sell. While you make your money in the real world via dealing with real estate transactions, in the metaverse you should focus on positioning yourself as a friendly, helpful expert instead.

Build a brand kit to serve as a repository and roadmap for your logos, colors, fonts, and the topics you feel are critical to communicating your value proposition to the world. 

Above all, be yourself. Let your personality shine through in your consistent social media presence and you’ll quickly start enjoying the fruits of your efforts. 

A Perfect Partnership

Working in the real estate industry definitely isn’t boring. It requires energy, enthusiasm, adaptability, and the willingness to be a lifelong learner.

Social media trends evolve rapidly, so you’ll want to stay on top of the latest concepts by doing regular research. While it might seem overwhelming at first, leveraging social media to boost your brand and attract more clients is simple, affordable, and amazingly effective.

At Landtrust, we love connecting with our clients and fellow professionals online. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn!