Selling homes is rarely an easy job. Selling homes to people is quite a time-consuming task. According to Zillow, in the U.S., homes are sold after 68 days on average. That’s more than two months. And that’s just the average. In the best-case scenario, homes sell as soon as 47 days (Olympia, Washington), and in unfortunate cases, they take 148 days (Naples, Florida) to sell.
These numbers show that you need to level up your game to close sales as a realtor. Sending out mass emails will not get you very far. It would be best if you had various real estate marketing ideas. And we have you covered. Try using them all, mix them up, or use them for inspiration to find your ideas.
Real Estate Marketing Ideas
1. Build a Professional Website
In the digital era, a website must be based on content marketing. A website can represent your business, introduce you and your services, and provide educational content alongside ways to contact you. However, having a website for just one and forsaking quality will not do you any good. Try to keep these marketing trends in mind when designing a website for your real estate business to boost sales:
a. Make Your Website Simple and Easy to Navigate
Designing a complicated website will confuse visitors and might discourage them. Use a simple, organized structure that quickly shows the way for visitors.
b. Don’t Neglect the Technical Aspects Of Your Website
The loading speed, quality of media you share, design, and aesthetically pleasing look of the website are the things to consider.
c. Include a Blog Section
The blog is where you should provide visitors with valuable content. The type of content. Update the blog often and have a consistent approach to publishing fresh and original content.
Keeping your niche and target audience’s location in mind while writing your blogs is a good idea. This will reflect in your SEO game, and although it’s smaller, the competition is not as harsh, and you have a higher chance of a conversion.
d. Present Your Listings
Your website should be the first place you present your listings. As your homepage will be the most visited one, it makes sense to put your listings there so that all your visitors see them. Try to highlight the most essential listings separately.
e. Include Lead Capturing Landing Pages
Landing pages are designed for specific purposes and act as standalone pages within your website. Lead-capturing landing pages get visitors to submit their contact info (willingly) in return for some free services like a home valuation.
f. A Strong SEO
Search Engine Optimization is the practice of optimizing the content of your website to make it easier to find with a search engine. Without SEO, your content may not appear in search engines’ results. Even if you produce the best content in the online space, it won’t matter if search engines won’t pick them in the search results.
SEO works by finding the keywords your audience uses in search engines to find the content you publish and including those keywords naturally within your content. Trying to cheat search engines by spamming and stuffing keywords (Black Hat SEO) will backfire, and your website will probably be black-listed. Keep it fair, and you will be fine. There is no shortcut around this.
g. Be Mobile Friendly
It is no secret that most people are online on a mobile device. Killing time on the way to and from work, waiting for a friend, takeaway food, or simply browsing the net before going to sleep, cell phones are ever-present. Your website needs a responsive design, or you will lose many visitors. People don’t want to struggle to read what’s on their phones.
h. Install Google Analytics
Having a website without knowing how it is doing is pointless. Google Analytics is a tool that gives you insight into how your website is doing, how many people are visiting, which pages are doing better than the others, your average session rates, and bounce rates.
Designing a solid and professional site is a complex and time-consuming task, and it will cost you money. Roomvu offers a dedicated real estate professional profile that includes all the features realtors need.
2. Join Online Forums
Online forums are where people ask questions and try to help one another. There are lots of people who are looking for answers and could be your leads. You can browse different threads and participate in the local ones by joining online forums. Whenever a member has questions, provide answers and try to help them without offering your services. Be clear about who you are, and do not attempt to hide the fact you are a realtor.
3. Professional Photography
The real estate industry is about showing properties to clients and convincing them to buy them. Since you have chosen to go online, investing in professional photography services and taking a professional approach to your real estate services is wise. Although it is faster to grab your phone and snap a couple of photos and share them online, chances are homes and properties will not look good enough, or even worse; they may not look as good as they are.
Roomvu offers professional real estate photography with exceptional value and is competitively priced. Once booked, you are guaranteed a 24-hour turnaround time.
4. Make Video Content
As the internet becomes more and more prevalent in our lives and with the advances online and in telecommunications, it is now easier than ever to share big files like videos. People prefer videos to text and images. This should be taken advantage of.
The image above is taken from Deanna Barley‘s landing page. You can also watch a Real Estate market update here:
Creating video content as part of your real estate marketing is quite rewarding and generates more leads than other sorts of content. There are many types of videos to make for the real estate industry:
- Listings Videos
- Virtual live open houses
- Drone video
- Video Testimonials
- Real Estate agent intros
- Neighborhood guides
Creating educational videos for real estate is so vast that it cannot be squeezed into this article section.
5. Go Pro With Virtual Tours
Virtual tours are another breakthrough in the real estate business. A virtual tour consists of 3D simulations of a house, which allows viewers to browse through the screens of their cell phones or computers. Using cutting-edge technology and advanced equipment, 360-degree photography of the house is implemented, and then a 3D navigational model is generated.
This technology might sound expensive, but it is not. You can have virtual tours of your select properties for an affordable price and generate leads. Learn more or book a virtual tour today.
6. Email Marketing and Newsletters
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways of nurturing leads into qualified ones. Currently, 99% of people check their inbox daily, and the number of email users in the U.S. will be almost 255 million by the end of 2020. Furthermore, email marketing scores higher in conversion than searches and social media combined, delivering $42 ROI for every $1 spent.
Take note of the following for email marketing:
Provide Value:
Your emails should offer valuable content to keep the audience open to them; trying to sell in the emails will result in flagging your emails as spam.
Target Audience Needs:
While composing emails, remember that you are sending the email to your audience to help them. Don’t go bragging about what you have achieved. Target their needs and clearly state you are emailing to help them.
Use Videos:
Videos go a long way in email, instead of writing a long text, including a video message, which is easier to watch and more likely to be opened.
Segment Your Audience:
Your audience is not all the same; therefore, they should not be sent identical mail. Each segment of your audience needs a customized mail that fits their needs.
Call-to-Action:
You have a purpose for sending an email, right? What is it? What do you want the recipient of the mail to do? Whatever it is, state it clearly and ask them to do it. Assuming your audience will search and find what to do is a naïve assumption. They won’t.
Include an Opt-Out Option:
Your audience may decide not to receive your emails for many reasons. While that’s not the best scenario, always make it easy for people to unsubscribe from your emails. You don’t want them blocking your mail address as it will risk your address being blacklisted.
Do Not Overdo Emails:
Although following up with your recipients is a good idea, remember there is a thin line between caring and bothering. Bombarding your audience with a barrage of emails not only will not make them happy but also will make them unsubscribe or even block you. Don’t push your luck.
To show up in Google’s search results top items, you need to have mastered SEO on your website. But sometimes the competition is doing just as well, and there are many of them. After all:
Only ten real estate websites are shown on the first page of Google’s search results for any keyword.
In such cases, you might consider PPC ads (SEM). Pay-per-click ads are a practical way of driving traffic to your website to promote listings and, once appropriately done, produce great results. They are called Pay-Per-Click because you pay every time someone clicks one of your ads, and they work because they put your page on top of Google’s organic search results and mark them as Ads.
However, there is a catch. It is not cheap, and it could be a waste of money if you don’t track your ads as you should. Here are the key points before using PPCs:
1. Have a Clear Understanding of How PPC Ads Work.
Some elements determine if the pages show up as ads:
- Location
- Maximum Bid
- Quality Score
On equal grounds, ads with higher bids win the spot for paid results on Google search results. However, even if the competition has a higher bid for the keyword you are targeting, you can still win the placement by having a higher Quality Score. How do you get a higher quality score? Use relevant landing pages to the keyword and offer the best user experience on your website.
Have a look at the website for the 2nd search result for the previous screenshot; notice the astonishing graphics and the simplicity of the page:
2. Make Your Website Ready To Take Advantage Of PPC Ads:
- Your website should incorporate a user-friendly and straightforward format so visitors through PPC ads are not confused and directed toward the sales funnel you desire. If you fail at this step, they will leave without clicking on anything on your website, and you have wasted your hard-earned cash. See the above screenshot.
- There will be anonymous visitors to your website, and you need to make them give up their contact information by using lead-capturing landing pages. Here is an example of the landing pages through PPC ads.
- Complementary to the point above, directing visitors to your website without having a clear CTA (call-to-action) might leave the visitors confused and people not acting.
Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Social Media
Social media’s role in our lives these days cannot be denied. The ubiquity of social media can be leveraged by business people, realtors, and Real Estate agents in particular. Here are a few real estate marketing ideas for social media.
1. Create a Real Estate Facebook Group
Social media groups are among the best places to engage and increase self-awareness by providing valuable content and helping troubled prospects. Although your realtors are recommended to join relevant Facebook groups and contribute, you can also create a group yourself.
The point is to share valuable content and help prospects and fellow agents generate leads and referrals. Spark conversations and encourage member engagement. This way, you will introduce yourself as an expert.
Instagram has more than one billion monthly active users and is one of the most popular social platforms in the world. In January 2019, Instagram had 500 million daily active Story viewers worldwide. According to webstrategiesinc, Instagram has the highest social media engagement for brands, with 2-7% percent of viewers interacting with each post (depending on the follower count).
Instagram stories provide a precious feature for the audience. They can reply to the Story and contact you directly! How great is that? Here are some ideas for Instagram stories:
- Announce upcoming events, like live FAQ sessions, virtual open houses, traditional open houses, etc.,
- Share quick and helpful content
- Drive audience engagement y using polls, questions, etc.
- Share your personal life moments to create a friendly bond with your audience.
3. Reach Out to Social Media Influencers
Social media influencers are people who have a large number of followers (audience). Collaborating with the right influencers is a great way to increase your reach.
Although influencer marketing can do magic, be careful who you choose. Just having a large number of followers will not do you good. The influencers should be in relevant fields of activity, and their followers should fall within the criteria you have defined as your audience.
Read also: Top 10 Real Estate Instagram Accounts to Follow in 2020
4. Use Instagram Ads
Instagram Ads are great for real estate due to the visual nature of the platform and the high engagement rate it offers. The ads allow users to select their target audience and choose an ad type (post, story, carousel, videos, etc).
As Facebook owns Instagram, the steps for creating an Instagram ad are the same as those for creating a Facebook ad. The only difference is specifying what kind of ad(s) you want the Facebook ads manager to generate.
5. Use Facebook Ads
As mentioned above, paid advertising is one of the best ways to promote content, services, and products to your target market and increase brand awareness. With Facebook’s built-in ad manager, realtors can easily create ads for their market.
A professional listing video or market update video for your real estate marketing can also be used for advertising.
6. Join LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn is usually used for networking and job searching. However, it is also an excellent platform for posting content. Based on a study by Hubspot, traffic from LinkedIn generates almost three times a higher visitor-to-lead conversion rate than Facebook and Twitter. Groups on LinkedIn provide many opportunities to reach a targeted audience and increase profile views.
Offline Marketing Ideas for Real Estate
Although digital marketing offers many more opportunities to grow your small business, it pays to employ old-school offline methods to promote your business. A combination of digital and offline methods will provide the best results.
1. Make Your Clients Happy With Gifts
This one may not be the most exciting option, but giving gifts to your clients after closing a deal guarantees a perfect testimonial video and increases your chances of being introduced to your client’s friends and family, generating plenty of referrals. It is a personal gesture.
You name it: a helicopter ride around the city, a food tour, a lawn care maintenance session, a comprehensive house cleaning. Get creative and think of other ways to surprise your client and create a perfect memory.
2. Create Special Events for Your Real Estate Listings
If you are trying to sell a luxurious property, chances are your prospects will be some high-net-worth individuals hoping to be well-received. Think of ways you can turn the property show into a special event. Why not have the potential buyer brought to the property in luxurious cars? Michael LaFido used his relationship with a local exotic car club and did that. The results were remarkable.
3. Submit Articles to Local Magazines and Newspapers
You can talk to a local newspaper or magazine and have a real estate column. Send your real estate articles regularly. Always provide valuable content explicitly tailored to the needs of people in that area. This way, you will be known as the real estate person in that area.
Once the article is published, share it on your social media, and if there is an online version, share the link. Make sure you reach your target audience in that area.
4. Get Out There and Meet People
Approach FSBOs and expired listings. Don’t try to sell them your services. Introduce yourself and provide valuable tips and advice. Let them know you are there in case they need more help. A word of advice won’t cost you anything but will offer many benefits.
5. Join Local Organizations
To get your name out there and increase awareness, it is wise to join the organizations you care about and are passionate about to meet new people.
6. Reach Out to Local Radio and Television Stations
The internet has changed many aspects of our lives, including how we are entertained. However, TV and radio are still there and have an audience despite online streaming platforms.
To increase brand awareness, you can email local radio and TV stations to host or attend programs about real estate to offer advice and information. They always have this kind of show. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it if you make it.
Start by searching local radio and TV stations online and then send emails introducing yourself and defining your good intentions with your free services for the sake of the community. Even better, record a video of yourself talking about real estate to give the directors of stations a better idea of what you are offering.
7. Utilize a Moving Truck
Once you close a deal, your client, either the seller or the prospective buyer, will probably need to move their stuff into their new home. Investing in a complimentary moving truck and offering it to your clients when they are moving is a brilliant idea. You can brand yourself on the sides of the truck which will be promoting you as the truck is moving around the city.
When you have no moving clients, you can park the truck in crowded areas of town where there is lots of car traffic and moving pedestrians. This will put your name out there and increase your chances of being called by passersby. You can also offer the truck to non-profit organizations, helping others and promoting yourself simultaneously.
8. Postcard Direct Marketing
You can use postcards to market directly to home buyers and homeowners in your area, an eye-catching and affordable method. Direct mailers can be used to sell a local property to prospects in a specific neighborhood. You can achieve other goals, like promoting your real estate office through postcards. There are a lot of postcard businesses around. Just Google them in your neighborhood, and you will be ready.
9. Use Unique Decor
Unique and exotic things linger in people’s minds. Unique décor does the same thing when homebuyers visit a property. Using an impressive statue will draw attention and make the property special.
The reason behind this is that homebuyers visit many properties in a row. Featuring exotic décor will make them remember your house in particular.
Furthermore, realtors present a complete inventory of the brands in the home, not just the appliances but everything from fixtures to local name-brand architects and designers.
10. Handwritten Notes
Not many people bother to send handwritten letters and thank-you notes. This technique makes you stand out and shine in the competition. In real estate, where personal connection plays an important role, leaving a kind memory will go a long way for future deals you might get. Show the human side of yourself to your potential clients.
Real Estate Marketing Tips
The list of real estate marketing is practically endless. Realtors find inspiration in established ideas and use their creativity to develop new ideas. There are also some tips from experienced realtors proven to help businesses grow.
Here are some real estate marketing ideas:
1. Don’t Describe the Property, Tell its Story
Most realtors describe the property using facts when trying to market it. These figures and numbers lack soul and will not stir emotions. Emotions are the main drive when buying something, and realtors should remember this. That’s why it is recommended to use professional photography.
The point here is to present the house as a story and give it a soul that can be loved. Use the language to make it look alive.
2. Price Under Market Value
This is not how it looks. You are not selling a house for a lower price. When you set a slightly lower price for the house it draws attention.
Now you need to make the house look sharp and its best. Use other tips above to make it unique. People need to bid when there is a high demand for a home. The chances are you can sell the house for a higher price.
3. Limit Showings
The less time there is, the keener people. This old marketing technique works the same for real estate.
When realtors limit the time available for an open house or a showing, prospects feel a greater need to visit the place. This way, more leads will come right to your door alone!
4. Speak to The Perfect Buyer
If you could create the perfect buyer for the property, who would it be? What makes them perfect? Do the spacious rooms fit their needs? Why? When you have the answers to these questions, picture this ideal buyer. Now, talk to them as if they exist. Write all the content about the property around this.
5. Present Properties at Their Best
The property should be clean inside out and the landscaping flawlessly groomed. Go around the house and make sure there is no trace of dirt and the place is tidy and in its best condition.
6. Market to Millennials
According to a recent study, Millennials comprise the percent of home buyers at 38 percent. Therefore, you need to learn how to market and sell to them. They look at the home-buying process differently and tend to be more tech-savvy. Failing to tailor your marketing effort to fit this class of homebuyers will result in losing a large portion of potential leads.
7. Ask for Referrals
Word of mouth works. Always. Everywhere. People tend to believe others regarding rating service or a business but are more skeptical when the industry itself claims those qualities. Referrals work. 39% of home sellers found their agent through a referral from friends or family.
Though it happens naturally if clients are happy with your services, it never hurts to step in and politely ask them to connect you to a friend or family they know who may need help in real estate.
The Takeaway
There are many real estate marketing ideas, and the list grows daily. The point here is to find inspiration in these ideas and get creative.
Marketing is about thinking of the audience first. Their needs.
Too many realtors think of marketing as advertising themselves and letting others know how great they are. But nobody cares what you think about yourself. Show them what you can do for them.