If you are a newly licensed professional real estate agent, your next task is to find clients. This post will provide a guideline on how you can market yourself as a real estate agent so you can start drumming up leads.
Create your social media accounts.
Set up your business account on all social media platforms – Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Capitalize on the free marketing that these channels provide. Regularly post and share several images of properties or homes that you represent. Provide relevant and updated information and make sure to always engage in the conversations on your page.
Build your website.
Creating a website is mandatory for any business. A website carries your identity and branding, making it a non-negotiable component of marketing. Your website contains all information about your company – your contact details, bio, and directory of your listings. An SEO-optimized website will increase your chances of drawing potential clients searching for their dream house on search engines like Google and Bing. These two are the main important reasons why you should build your website.
In addition to these, make sure that your site is mobile-friendly. Today, almost all consumers are on their mobile devices around the clock, using them for personal and business purposes. The user interface in mobile devices should not be sacrificed but enhanced to make customer transactions efficient and effortless. Your website is also where you include your listings. Put in there all pertinent data on a listing such as photos, videos, and virtual tours. Ensure as well to use the appropriate keywords within your content.
Ready your business cards.
Most of your time as a real estate agent will be spent on face-to-face meetings. Hence, always keep a stack of business cards to hand out to clients. Your business card should contain your name, contact numbers, email address, website, and office address. The design should stand out, at the same time, reflect your brand.
Create and develop your email list.
Actively create and update your contact list who want to remain connected with you via email. Creating a lead magnet is the easiest way to do this. A “lead magnet” serves as a freebie to trade for the lead’s email address and to get permission to promote to them in the future. An example of a lead magnet can be an ebook on real estate. It need not be lengthy but chock-full of value. The key here is to build a long-term business relationship with them. As soon as your email list is established, your next priority is to stay connected by regularly sending out a newsletter with the following information: new properties for sale in your area, educational content about real estate purchases, and open houses.
Enlist yourself on real estate sites.
Make sure that you are listed on real estate sites such as Zillow. Real estate sites usually are among the results that show up at the top of the list in search engines, so ensuring that your face is visible there, including your testimonials, would be advantageous for you.
Set up and invest in paid Facebook ads.
Facebook marketing is an excellent avenue to target your ideal client. On Facebook, you can communicate with three different types of audiences:
- Custom (audience you already know): This allows you to upload your email or mobile number list to find your Facebook contacts. It enables you to nurture leads and build up your relationship with them.
- Saved (audience you don’t know yet): In this option, you can search for prospects based on age, job title, age, location, or even behavior like if they moved to another area, recently married, etc.
- Lookalike (audience similar to those you already know): Here, you can connect with people who have “similarities” to those you know already. This is useful for targeting prospects who bear a resemblance to your previous clients.
Facebook ads are quite flexible and cheap because you can set your budget, the frequency when they are shown, and you can choose who sees them. As your business grows, you may consider scaling up on Facebook and invest heavily in it.
Look for testimonials actively.
Testimonials validate your claims as a real estate agent. They are a powerful tool in increasing your credibility and trustworthiness. If you do not have clients yet, you can ask for testimonials from your colleagues. If your testimonials are about your work ethic and less about a sale you made, it can still serve as a compelling and convincing endorsement. Post these testimonials on all your public channels such as websites, social media platforms, and in your physical marketing materials.
Put in effort in direct mail.
While digital marketing is a must in real estate marketing, let us not forget about traditional methods. Overall, direct mail still gets a better response from clients than digital marketing efforts combined. The power of touch makes it more personal, hence, more appealing to prospective clients because they can actually touch direct mail.
Personalize your direct mail and look for prospects based on varied demographics. If you can customize it to include their name, you will boost the response rate by up to 135%! Also, direct mail advertising can be done even with a small budget. Some services offer an affordable all in one design and print solution. If you want to learn more, you may check out these resources regarding direct mail advertising: PostcardMania, USPS direct mail, and The Mail Shark.
Keep in mind that direct mail is just the first step of the whole process of building a business relationship. Don’t forget to direct your customers to your website, where they can check out more information about you and your listings before they make a call.
Final Thoughts on How to Market Yourself Effectively as a Real Estate Agent
To become a successful and effective real estate agent, you need to invest in yourself. One of the many ways is in devoting considerable time and money to market yourself. This post is your best starting point for beginners like you.
