The real estate industry has experienced some ups and downs over the last decade. Back in 2006, the National Association of Realtors had an all-time membership of 1,357,000 realtors, but this number dropped drastically because of the financial crisis. It hit the rock bottom in 2012 when it went down to 999,000 members. The number has been increasing steadily and in 2014, it had about 1,100,000 members. This has meant there has been an increase in competition.
This competition is fierce and it is important to get an offline and online marketing expert to be ahead of them.
Real estate agents play a very important role in the home buying process, but buyers are choosing to do more leg work online before they involve an expert. A study done by the National Association of Realtors found out that 92% of buyers usually go on the internet to start house hunting. This has shown how important it is for real estate agents to have an online presence. You are missing out if you are not active and engaging online. If you are looking at ‘measured building survey‘ then see here.
Setting Yourself Up for Social
The first thing you need is to have social media accounts on the big platforms (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and even Instagram). Make sure you always interact with your followers, promote your properties, and share good press.
Adding Social Sharing to Property Pages
Some home shoppers might want to share top housing pics with their friends, why not make this easy for them? Adding social sharing buttons is a good idea because it will allow you to reach more people.
Keeping an Eye on the Competition
What are the others doing? Visit their website and see how it looks like. Are they active on their social media accounts? You should look at what they are doing so you can replicate their success and avoid their mistakes.
Making It Easy for People to Contact You
Have your contact information on every page of the site. You should also have a contact us page that will grab the attention of the visitor.
Creating a Killer Business Card
Invest in a good-looking business card then give them out to as many people as possible.
Making Use of Local Images
When selling a property, you are selling more than just the house. You are also selling the area or whole town. Show what the area has to offer using quality photos. These can be photos of familiar sites or local town landmarks.
Creating an Irresistible Content Offer to Capture Leads
You should try to create an eBook that has a title like “10 things that a new homeowner needs to know before they buy” or “The most valuable features of a home”. Give out free eBooks in exchange for their email address (if it is real estate, get the zip code) because they help with capturing leads.
Hiring a Photo Pro
Great photography is important when it comes to success with real estate advertising. Poor quality photos can drive customers away. Invest in quality photos for your properties. You should hire a professional photographer (it is even better to choose one who has experience with real estate photography). If you have the right equipment and confidence in your abilities, then you can do it yourself. If you want to do it yourself, then keep in mind this is one of those things that pays when you use professionals. There are a lot of resources about real estate photography. Take your time so you can know what you are getting yourself into.