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Why is social media so important in real estate? We’ve broken it down into 3 categories to help explain the importance of having an online presence and why social media complements the real estate industry so well.
1. MARKETING
Marketing for real estate professionals is essential in order to be successful. From the use of social media to the listing description, marketing a home in the proper way is very important. The wording you choose for a listing description should be based on the type of buyer that you are trying to attract. For example, luxury listing descriptions should be phrased differently than a starter home or fixer-upper listing. This is also known as a ‘positioning tactic’. For example, you can position a home- either as a rental property, family home, vacation home etc. So, how you position a home reflects how you will market it- both online and offline, and shows which type of buyer you are trying to attract.
Facebook and Instagram even give you the option to create ads for your listings. Ads can be targeted to specific cities or locations, and you can include different interests and demographics too! Facebook Marketplace has also become a popular place for listings. Both buyers and sellers start their home search online, whether they are browsing their dream neighborhood or trying to determine the value of their current home, the process always begins online. As a result, using social media is a great way to have a connection point between buyers and sellers. Social media helps to build a reputation for many real estate agents and numerous deals are even done via social media as a buyer has seen a property advertised on Facebook or Instagram. Having a presence online also helps to boost exposure. Since the pandemic, being present and active on social media is more important than ever because home buyers and sellers are starting the process online. While marketing your listings is obviously highly important, social media acts as a channel where you can market yourself as well and show potential clients your personality. Marketing is going to be the future of real estate, and how you market not only your listings, but yourself, will be highly important.
2. COMMUNICATION
Online and through social media is a great way to communicate and engage with your clients and customers. Social media can act as the perfect tool to network and gain new clients, customers, and even referral business. Ask your clients to follow you on social media and share testimonials and reviews if they were happy with your service! This will help you grow your network, but also add to your credibility and expertise.
Social media acts as a space where you can be authentic and showcase your personality. Buyers and sellers want to partner with real people, so be sure to let your personality shine through, even if your accounts are more real estate focused. The beauty of having an online presence is that you have complete control over educating your clients and customers. You can warn them about common real estate mistakes and provide insights on how to avoid them or share market insights and predictions. This makes you a trusted real estate professional and helps to prove why you are an expert in your field.
3. PRESENTATION
The presentation of your listing can sometimes be a make or break. While some buyers have the ability to visualize the potential of a listing, most buyers won’t see past the clutter or imperfections- which is why staging and professional photography are so important when it comes to selling homes.
Staging focuses on highlighting the best features of a home and aims to depersonalize the space so that buyers can envision how the home will function. Most buyers already know what they are looking for in a home, so having it staged and presented well will tell buyers if the home lives up to their expectations. Staging also helps to move buyers from looking at the property online to actually booking a showing, and getting the buyers into the home can sometimes be the hardest part!
When it comes to photography, you want to have just enough photos to showcase the property, but not too many so that the potential buyer is getting annoyed. You want to make it easier for buyers to get a feel for the space, without taking too long to get to the next space.
Some best practices for real estate photos include:
- 5 exterior photos- 3 photos of the front of the property and 2 of the back- highlighting the backyard and any other outside structures
- 1 photo per room in the house and 2 photos for the kitchen, living area and master bedroom
- 25-30 photos is a good goal to set, however, this may vary depending on the size of the house or property
Video footage, drone footage, and virtual tours are becoming standard in the real estate world as it gives buyers a better idea of the size and layout of the home. With the number of Canadians that have been moving out of province or across the country- video is taking over the online space. Having video content of your listing, simply talking about your listing, or even just providing tips and tricks can really help to put a face to your name and make you more memorable and relevant. For both Instagram and Facebook, Reels are becoming the new norm- so you should familiarize yourself with how to create this type of content. They even have templates so it can be as easy or unique as you would like!
We know that the online space is everchanging, but so is the real estate industry! If you are able to adapt and pivot within the real estate world, you’ll be able to tackle the world of social media just the same!
Information referenced from:
https://inside.tru.ca/2022/03/07/the-value-of-communication-and-social-media-in-real-estate/
https://realtyna.com/blog/5-real-estate-marketing-ideas-help-increase-brand-awareness/
https://www.wishup.co/blog/using-social-media-to-promote-your-real-estate-business/
https://goiguide.com/blog/real-estate-photography-photos
https://www.moving.com/tips/why-staging-a-home-is-important/
Source: Why is Social Media so Important in Real Estate? by Bailey DeRudder
