It is no secret that the world of real estate is a vast and competitive one. Sometimes it might seem impossible to get yourself or your business to stand out among the massive crowd of realtors in your area, but these simple marketing solutions can help you get the edge on your competition.
1. Brand yourself
Get into the game ready with a clear, definite brand. Have a logo or color scheme that people will recognize even if your picture is not attached to it.
2. Get a Professional Headshot
A selfie is not the way to go when branding yourself. Get a headshot taken by a professional photographer (bonus points if they are a local photographer) and use that picture for everything business related. Again, it is about people recognizing your face and associating your face with your business.
3. Be Active on Social Media
Your social media should be constantly circling with new information pertaining to your real estate area including; new listings, reviews of local businesses or restaurants, or exciting happens in the area.
4. Support Your Local Community
Being active and present in the local community helps people associate a positive response to your business. When thinking about you they might also think about that generous donation you made to the school or that time you volunteered at a highway cleanup. Plus, bragging on social media never hurt anybody!
5. Create a Killer Website
It is inevitable. When potential clients Google you or your business they are going to check out your website. If your site is old and outdated it does not reflect positively towards you and clients might not take you as seriously. Even if you cannot afford to get a website professionally built there are classes and easy platforms that you can use to create the site yourself.
6. Realty Niche
If you are in a highly saturated market then finding a realty niche might be the way to go. You might specialize in ocean front home sales or homes in the suburbs. Find your niche and stick with it because that will allow you to create a specific clientele.
7. Watch Your Competitors
There is nothing wrong with keeping an eye on what the competition is doing for their marketing strategies. You might see something that you like and tweak it to fit you or you might see something that really flops so you know not to pursue that avenue in the future.
8. Be Easily Accessible
Clients, potential or past, should not have to do detective work to find you. Making yourself available might include giving out your phone number and encouraging people to call or text you, frequently checking your email, and creating out of the office replies for people who inquire after hours.
9. Keep It Personal
Treating your clients like friends or family creates a sense of trust in the relationship you are building. Really listen to their wants, needs, price range, or desired neighborhood and keep an honest, open dialogue between you.
10. Create Newsletters
Online presence may be where a high amount of the activity is but never underestimate the power of a good old fashioned mailed letter. This letter can be an overview of the real estate market in the area, top spots to check out, or even a Happy Birthday or Anniversary letter. Maintaining connections even after you have sold a house or property allows for referrals in the future.
11. Encourage Reviews
If someone tells you how much they enjoyed your services face-to-face then encourage them to leave a review for you online. You can encourage that review to be on Facebook, Yelp, Google, or any other platform you are highly active on.
12. Maintain a Blog
Let people know that you go beyond just selling them a house, but you are also highly knowledgeable in the market. Creating a blog can serve as a resource to potential buyers and will boost your credibility.
13. Try Out Facebook Lives
Have a new listing that you are dying to share? Go Live on Facebook. Allowing people to see your excitement will encourage them to be excited as well, and you never know, someone might see something they like in the house and contact you.
14. Email Campaigns
Getting an email list can be a task for anyone, but encouraging people to sign up for your newsletters will benefit you in the long run. Your main goal should be to provoke thought in past or future clients and keep you a relevant name in their heads.
15. Power of the Ad
Consider your area and what type of ad would be the most beneficial to you. Depending on your audiences age Facebook, Instagram, Zillow, or even the local newspaper might be a good investment for your business.
16. Be Active on Zillow
Let us be honest. How many times have you looked at homes on Zillow? If you answered, “a lot”, then we are in the same boat. Create listings that stand out though great photos and a description that highlights the best attributes of the home.
17. Hire a Professional Photographer
While pictures on your phone might look alright, you really cannot beat a professionally taken photo of a home. Having your homes look enticing and professional will make your audience more drawn to them.
18. Consider Virtual tours
While virtual tours might not always be appropriate they can highlight areas of the home that photos cannot. Virtual tours can create a type of hype and excitement that you just cannot get from pictures themselves.
19. Get Swag
Swag can be a number of things between pens, t-shirts, or even coffee cups. Get creative with your swag and how to implement it into your local area.
20. Develop Guides
You are doing more than just selling people’s homes. You are selling them their neighborhoods and the lifestyle they will have within their neighborhood. Personally developed guides to hot spots around the area allow people to imagine themselves in the area. These spots can be parks, for people who have children, or nightlife areas, for a younger crowd.
21. Perfect Your Pitch
You should know exactly how to sell yourself as a realtor before you ever meet with a client. This pitch should not sound forced, but instead natural. Practicing your pitch in the mirror could help you feel more confident as well.
22. Focus on Analytics
Check in frequently on your different social pages and Google to see how people are finding your business and how often they visit your pages. If your website is not getting a lot of traffic and your Facebook site is, then it would be a good idea to promote that site on your social media channels.
23. Setup Google My Business
Make sure the first thing people see when they Google your business is your information right on the landing page. This information includes who you are, where you are located, what are your hours of operation, and how to contact you.
24. Prioritize your Client Relationship
Past, present, and future clients should all be treated in the same regard: as a potential customer. Creating and maintaining a relationship can encourage repeat clients or referrals from those clients.
25. Establish Your Referral System
Always remind people about how much you appreciate referrals. There is no harm in adding a line about referrals in your newsletters, email blasts, social media posts, and even your website.
Even though 25 different marketing strategies might seem overwhelming to you at first it is important to see how much these strategies will help you and your business in the future. Plan out what week you will phase different strategies in and see the substantial difference it will make in your business.
Do not know where to start? Or need help with a specific marketing area? Reach out to The Creative Monkey today and we can help your real estate business take your market by storm.
