The Dangers of Not Having a Social
Media Presence as a Realtor in 2021
AUGUST 11, 2021
Why social media is necessary for real estate agents and how to establish a strong social presence.
In 2020, there were an estimated 3.96 billion people on social media, up almost 11% from 2019 and a whopping 92.76% from 2015. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 223 million social media users who rely on social for everything from keeping up with their friends and families, finding new groups to get involved with, and searching for the best professionals to do business with.
If you are not using social media as a realtor, you are missing out on connecting with your target market, establishing yourself as an expert in the industry, and growing your real estate business.
Why You Need a Social Media Presence as a Realtor
If you’ve not yet established a social media presence as a real estate agent — or if you have a page on Facebook, Instagram, or another platform but rarely use it — you are missing one of the most effective ways to achieve success. Here are some of the most important reasons why you need a strong social media presence as an agent:
Why social media is necessary for real
estate agents and how to establish a strong
social presence.
Database Marketing Strategies
The Importance of Your Website as a Realtor
In 2020, there were an estimated 3.96 billion people on social media, up almost 11% from 2019 and a whopping 92.76% from 2015. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 223 million social media users who rely on social for everything from keeping up with their friends and families, finding new groups to get involved with, and searching for the best professionals to do business with.
If you are not using social media as a realtor, you are missing out on connecting with your target market, establishing yourself as an expert in the industry, and growing your real estate business.
Why You Need a Social Media Presence as a Realtor
If you’ve not yet established a social media presence as a real estate agent — or if you have a page on Facebook, Instagram, or another platform but rarely use it — you are missing one of the most effective ways to achieve success. Here are some of the most important reasons why you need a strong social media presence as an agent:
Why is Your Database So Important?
Your database is your key to staying in touch with those who may do business with you or who are likely to give you referrals. If you don’t have a way of keeping in touch with them and engaging with them, they will likely forget about you and their business (or referrals) will go elsewhere.
While many agents think they can keep track of those they need to touch base with by retaining their business cards, writing them down in their planner or simply remembering who they are, most are not organized and disciplined enough to do so. They need to rely on a system that involves not only building their database, but also effectively using that database to develop marketing campaigns that can include email newsletters, text campaigns, phone calls, or social media marketing strategies.
Some real estate agents decide to split their databases into two distinct groups: a lead generation group that includes only those who the realtor is attempting to gain as clients, and a sphere of influence group that includes past clients, networking and referral partners, and others who are likely to pass their names on to others who need a real estate agent. While both of these types of databases are useful, most agents find they get more business from their sphere of influence group than their lead generation group — especially if they are not using a professional, unique lead gen system.
What Mistakes Do Agents Make When Building Their Database?
Many agents suffer from “shiny object syndrome” when it comes to building their database. Instead of playing the long game and focusing on ways to slowly build their database with solid leads and close spheres of influence, they jump on the latest and greatest marketing trend and shift their efforts to a strategy they think will make them some quick sales. Unfortunately, a change in algorithm or other occurrences out of your control can easily put an end to the effectiveness of trendy marketing techniques. When you focus on building a solid database, you’ll insulate your business from external changes and reap the benefits a few years down the line when your list pays dividends and your income skyrockets.
Other agents do a good job of building a strong database, but then fail to utilize it by not creating a robust marketing strategy connected to it. Compiling the names is only part of the battle. The more important component is developing a system that consistently engages those in your database to keep them up to date and interested in what you are currently doing. Your system also needs to have “triggers” to let you know when someone in your database is at a stage where they might make the decision to work with you or pass on a referral so you can follow up with a phone call or an in-person meeting.
The Wrong Messaging
Build and Market to Your Database
As a realtor, your database is your best friend. This is your list of past, current, and prospective clients as well as referral sources who can help grow your business. A basic rule of thumb is that an effective database consists of around 1000 names and contact information. Once you’ve built a solid database, you can market to your contacts through regular email newsletters, texts, or personal invitations to events or open houses. The marketing you do to your database should follow the same guidelines as your social media marketing: keep content informational and helpful rather than salesy. This keeps your contacts engaged with your brand and ensures they will continue to pay attention to what you have to say even when they are not actively looking to buy or sell real estate.
Harness the Power of Social Proof
The theory of social proof states that people are likely to conform and copy the actions of those in their peer group or those they view as experts or who are trustworthy. When it comes to real estate marketing, you can take advantage of social proof by featuring testimonials on your site and social media, soliciting online reviews from those you’ve done business with, and by establishing yourself as an authority on the local real estate market with helpful, informative content. When you harness the power of social proof, you essentially have others selling for you and no longer have to hustle or chase leads.
■ You need to stay relevant and up to date.
In this day and age, most of those who are searching for professionals to work with will first learn more about candidates by looking at their social media pages. If you don’t have a presence, or if you do not post to your social media pages regularly, the message you are sending to potential clients is that you aren’t current with the times and likely are not up to date on the quickly changing world of real estate.
Database Marketing Strategies
The Right Messaging
Now that you understand that talking yourself and your accomplishments up on your site is the wrong messaging, let’s take a look at the content that works. Here are some tips on creating messaging that resonates with your target audience:
Content that is helpful. What are the issues your ideal client is dealing with? Are they attempting to buy and sell homes at the same time and need assistance with financing a down payment? Are they struggling to find a home they are interested in due to low inventory? Are they trying to decide if they should relocate or buy a second home now that they are empty-nesters? Identify the pain points in your target market, then address those points through blog posts that you then share on social media and in newsletters that go out to your database.
Content that establishes you as an expert. Those looking for help buying or selling property want to work with the best. To show that you are an expert in your local community and industry, develop content that revolves around neighborhood events, local real estate news, and other industry issues.
Content from experts and past clients. When you use the power of social proof to develop your website content, you let others do the selling for you. Social proof is the phenomenon where others copy the actions of people they see as peers or as trusted individuals. If they see your past clients talking about your high level of customer service in a video testimonial or read reviews from experts in the industry who have worked with you, they will be more likely to choose you as their realtor.
Content that stays ahead of the game. Your ideal client wants to know what’s going on in the industry as soon as possible. They also don’t want to read the same old content on your site that they’ve read on all your competitors’ sites. To address these needs, stay on the cutting edge of the industry and share information your visitors can’t get anywhere else.
Components of an Effective Lead
Generation System
How the Right Messaging Increases Conversions
3. A Privacy Policy
To make sure your website visitors feel confident when sharing their contact information with you, include a privacy policy that states how data from visitors is handled. Make sure to include that all information is kept confidential and that their email and other information will never be shared with or sold to third parties.
4. Trust Badges
Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau, National Association of Realtors, local Chamber of Commerce, or other established organizations? If so, put their logos on your site and state your membership. This will show that you are active in the community and that you are committed to the values and ideals of the organizations you belong to.
■ You need to stay relevant and up to date.
In this day and age, most of those who are searching for professionals to work with will first learn more about candidates by looking at their social media pages. If you don’t have a presence, or if you do not post to your social media pages regularly, the message you are sending to potential clients is that you aren’t current with the times and likely are not up to date on the quickly changing world of real estate.
5. A Robust Bio
Don’t skimp on the bio portion of your site. The road to trust starts with your clients getting to know who you are and what makes you different from other agents. Include information like where you grew up and went to college, details about your family, your hobbies and interests, and any other details that sets you apart from your competition. Make sure you also have a professional photo (or multiple photos) to help your prospects picture working with you.
■ You need to appear professional.
An agent without a strong social media presence is in danger of appearing
unprofessional to those who are seeking to buy or sell a home.
■ You can use it to develop a lead generation system.
While it would be ideal if you could get all the clients you needed through
referrals or networking, most agents need a system to generate the names
and contact information of those who might be interested in working with them.
The most effective lead generation systems rely on strong social media
presences of agents.
■ Your competition is on social media.
77% of realtors actively use social media to promote their business in some way.
If you aren’t on social, you will lose clients to other realtors who effectively
leverage their presence.
■ 99% of millennials and 90% of baby boomers begin their home search online.
Gone are the days when those interested in buying a home find open houses in
the newspaper or reach out to realtors to get listings. Today, the vast majority of
those interested in homes begin their search online, and social media pages rank
high on the list of where they look. If you aren’t promoting your listings on social,
they aren’t getting the attention they need to sell.
■ You can develop a reputation as a local celebrity and influencer.
Everyone wants to work with the best when it comes to buying or selling a home.
When you effectively use social media, you can establish yourself as an expert in
the industry and become the hot realtor everyone wants to do business with.
■ You need to stay relevant and up to date.
In this day and age, most of those who are searching for professionals to work with will first learn more about candidates by looking at their social media pages. If you don’t have a presence, or if you do not post to your social media pages regularly, the message you are sending to potential clients is that you aren’t current with the times and likely are not up to date on the quickly changing world of real estate.
■ You need to appear professional.
An agent without a strong social media presence is in danger of appearing unprofessional to those who are seeking to buy or sell a home.
■ You can use it to develop a lead generation system.
While it would be ideal if you could get all the clients you needed through referrals or networking, most agents need a system to generate the names and contact information of those who might be interested in working with them. The most effective lead generation systems rely on strong social media presences of agents.
■ Your competition is on social media.
77% of realtors actively use social media to promote their business in some way. If you aren’t on social, you will lose clients to other realtors who effectively leverage their presence.
■ 99% of millennials and 90% of baby boomers begin their home search online.
Gone are the days when those interested in buying a home find open houses in the newspaper or reach out to realtors to get listings. Today, the vast majority of those interested in homes begin their search online, and social media pages rank high on the list of where they look. If you aren’t promoting your listings on social, they aren’t getting the attention they need to sell.
■ You can develop a reputation as a local celebrity and influencer.
Everyone wants to work with the best when it comes to buying or selling a home. When you effectively use social media, you can establish yourself as an expert in the industry and become the hot realtor everyone wants to do business with.
6. A Way to Get in Touch with Your Team
Don’t make your prospects search every page of your website to find a phone
number or email address. Good websites have prominently located contact
forms that are easy for visitors to fill out. If you want to take this to the next
level, you can even add a chat feature that allows visitors to reach out and get
an answer immediately from one of your team members.
7. Professional Lead Capture Technique
Your website needs to have a way to get contact information from visitors
who are interested in working with you. However, it can’t be annoying or
compromise the user-friendliness of your website. Consider having a helpful
guide or other piece of free content that visitors can download in exchange
for giving you their contact information.
8. An SSL Certificate
A Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL Certificate, is a digital certificate that encrypts
information that is sent to the server and authenticates the identity of a website.
They are needed to keep any user data secure and prevent hackers from creating
a fake version of your website. An SSL certificate will also increase the trust
of your visitors as they will see that you are committed to keeping their
information secure.
9. Easy Navigation and Quick Loading Time
Your prospective clients want to know that working with you will be hassle-free.
If your website has long loading times or is difficult for visitors to find what they
need, they will get the impression that working with you will also be hard. Put
their mind at ease by ensuring your site loads quickly and is easy to navigate
with simple menus and buttons and landing pages for specific needs.
10. Good Grammar
Nothing ruins trust like a website full of errors. If you have bad grammar, spelling
mistakes, or other errors on your site, visitors will get the impression that you
don’t care about the impression you are making. Have your content created by
a professional writer and make sure you have a few sets of eyes look at each
blog and other pieces of content before they are uploaded to your site.
11. Testimonials
Those who are looking for real estate agents to work with want to know that you have a good track record and have helped others who have similar needs. Reach out to past clients and ask for testimonials that you can share on your website. The best testimonials are short and sincere and feature pictures of the people giving them.
12. Good Branding
Your brand is what visitors will remember most after they leave your website.
Make sure your logo is prominently displayed on each page, that colors are
consistent throughout the site, and that your brand conveys professionalism
and care.
13. Listings and a Good Search Feature
Of course, no real estate site is complete without listings of homes for sale.
Make sure the listings on your site have plenty of details and professional
images. You also need a good search feature so visitors can easily find the
home type, price range, and areas they are interested in when looking for
a home.
Are you a new realtor or have you been in business for years and know your
website is missing some of the key elements listed above to build trust?
Reach out to the professional website designers at Luxury Presence to help
you create a site that will grow your business.
The Components of a Successful
Social Media Presence
Now that you know why you need a
social media presence, the next step
is creating and maintaining your
presence to grow your business. Here
are the components of a successful
social presence:
The Components of a Successful
Social Media Presence
Now that you know why you need a
social media presence, the next step
is creating and maintaining your
presence to grow your business. Here
are the components of a successful
social presence:
■ The right choice of platforms.
Most agents will be most successful using Facebook and Instagram, mostly due
to their high number of users and the ability to create ad campaigns on these
platforms.
■ Frequent posting.
To show your followers you are available and active in the industry and your
community, you will need to post to your pages frequently. Daily posting is
encouraged, and some agents increase this to several posts a day on their
chosen platforms.
■ Consistency in brand messaging.
You need to be consistent with your message and your brand across platforms.
For example, if you work with luxury clients, you don’t want to post about how
to stage your home on a shoestring budget.
■ Ad campaigns.
Using Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns is an effective way to reach your
ideal clients and gain new business.
■ Share helpful information.
The majority of your social media posts should concentrate on giving value to
your followers rather than being salesy. Share useful articles, give tips, or post
infographics to keep your followers engaged with your brand.
■ Share some of yourself.
As a realtor, your brand is you. Make sure you show your unique personality and
help your followers get to know you by posting behind-the-scenes photos or sharing
interesting details about your background or current lifestyle.
How to Build Your Social Media Presence as a Realtor
Building an effective social media presence as a realtor takes time, effort, and
knowledge. Many agents try to handle all the work themselves and find that it
takes away from what they do best: helping their clients buy and sell real estate.
Other agents will delegate the work to an assistant, a move that can backfire
if the assistant becomes busy with other duties or does not know best practices
when it comes to social media marketing.
Though it’s always a good idea for agents to at least create some of the posts
themselves so their personality comes through and they can stay in touch with
their followers, most agents will benefit from working with an expert. You can
tap a professional real estate marketing firm like Luxury Presence to handle
social media ad campaigns and other tasks that are time-intensive and require
specialized knowledge, freeing you up to focus on giving your clients the best
service in the industry.
Ready to get started? Reach out to one of our social media experts today.
■ The right choice of platforms.
Most agents will be most successful using Facebook and Instagram, mostly due
to their high number of users and the ability to create ad campaigns on these
platforms.
■ Frequent posting.
To show your followers you are available and active in the industry and your
community, you will need to post to your pages frequently. Daily posting is
encouraged, and some agents increase this to several posts a day on their
chosen platforms.
■ Consistency in brand messaging.
You need to be consistent with your message and your brand across platforms.
For example, if you work with luxury clients, you don’t want to post about how
to stage your home on a shoestring budget.
■ Ad campaigns.
Using Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns is an effective way to reach your
ideal clients and gain new business.
■ Share helpful information.
The majority of your social media posts should concentrate on giving value to
your followers rather than being salesy. Share useful articles, give tips, or post
infographics to keep your followers engaged with your brand.
■ Share some of yourself.
As a realtor, your brand is you. Make sure you show your unique personality and
help your followers get to know you by posting behind-the-scenes photos or sharing interesting details about your background or current lifestyle.
How to Build Your Social Media Presence as a Realtor
Building an effective social media presence as a realtor takes time, effort, and
knowledge. Many agents try to handle all the work themselves and find that it
takes away from what they do best: helping their clients buy and sell real estate.
Other agents will delegate the work to an assistant, a move that can backfire
if the assistant becomes busy with other duties or does not know best practices
when it comes to social media marketing.
Though it’s always a good idea for agents to at least create some of the posts
themselves so their personality comes through and they can stay in touch with
their followers, most agents will benefit from working with an expert. You can
tap a professional real estate marketing firm like Luxury Presence to handle
social media ad campaigns and other tasks that are time-intensive and require
specialized knowledge, freeing you up to focus on giving your clients the best
service in the industry.
Ready to get started? Reach out to one of our social media experts today.
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