While having a blog may sound like a waste of time for a real estate agent, it is anything but. Rather, having a blog with news and important information for buyers, sellers, and renters, whether it’s for a real estate agency or a property management company, it can make the difference between a client choosing you or going with the competition. Here’s how to get started using social media to reach more buyers, sellers, renters, and landlords.
Maintaining a Blog
According to digital marketing experts from https://jatapp.com/ – the first key to engaging in social media is to maintain a blog. Building a blog base means having something to link back to on social media. With a blog, you can post links on Facebook and Twitter, generating traffic to your site. This is an important first step and a major reason you should be producing content instead of letting your blog get stale.
You stand to lose a lot if you don’t post to social media at all. About 68 percent of adults use Facebook, 71 percent use Instagram, and 45 percent use Twitter. For Facebook, 74 percent of users check it daily. Not having a blog and posting on social media means that you miss out on a huge potential customer base.
What Should I Post?
What kind of content should you be writing and thus linking to? This is slightly different, between real estate offices and property management companies, but as the link above mentions, 80 percent of your posts should be informational, while the other 20 percent of articles can be more commercial, touting your services. Let’s look at an example from each industry.
Real Estate
Millennials are hitting the age where they buy homes, so why aren’t they buying homes left and right? This article, from Mike Genna of For Sale By Owner, explores whether millennials are buying homes or not.
This piece poses a question not just for millennials who may or may not be thinking of buying homes, but it also targets other real estate agents. It examines relevant information to the industry. This is key, as you want to posit yourself as an authority in the industry.
If you are seen as someone who knows real estate, clients will want to come to you for buying and selling. Good information will also be shared by those already following you, increasing your brand awareness.
Remember the millennials from the above link? This information on social media will attract them as clients. Millennials research companies before deciding to work with them, and that is often through checking social media accounts, as well as the company’s website.
Property Management
For property management, social media is not entirely dissimilar from the above real estate, but there are added factors. Real estate agents generally have a one-time transaction with a client: the buying or selling of a house (or both, if someone is moving within the same area). A property management company, however, must maintain a relationship with their clients, as they are living on properties the company manages, or are the owners and landlords of the property.
In addition to the above, property management companies need to show they are great with communication and attention to detail. The first benefits those living on the properties, while the second also attracts clients wanting to hire the company to manage their properties.
The above link is perfect for doing just that. It explains that property management companies need those two characteristics, and it’s perfect for posting to social media. It will prove to readers that they know the industry and know how to take care of clients. While it’s geared more towards clients looking to use the company to manage their properties, and in particular luxury properties, it can also attract renters.
The key, much like the real estate agent example, is to promote something you are good at. It builds trust with clients. You need to catch your audience’s attention with your content, proving you are better than the competition in that you know the industry, or you will lose them.
Next Steps
Now that you have a blog and interesting posts, it’s time to engage in the conversation. What are people saying about the posts? Do potential clients have questions? Engaging with readers is a great way to again show your expertise while building trust, and showing that you are a great communicator, something clients value in companies they do business with.
Looking ahead to the future, you will need to embrace social media. Though still mostly teenagers, Generation Z is already proclaiming Facebook is for old people. Having a presence on just one platform won’t do; you need to keep up with the times. This means Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and more — and those are only what is currently popular. Gen Z is 59 percent more likely to engage with brands via social media than older generations.
It’s vital to use social media if you wish to expand your client base in the future. You never know when you will get a message via Facebook Messenger regarding a home listing you posted on your timeline.