There used to be a time when going to a conference or a networking party would secure real estate opportunities. Pass out a few business cards or brochures, shake a few hands, and voila! New clients would be interested in seeing a house, apartment or condo. Nowadays a real estate agent without social media accounts may be losing out on a vital, tech-savvy group of buyers.
When a real estate agent looks up his or her name using Google — or his or her company using Google — there’s no reason that agent’s name, photo and company name shouldn’t be sprawled all over the first page of results. Whenever real estate agents get to a point where they’re clicking several more pages to find their Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and/or Twitter accounts two things need to happen.
First. A company name change must be made if a similar organization is dominating in popularity and shows no signs of backing down. Who wants to constantly say, “No, not that real estate company, the other one” anyway?
Second. The second task that must happen is the real estate agent must invest more time in perfecting an online brand. So how can real estate agents make the most of their social media networking accounts?
Post photos often.
Reading about a walk-in closet just doesn’t have the same appeal as a photograph of open doors, shoes or shelved lined up, and mirrors along each wall for a shoe lover to check out her purchase. It’s no accident that social media sites such as Pinterest have hundreds of boards about dream houses. This is a market that’s already paying attention. Utilize this with residential areas you’re already investing in.
Use hashtags.
A potential buyer may not know about you but he does know how to find you. For instance, they might use hashtags. Hashtags, such as #realestate #realestatemarket #buyinghome #purchasehome #homeowner #condopurchase, are just a few that a potential buyer will use to narrow down real estate agents on Twitter. Don’t make the mistake of changing a Twitter page to private. Now that Facebook has taken on Twitter’s idea to use hashtags for people to filter public information, it’s definitely a good idea to make your Facebook page public too.
Not every possible customer may seal the deal but there’s no point in ignoring the ones who are actively asking questions. While it may seem like a waste of time to constantly respond to people who don’t seem invested in a real estate purchase, keep in mind that those who are interested will pay attention to the way you communicate with others. Social media highlights customer service in a way that conference networking cannot. Those tweets will also end up living forever in the Library of Congress so branding is even more important online than it ever was.
Share across multiple platforms.
Google+ just doesn’t have the same popularity as Twitter, and Pinterest is no Facebook (more on how important Facebook is for real estate agents here). However, there are users who are hardcore over one social media platform and indifferent about another. Don’t assume that having one account is enough. Whenever possible, share real estate updates with all social media accounts. While it may not be necessary to spend an incredible amount of time on an account that doesn’t get much action, it only takes one buyer to change all of that. For the competitor company that may have the same name or be in the same industry, social media may give your business an extra edge.
