Facebook Live is a tool that connects broadcasters to their fans to enable real-time broadcasting, empowering the world to create, share, and connect around live moments.
The interactive elements of Facebook Live help broadcasters receive real-time feedback from their fans, and create a social viewing experience for fans to engage with one another and directly with the broadcaster. Facebook Live stays relevant and useful beyond real-time viewing as well, with content posting to Facebook as Video-on-Demand after the live broadcast is over.
Now you may wonder, how does this help me as a real estate professional? By going Live, agents and property managers can take clients on a tour of a listing during a real-time, interactive broadcast—a virtual open house. You don’t need a fancy camera or crew, just a smartphone. A partner can help you make the most of your Live open house.
Here are some tips to consider:
Before an open house:
- Send a targeted email to your network letting them know when to tune in to your Facebook Page for the Live— include a link to your Facebook Page. Post those same details on your website and your listings.
- For Facebook Live, use your Facebook for Business Page, Facebook Events to get your open house on calendars and send updates, plus polls and reminders. For Instagram, try using the countdown sticker in Stories or posting on your Instagram Feed.
- Directly reach out to potential buyers from your open house and invite them
During the Facebook Live open house:
- Plan your virtual tour like you would an in-person tour. Consider where you will go first and what you will highlight in each room.
- Begin by introducing yourself, sharing your credentials, and saying what’s great about the home overall.
People may come and go during the broadcast – this is completely normal – so periodically remind people who you are and what property you’re touring. - Interact with your audience by building in time in each room to pause and answer questions from the comments.
- For Instagram specifically, try a Live Q&A. Either ask questions during the stream or use the Questions sticker in Stories to source questions beforehand.
After the Facebook Live broadcast:
- After the livestream is over, the video becomes on-demand content that lives on the video tab of your Facebook Page, which can then be shared, downloaded, edited to the page that uploaded the video and re-purposed. It is very likely that even more people will see your Live tour after you’re finished.
- Use links to the “Live After” video on your listings and send to clients who missed the tour
- Save your Live video to edit. You can use shorter clips to post on your Page. Think of these as house highlights.
- Use comments from the audience to gauge what type of information they are looking for about the property. Tailor your future messaging based on the comments.