Why Social Media is Essential in Real Estate

Social Media is an essential tool for marketing for businesses worldwide with Real Estate being no exception.  With hundreds of real estate agents to choose from, it is important to find a way to stand out from the crowd.  In today’s competitive environment you have to find a way to keep your name active with all possible prospects.   The days of realtors using direct mail to send postcards or expensive pamphlets to entire zip codes of potential buyers is ending.  Instead, they are being replaced by quicker, less expensive Web-based options that many agents believe is more effective.

With over 85% of Real Estate transactions starting online, your prospective clients are on the web, and realtors must be where their past and future clients are.    People looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate flock to the internet to gather as much information as possible before making one of the largest financial transactions of their life.  In order for agents to stay connected to customers and create new customers in a fun way, social media is not just an option, it is essential for any Real Estate agent that wants to be successful.  For those not familiar with social media, it is important to understand the many advantages that accompany its usage.

• Referrals are much easier when using Social Media because it helps you create and maintain relationships with people.
• Agents can post blogs and important industry information and articles to their Twitter and Facebook accounts.  This makes them seem like experts in their field and attracts clients.
• Social Media efforts can provide you two essential outputs-brand visibility and leads.  Any visibility you generate to your brand has media value.
• Individuals are becoming less social offline and more social online. This is one of the main reasons you must be found easily on the web, and you must establish yourself as an authority for the services you offer in your area.
• Social networks allow you to announce property values to the public including important photos, updates, and prices of homes. You can post images of your latest listings with details of the property, and link it back to your website to generate traffic to your page.
• YouTube has a wide audience, and videos work extremely well when posting on your other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.  This allows you to be interactive while showing video of the neighborhood and home to potential buyers, and brings out your personality.
• The heaviest Facebook users are also the biggest spenders online – the top 20% of users spend $67 per quarter, compared to $27 for non Facebook users. (Comscore)
• Databases such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to interact with customers that may have questions through comments and posts.
• You can post listing information and pictures on a client’s Facebook wall, thus exposing it and yourself to everyone connected to that person.
• Consumer opinions posted online (70%) are more trusted than information on TV (62%), newspapers (61%) and online banner ads (33%). (Nielsen)
• Blogs help build widespread reputation and share information in your industry.  Remember – everyone strives to be that powerhouse in real estate.  You can even post blog content to your social media outlets to generate further exposure.
• According to a Kantar Media study in the US, 35% of social media users say Twitter has influenced their purchasing decisions. (Dirk Singer)
• Social Media also connects you with other professionals around the world.  It enables you to learn new tricks and key pointers from others.
• Social sites are straightforward and quite easy to set up.  It doesn’t take a proven expert to start.
• Mobile applications on Smart Phones can be downloaded for new and creative ways to promote listings and entice sellers.  Mobile apps are essential to connect with home buyers and renters.
• The best aspect of Social Media like Facebook and Twitter – they are free! If you use them to your strengths, it’s free advertising.  It not only saves you money but time as well.
• Technology in this world is changing rapidly.  With new innovations in phones, computers, and tablets, old real estate methods will begin to slowly deteriorate.  You need to establish a new ground-breaking presence.

With continuous advances in technology, social media is becoming more important and widespread to acquire clients, generate leads, and build your brand.  Real Estate is a highly competitive industry.  While direct marketing occasionally seems like the right approach, social media has become a dominant force in marketing real estate.  In order to be successful, it is important to use as many avenues as possible, so why not start now