Before you can get to selling properties, you’ve got to sell yourself. Marketing yourself as a real estate agent is just as important as marketing your goods. While the end goal is to make tons of sales, the overarching number one priority for all real estate industry competitors is to get one’s brand out there. After all, a real estate business with no customers is just a profitless name.
If you want to up your game and turn your real estate license into massive sales, you’ll need to take advantage of the critical marketing strategies detailed below and pair them with our 20 practical marketing tips for standing out.
Why Is Marketing Yourself Important?
Unless you’re blessed with tons of connections right off the bat, clients aren’t going to come banging at your door. Instead, you have to put yourself out there and build your real estate business from scratch.
Marketing yourself is essential for growth and success because:
- You increase your reputation as a real estate agent
- The costs of acquiring potential customers are cheaper than traditional methods
- You acquire more leads from Google as you display EEAT (real estate experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness)
- More leads, in general
- Higher conversion rate
7 Critical Ways to Market Yourself as a Real Estate Agent
All real estate agents must devise a real estate marketing strategy. This plan is a multi-step process in which you identify key elements indicative of your brand and use them to define your overall strategy.
With these seven critical marketing steps, you’ll be able to create an effective promotional strategy that connects you with clients and drives sales.
Identify Your Ideal Customer
The first step in every stellar marketing strategy is knowing your audience. That means identifying your ideal client and listing key characteristics that define them.
There are many instances where prospective clients fall into demographics such as location, gender, age, ethnicity, and education. These factors come into play when devising your marketing strategy because they outline your course of action.
For example, if your target audience is younger (20 – 30 years old), you’ll probably use a heavily social media-based campaign.
How To Identify Your Ideal Customer:
It all boils down to research. If you’re struggling to identify your ideal customer, try using these proven methods:
- Analyze competitors
- Use Google Trends to track concurrent trends and popular searches
- Research social media platforms
- Create an audience persona
- Identify who your audience isn’t
- Reach out to previous happy clients
- If you have a website, use Google Analytics
Pain Points:
When you understand who your potential clients are, you can quickly identify their “pain points.”
Pain points are areas where a particular demographic has the most trouble in their buyer’s journey. Once you can identify them, you can tackle them head-on and get customers to come to you.
Research Your Market
Since you’re most likely working in a localized location, your objective is to discover the current marketing trends unique to your area/neighborhood. Using the demographic data you’ve gathered from the previous point, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for:
Let’s say your clients are mainly families with young children and couples soon to be married. That would suggest your market likely centers around good schools, multi-room houses, and safe neighborhoods.
You can then use this information to list the strengths and weaknesses of the market and create a strategy that works around them. Researching your market and understanding are intrinsically intertwined as they revolve around your ideal customer.
While it never hurts to look outside your area for inspiration, focusing on what’s around you is best, so your strategy maintains total efficiency.
Join Local Communities Online
In an age where most people turn to the internet for everything, you must make yourself accessible online. Use this to your advantage, as reaching out to customers has always been challenging.
Firstly, getting listed on real estate websites that talk about local events and real estate topics is a great way to get exposure to potential customers searching for properties.
You can also join or start Facebook groups, subreddits, and other community-based forums that allow you to share your real estate knowledge and connect with others.
Using these two methods, you’ll have access to millions of visitors each month just by sharing what you already know. That gets people interested in your expertise without doing any other form of marketing.
Online communities also let you share positive testimonials, which build trust and attract customers. They are professional settings that boost your brand image and allow you to convey your strong points.
Print Business Cards
Contrary to what many seem to think, the “old school” style of printing out business cards and handing them to prospective customers is still a highly effective marketing strategy.
A few of those little cards can bring in a sizable number of new clients and boost referrals tenfold. They’re also generally inexpensive to design and produce, so there’s virtually no risk.
Physical business cards are a tried and true method of increasing brand awareness and exposing your name to potential buyers in your location. Once they begin to circulate from client referrals and interested customers, you hand them out; business cards become a cost-efficient method of extending your reach.
While you may be inclined to skip this step at first glance, business cards play a much bigger role in real estate than people give them credit. The design process is the only part of this strategy that takes time and effort.
Of course, you only have to do that once. You may occasionally have to make minor changes (business information, logo, etc.), but that’s it. After that, you make copies and hand them out wherever you see fit.
List Yourself on Google Business Profile
One of the most effective ways to market your real estate business to local onlookers is creating a Google Business Profile and getting yourself listed in Google searches.
That allows people in your area to easily find your brand on Google and Google maps, which will, in turn, boost your local SEO. Increasing your local SEO is a significant factor in your marketing strategy as it helps you maintain two key components: relevancy and findability.
A large amount of time spent in real estate is personal marketing, especially in the early stages. Where you spend this focus will determine how high your conversion rates are.
Hence, you want to increase your relevancy by listing yourself as a business that provides a specific service and putting yourself on the map where people who want to find you can find you. When you utilize a Google Business Profile, findability comes intrinsically, along with relevancy.
And the best part about this service? It’s completely free to use, and it’s relatively easy to set up. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be using this SEO-boosting marketing tool.
Add Social Share Buttons to Your Website To Encourage Sharing
Social media advertising has become imperative for marketing in every industry: that much is a hard fact. If you aren’t already utilizing many media-sharing platforms, you might be missing out.
Why Social Media Is Necessary for Real Estate Agents
Social media channels make connecting with customers fast and effective. Real estate agents can effortlessly talk with potential clients and share critical information through various platforms.
For instance, Instagram is an image-based site with location options and instant sharing. These elements are ideal for targeting your ideal customer and reaching them in a place where they can contact you.
Furthermore, expanding your social media profiles is fundamental for your marketing strategy. After all, an engaging online presence can determine what type of people come to you and whether or not they share your account with others who might be interested.
Posting relevant social media content on your accounts is the best way to spread your presence. In other words, sharing your expertise, advice, pictures, and anything else to build some sweet brand loyalty.
Using Share Buttons
Now, assuming you are taking advantage of this convenient marketing method, you can do a few things to boost your real estate business’s growth. You’ll want to add social media share buttons to your website. These intuitive button links allow the instant sharing of property listings to multiple social media platforms.
As people share your listing information with others that may be interested, you’ll begin to see an exponential boost in high-quality traffic. That should be built into your IDX as well.
As an example, Showcase IDX has this on all Listing Detail Pages.
Use Direct Mail
Direct mail has often been called junk mail. Some people see it as an old-fashioned marketing tactic, but we think it has advantages.
Like business cards, this art form might be heavily overshadowed by the digital age but it is still in the game. While it’s not as widespread as it used to be, you can use direct mail alongside an email marketing campaign, ads on search engines, and social media marketing to maximize efficiency.
You’ll exchange data you collect from the internet and make adjustments to optimize direct mail fully.
One advantage you gain from combining direct mail with online analytics is you can personalize it more than ever before. Unfortunately, emailing and online messages lack the intimacy that more tangible alternatives offer.
It just feels more personal when a customer has something to touch, i.e., your card, rather than getting something digital sent to their email address.
Direct mail fell out of style mainly because of its lack of personalization, but digital data gathering eliminates this. In short, by using the strengths of both direct mail and digital marketing, you can send direct mail that drives sales and increases consumer trust with virtually no risk!
20 Bonus Tips To Stand Out as a Real Estate Agent
We’ve got the foundation built, but more is needed to market yourself as a real estate agent. In a highly competitive industry, those who succeed are the ones who stand out.
If you want to make it as a real estate agent, you’re going to have to get creative and do things not everyone else is willing to do. Here are 20 bonus tips to really stand out in the real estate career:
Start a Blog
The importance of blogs for businesses is higher than ever. Relevant content helps attract invested traffic on the internet and direct prospective customers to a product or service.
Unsurprisingly, the real estate market is no different. Adding a blog to your official website is pretty straightforward and is an excellent way to stand out.
While your blog content will depend on your area of expertise, it’s generally better to have a mix of unique and highly competitive topics. This way, you’ll be able to provide all the essential information to visitors while giving them some interesting tidbits to keep them intrigued.
Optimize Your Blog/Website for SEO, Including Writing a Real Estate Bio That People Will Care About
The number one rule for getting traffic on the web: make your content SEO. That means using relevant keywords, metadata, and headlines to increase your searchability on Google.
Not only will this help you stand out, but it’ll ensure the right people are coming to your website and social media accounts.
Set Up Paid Ads on Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have paid ad services that allow you to reach your target market and promote your goods to them.
In particular, Facebook and Instagram are great for real estate agents as their ad campaigns are reasonably cheap to run and specialize in reaching people within local areas.
Set Up Google Search Ads
Similar to paid ads on social media platforms, you can directly set up ads to score some points in Google searches.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but here’s the general gist:
Social media tends to have a wider reach, but Google Ads are better at reaching consumers ready to buy.
Set Up a Facebook Group/Online Community
Setting up a Facebook group or online community is an excellent way to gain some traction with industry professionals. You’ll build connections and relationships that will help you throughout your marketing journey and become the center of local traffic with posts relevant to real estate.
Build an Email Newsletter
Email newsletters alert interested buyers about new properties, information relating to local real estate, and anything else you think would be appropriate to send to potential clients.
Not only this, but you can also promote your blog and social media accounts, thus expanding your personal brand.
Be sure to include a professional email signature with contact information and constantly update your email list so you’re not sending out newsletters to defunct addresses.
Set Up Pinterest Boards
While Pinterest might not be as large as other social media platforms, it’s still a decent place to post property pictures and reach customers.
You should utilize Pinterest for a few reasons. First of all, it doesn’t cost any money, and it’s pretty time efficient. Secondly, it’s a convenient place to compile and showcase your collections. House buyers looking to peruse can easily access your listings through your Pinterest boards and determine whether or not they’re interested at a glance.
Publish Videos on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Others
Having a social media presence and creating content is vital for marketing. Posting videos on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok help your brand become well-known while building a client base to draw from.
The type of content is up to you. Informational content is excellent for attracting serious buyers. Funny content could appeal to younger audiences interested in buying a house. If you’re truly stumped on what approach to take, try looking at successful real estate influencers for inspiration.
Partner With Local Businesses
No one’s in this alone. Creating mutually beneficial partnerships with local businesses allows you to promote each other and draw from various audiences within their sphere of influence.
Even partnering with a coffee shop has the potential to benefit your real estate career and reach out to prospective buyers and sellers. Ultimately, the goal is to increase referrals and grow alongside other small businesses.
Hire a Professional Photographer
While you might be tempted to use mobile devices and take pictures yourself to save money, you might be doing yourself a disservice.
Professional photographers tend to have much higher quality in the photos they take due to their skill and equipment. Furthermore, their expertise allows them to include important elements you might not think about and capture scenes appealing to the eyes of your customers.
Focus on Customer Experience
A happy customer experience brings in referrals, testimonials, and a positive reputation to your good name. The better experience someone has during their time with you, the more willing they are to give back.
Incorporate Augmented Reality
With augmented reality, you can capture properties in a series of scenes that essentially allow prospects to experience virtual tours. It’s not necessarily hard to set up and gives people more incentive to check out your listings.
Hire Talented Photographers and Videographers
This tip draws from a few previous points, but it’s important to hire talented photographers and videographers. Not only from a visually appealing perspective but from a creative one as well.
Many professionals can take a good picture, which is why you’ll want to find someone on the creative side to bring a few innovations to the table.
Record Drone Footage To Highlight Your Properties & Community
A bird’s eye view gives a unique perspective of the house and allows customers to see the community around it.
Remember, you’re not just selling the house; you’re selling the neighborhood as well.
Gather Testimonials From Your Existing Customers
Tons of testimonials equate to a reputable brand and a dedicated client base. Strike while the iron is hot and gather customer testimonials soon after their experience with you.
Ultimately, you can create a stellar portfolio with many great online reviews to add to your profiles.
Embrace & Show Off Your Unique Personality
Remember, you’re not a faceless brand but someone with a personality, quirks, and uniqueness, so don’t be afraid to showcase that. You can do that in your website biography, through social media content, and how you approach others.
Embracing your personality helps you stay grounded and allows you to create meaningful connections that last a long time.
Build an Impressive & User-Friendly Website/Landing Page With a Modern Home Search
Your website and your website’s landing page should definitely be user-friendly. If a visitor can’t navigate it, you can bet they won’t be there very long. It’s best to keep things simple and include a modern home search option.
Host Free Events Like Seminars or Webinars for First-Time Home Buyers
When you become a teacher, people gather around you. They may be eager to learn at first, but eventually, their curiosity will turn into sales potential.
Free webinars/seminars are your ticket to attracting many first-time home buyers. You’ll then be able to give them all the information they need on their journey. When they’re ready to take the next step, the first person they’ll go to is probably you.
Become a Columnist/Guest Post on Authoritative Websites/Printed Media
If you have the opportunity, make as many guest appearances as possible on authoritative websites. They’re excellent for reputation and provide some free traffic to your website.
Take Advantage of Automation Apps for Appointment Bookings
Scheduling is a pain, and receptionists are expensive.
Automation apps allow clients to make appointment bookings without you having to lift a finger. You get a notification when they occur, and you’re all ready for consultations. These handy tools are much more efficient than paper and pen and leave much less room for error.
Create a Referral System
A referral system can help you maximize existing customers by providing them with benefits as they refer you to others. That might include discounts, rewards, or even cold, hard cash.
Referral systems help you branch out from external points (aka customers) and extend your reach without sacrificing too many resources. It’s a win-win scenario that expedites company growth and brings in sales.
FAQs Marketing Yourself as a Real Estate Agent
Here are some frequently asked questions around the web:
How do I market myself as a real estate agent on social media?
Take on a likable personality people will enjoy, create informative content, post fun videos about real estate, and use relevant hashtags. Be creative and provide something no one else does. Customers will start rolling in soon after.
What are the bad ways to market yourself that you should avoid as a real estate agent?
A few things to avoid include the following:
- Using DIY photos
- Not having an online presence (social media/website)
- Not using SEO
- Making things up as you go
You should always have a marketing strategy to follow and consult professionals when necessary.
Can I use ‘Realtor’ in my Instagram name?
‘Realtor’ is a federally protected copyright, so it’s best not to use it in your Instagram name unless you’re a member of the brand.
Do real estate agents have the right to use my sold house as a marketing tool?
Yes and no. They’re allowed to let people know the house was sold to keep the community updated and let other buyers know it has been sold. However, they won’t be able to march into your home and start taking pictures as they no longer own the property.
Does direct mail work for realtors?
Direct mail works well for realtors, especially when you include online marketing efforts and data-gathering tactics.
Will real estate agents become obsolete by technology?
Technology certainly makes the job easier, but there will always be a need to see the house in person and consult a real estate professional. Real estate agents are here to stay and won’t become obsolete due to technological advances.
Final Thoughts
The marketing journey is just as crucial for real estate agents as their charismatic ability to sell a house. A shiny smile and some smooth talk won’t get you anywhere if you don’t have customers.
Use the points mentioned in this article as a basis for marketing yourself as a real estate agent, and get creative with your methods. Don’t be afraid to be different and show your personality. If you combine everything you’ve learned into your real estate marketing plan, there’s no telling how far you’ll go.
Are you looking to kickstart your real estate business? Showcase IDX is the leading IDX plugin for digital marketing and SEO for real estate.
As I’m a real estate agent, your tips to stand out to market myself is useful for my carrier. Thanks