In this webinar, we had Jeff Pfitzer, regional/biz development manager for USA Mortgage. He is a 20-year veteran of the industry, has real estate franchise ownership experience, and has never been a “typical” Lender. Jeff’s focus in the mortgage industry has always been around creating a competitive advantage for his business through differentiating marketing tactics by focusing on delivering high-level content and value to their realtor partners. His expertise has evolved into one focusing on video and social media branding and marketing and he has become a leader in the industry.
Jeff and Sam discussed the importance of videos on social media for Real Estate agents. They elaborated on the qualities of videos that work and what agents needed to consider in order to maximize the results.
Educate through Videos, Do Not Promote
According to Jeff using videos on social media to promote your business is a simple way of spamming your audience. Many agents mistakenly use social media to bombard their audience with data they do not need or can’t figure out. We as Real Estate agents are interested in market data and all the jargon, not the audience. We need to share content that our audience actually cares about.
2008 Crash
During the 2008 crash, a lot of agents cut back on their marketing. They thought there was no point in marketing and when the market was back on agents did not have any leads. However, what lead up to 2008, did not lead up to the current situation. On the other hand, these cycles and ups and downs are what define successful agents. They are simply more opportunities than there were back in 2008. it is recommended that agents double or triple down on their marketing efforts as they have more time. If agents just wait, they will be crushed by other agents who have been active during the recession when the market picks up.
Creating The Personal Connection
According to the data. the majority of people do not use their previous agents. The reason behind that is that agents either do not follow up with their past clients or they use those old CRMs to spam their audience with the content they do not share. As a result, they do not use such agents anymore.
So what you should be posting about? Social media is prospecting. And how do you do that prospecting? By documenting your life to create that personal relationship. And then occasionally you can share content that is related to your business. TO remind them what you do. As a matter of fact, they care more about your breakfast, than what you have to say about the market. They want to know your story and why you are doing this.
The Great Content
First, you need to identify the pillars of your content. It depends on what your audience wants. For most of the agents, business content will not have a great impact. For most agents, their personal life will do much better. They need to share different parts of their life including their job and then see what works and attracts more attention. To survive in the competitive market, not only do you need to do videos, but you also need to do videos well. videos that are produced and edited professionally. To share your story and show yourself to your audience.
Tips for New Agents with Audiences from another Field
Many new agents who are known for a different profession are afraid of posting about Real Estate as their audience does not know them as Real Estate agents. No matter where you came from, you should create content from your previous profession so that your audience continues to follow you. On the other hand, your previous audience in a different field will probably feel more comfortable with you as you have something in common. So agents need to keep their previous audience. A Real Estate agent can talk to almost everybody.
YouTube Videos
Agents need to use YouTube to create longer videos. But you need to consistently change what they see on the screen to keep your audience engaged. Even if you are recording a video where people are speaking try to insert some other footage to change the scene. With the longer videos, you can pick and choose some nice and important sections and then share them on other social media like TikTok and Twitter. You can get 5-6 pieces of short content to use on other social media platforms.
Advice for a Slowing Market
Agents need to change their mindset about social media. It should be an integrated aspect of your life to prospect. The incoming generation of homeowners including millennials and Generation Z are the main audience on social media and you need to hack social media platforms to grab their attention.
On the other hand, agents need to embrace videos and acquire the skill to do videos well. Doing videos alone won’t work. Agents who know what they are doing, choose their topics wisely, and produce the videos professionally, are those who are going to win on social media.
Finally, agents need to be ready for what will be next. TikTok, for example, in the past was almost non-existent. But now it is one of the best platforms to talk to your audience. Agents who got an early start now are crushing it. Furthermore, agents need to be a consumer of social media and pay attention to what is happening on these social media platforms and embrace the changes.