For all its pros and cons, social media offers perhaps the most targeted and most effective platform for real estate agents to communicate with potential clients. Instead of whispering to the masses, social media gives you a direct line to a highly qualified audience — in other words, people looking to buy or rent your properties.
You can build a community, respond to comments, and watch those “likes” transform into “let’s meet” messages. Yet most people — real estate agents included — struggle with getting the most out of their social media channels. Whether they need to produce great content or need to build a sound strategy, agents typically can use some help.
Let’s take a closer look at what social media can do for the highly competitive world of marketing properties. In this post, we’ll review the essential best practices for real estate social media and how it can do so much more than just help you sell a house.
The Best Social Media Platforms for Real Estate
One of the first decisions you’ll need to make about building a social media strategy is which platforms to use. While there are many choices out there, we’ll focus on the few big ones that provide the most potential for connecting with people shopping for properties to buy or rent.
Facebook offers a wide reach, diverse user base, and a highly targetable marketing platform, making it an ideal channel for posting property listings, sharing blog posts, and interacting with followers.
Instagram, with its visual-centric approach, is perfect for showcasing high-quality images and videos of your properties. It also provides easy and immediate communication tools, so people can contact you with the tap of a finger.
LinkedIn caters to a more professional audience and is excellent for networking and establishing your credibility in the industry. It’s not ideal for listing properties, however.
Some popular social media platforms such as Pinterest, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter) may offer some limited marketing opportunities but haven’t proven to be highly effective at selling real estate. For real estate agents, Facebook, Instagram, and (for some) TikTok tend to be the most beneficial due to their visual nature and massive base of active users.
Six Must-Do Practices for Real Estate Social Media
1. Be Professional
Professionalism on social media is key. As a real estate agent, your online presence should reflect your expertise and reliability. Ensure that all posts are well-written, free from errors, and respectful. Your profile should include your contact information, professional photo, and a clear description of your services.
Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! A trustworthy real estate social media account can be simultaneously humorous, energetic, or even silly — as long as it’s executed according to high professional standards.
2. Create High-Quality Content
Content is everything on social media. High-quality images and videos can attract attention and spark interest among potential clients, and the better it is, the more shareable it becomes. It’s almost always worth the investment to hire professionals to help you create magazine-quality photos and reels that showcase your personality as an agent and highlight the best features of your listings in the best light possible.
When it comes to quality, it can be beneficial to have a mix of both professional and amateur content in your social posts. Premium content produced by experts goes a long way in winning over new clients and boosting your brand. Yet posting informal reels of yourself sharing updates or stories of your day-to-day work can also help you come across as relatable and authentic.
Valuable content can also inform, educate, or even entertain your audience. While posts like market updates, home improvement tips, or neighborhood guides may have some value, it’s far better to think outside the box and create content that’s truly valuable to your audience. Remember, the more value you provide, the more likely followers are to engage with you and view you as a trusted expert.
3. Advertise on a Small Budget
Social media advertising is a powerful tool for reaching a targeted audience. Platforms like Facebook allow you to customize ads based on a long list of demographic and psychographic factors, including location, age, interests, and more, ensuring that your ads are seen by those most likely to be interested in your services.
One nice feature about advertising on social media is that you don’t have to break the bank to be effective. Highly targeted social media ads don’t require the huge budgets that mass media demands.
4. Engage With Your Audience
Social media is just that: social. Take the time to build authentic relationships with your audience and regularly engage with them by promptly responding to comments, answering queries, and appreciating their interaction. You’ll foster trust while boosting your visibility due to the increased engagement, and more engagement means greater exposure.
5. Take Advantage of User-Generated Content
User-generated content, such as reviews and testimonials, can be a great tool for enhancing your credibility. And they do most of the work for you! Start by encouraging satisfied clients to share their experiences on your social media pages. If they’re up for it, consider shooting a video in which you can interview them about their experience buying or selling a home.
This kind of authentic feedback does impact potential clients’ buying decisions. Ninety-five percent of consumers read online reviews before purchasing a product.
6. Put Analytics to Work
As with any digital marketing platform, monitoring social media analytics is key to understanding how well your efforts are performing. These measurable insights can help you optimize your content strategies for the best results. If you’re going to put in the effort, you need to understand what works and what doesn’t.
There are numerous measurements for social media performance. Beyond basic likes and shares, you can also gauge your effectiveness through reach, impressions, click-through rates, website traffic, search engine results, and many other quantitative benchmarks.
You Have the Content. Now What?
Creating engaging content is just one piece of the puzzle. A strategic approach to posting and promoting this content is equally important. That’s where Absolute Altitude can help.
When you partner with Absolute Altitude, you can always count on the highest quality video and photography, including eye-catching reels and agent videos. You also get access to our social media partner, Cottrill Creatives, who offers specialized social media services created especially for real estate agents.
Contact us today and discover how Absolute Altitude can elevate your real estate business.
