With real estate listings at an all-time low, recent news reports about there being more agents and brokers than homes for sale in the country are not surprising. With a crowded field and fierce competition, cutting through the digital noise and presenting your brand strongly and consistently across the internet is more important than ever to compete, stay relevant and be successful in your business.
Even if you’ve adopted all of the latest marketing tactics, you can always benefit by going back to the basics and seeing where you can improve your everyday activities, along with the tools and resources you use to boost lead generation and find listings.
1. Hone in on what sets you apart
Identifying and highlighting your strengths and specialties can help you stand out from the crowd. If you specialize in a specific type of home, such as condos or investment properties, or with a particular type of client, such as first-timers or vacation home buyers, make sure your marketing materials feature those specific skills and qualities for consumers searching online.
2. Take control of your online presence and be consistent
Realtor.com® draws approximately 90 million unique users across its platforms per month. Claim or update your free agent profile on realtor.com® to ensure it’s a current and positive reflection of you and your business. Visit the realtor.com® for professionals dashboard to refresh your headshot, highlight your background and specialties, and tell your story by uploading an introductory video to your profile, feature your listings, and showcase recommendations and ratings. Once you’re done, search your name on the internet and build a consistent profile across all your professional and social accounts.
3. Expand your brand to target serious buyer and sellers
You’ve invested time and effort into building your brand, now make sure you get it in front of the right audience. Cut through the noise online with highly targeted ads on the sites where home buyers and sellers are actively browsing; realtor.com®’s Local ExpertSM digital ad solution can help you get in front of serious home buyers and sellers with customized and branded ads on realtor.com® and then extend that reach with targeted ads to the same consumers on Facebook and Instagram.
4. Share your knowledge
Even if you provide excellent customer service, if clients believe your value is limited to helping them buy or sell a home, you may not be creating customers for life. Besides helping buyers find the right home and ensuring a smooth transaction, be sure your marketing highlights how you offer more than transactional help – like connecting them with other professionals such as lenders, insurance companies, movers, and contractors. Then stay top of mind with clients with relevant, timely shareable content from the realtor.com® Resource Hub on your website, blog, newsletter, or social media.
When it comes to sellers, deliver more value with realtor.com®’s Seller’s Marketplace and help connect homeowners with companies that offer alternative financing solutions that allow them to seamlessly sell, buy and move on the terms that work best for them. For example, Knock’s Home Swap™ makes it easy for clients to buy a new home before selling their old one, and EasyKnock allows sellers to rent back their homes so they can leverage the proceeds for their next home.
5. Stay connected
Join the realtor.com® Facebook Pro community of real estate professionals across the country to learn about online events and get more tips and advice for marketing and managing your real estate business this summer and beyond.
