5 Ways real estate agents can use social media to sell houses

Real estate agents aren’t exactly renowned for their tech-savvy, and being listed among the 10 most hated professions, next to bouncers and motorcycle couriers, is a bit embarrassing.

Looking for ways to turn this perception around, estate agents, like so many professions before them, are turning to social media. Memeburn decided to take a look at a few ways they can use the medium to sell houses.

1. Taking offline skills online
In the world of estate agents open houses, listings and viewings are crucial to selling property and going digital is making it easier. WellcomeMat is a great example of this. Estate brokers and agents can turn viewings and show rooms into videos, share them and make them just as interactive as they would be in real life, all while reaching a much bigger audience.

According to the site’s co-founder Phil Thomas Di Giulio:

“The majority of the videos being uploaded to WellcomeMat involve property tours, neighborhood profiles, brokerage information and updates, or agency advertisements. The common identifier with each of the videos is their ability to engage and capture the imagination of the viewer online while delivering quality information about a property, place, person or town.

2. Creating a Facebook page
Recent research shows that 80% of all real estate agents and companies are now using Facebook for marketing. The main goal of any estate agent is to gain as many clients and potential buyers as possible that would make them earn more commission.

Facebook has a much bigger reach than word-of-mouth or door-to-door marketing. Creating an appealing and professional Facebook page can make an estate agency a lot more competitive to those who have not yet tried it.

Clients are also becoming more up-to-date. Having an edge, therefore, can create positive feedback.

3. Tweet what you have to offer
Managing to follow and gaining potential buyers on Twitter can seem like a daunting task, but by putting in just a couple of hours a day can have big pay offs.

The trick is to be creative and not to sound too much like someone in marketing. Keep it casual and only say what you need to say.

An innovative way to advertise property could be to open a separate Twitter account for one of the houses on sale.

Although outdated now, this house, 229 Rock Glen, had its own Twitter account created by its owner.

I’m in a beautiful neighborhood with a great school district.

— 229 Rock Glen (@229RockGlen) October 8, 2009

 

4. Create relevant Facebook ads
Using the right images is key. People don’t want to see your smiling face, they want to see the property you have to offer.

Get a professional photographer to take the perfect image for your Facebook ad page. Only post what is relevant to your “fans” or “friends.” Take some time to go through their profiles to have a better idea of what might interest them.

5. Try Pinning
Pinterest is still new but, just like Facebook and Twitter, is a great way to up your tech-savvy status if used correctly. One of the most appealing things about Pinterest is its visual nature.

Creating your own pin boards and pinning original photos from your company’s own website can also be fun and very interactive.

Don’t pin too much as your followers might be put off by the bombardment. Instead, try pinning and sharing at strategic days and times of the day.

Research by Buddy Media suggests that Thursdays and Fridays as well as early morning (7 am), late afternoon (5pm) and late evenings (11pm) are the busiest times on social media sites. Posting your updates during the workday means that your target audience will most likely miss them.