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Social media is a valuable tool for real estate agents — it allows you to showcase listings to potential buyers, highlight sales and successes to potential clients, and share your personality with those who might be considering working with you. A well-planned and executed social media content strategy should be a part of every agent’s marketing plan.
When creating your content plan, be sure to include posts highlighting your knowledge by educating the audience on your field of expertise. Below I share seven ideas for educational content for social media.
1. Local market data
A house is likely the biggest investment a person will ever make in their lifetime. Therefore, current local market updates and trends will be extremely appealing to your social media audience. You can post about what you are experiencing or can attribute data to a local news source or authority.
If you are reposting an article on the topic, be sure to include your thoughts before you press “Share” to highlight your expertise.
2. Neighborhood highlights
Real estate agents need to be knowledgeable on neighborhood amenities surrounding a house you are listing or selling as you are not only selling a home — you are selling a lifestyle. Potential buyers want to make sure their agent will be as knowledgeable about the local area as they are about the homes they are listing or showing.
To highlight this part of your service as a real estate professional, include neighborhood highlights and suggestions in your content marketing plan — proximity to schools, healthcare facilities, fitness and recreation amenities, shopping, and dining are always top-of-mind for house hunters.
3. Design trends
Sharing educational social media posts on trending design can help your clients either determine what needs to be on their “must-have” house-hunting list or alert them to what they might consider incorporating into their home improvements before listing for sale.
Being on trend can help with curb appeal and immediate first impressions, but it can also help drive value upward. Before and After images always work well for these types of posts, especially if you can quantify the return on investment your clients achieved with your design input.
4. Buying and selling process
A real estate transaction is a complex process, and a buyer or seller — especially a first-timer — can sometimes feel overwhelmed with all of the steps along the way. If you share information on the process to your social media platforms and tag it correctly, those searching for information and help will find their way to you and your page.
You can try short videos for these types of posts. But don’t worry — if you are apprehensive about filming yourself, ask a friend to film and get them to ask you questions like — what do I need to do before I start looking at houses, what should I expect during a home inspection, and what happens if a home doesn’t appraise for the agreed upon sales price. You will find it a lot easier than you imagined.
5. Explanation of common real estate terms
Similar to explaining the buying and selling process, explaining common real estate terms is also very valuable to an audience looking to purchase or sell. Terms you use every day — DOM, land lease, loan and inspection contingency to name a few — might not be a part of the vernacular for those who are taking their first foray into the world of real estate.
Again, videos would be good for an explainer, but you can always post text as well — or create a graphic using an app like Canva.
6. Analysis of trending news
Sometimes the news can be a little doom and gloom — especially just looking at headlines or highlights. A good way to present yourself as a subject matter expert is to take a trending news topic and dive deeper into the issue to explain some of the nuances and influences that may not have been covered in the article or fairly portrayed in the headline. Again, videos would be a great medium for this type of content.
7. Home improvement to-do’s
One thing sellers are very mindful of before putting their home on the market is what to do in terms of home improvement—or essentially, what to spend time and money on to increase the value of their home. As a real estate expert, you know what buyers are looking for and can share that information accordingly.
For a real estate buyer or seller, facing the unknown is a lot easier armed with knowledge. It behooves you—a real estate expert—to position yourself as a knowledgeable and reliable source by sharing educational information on social media. Why?
Today, many buyers and sellers start their search for real estate (and an agent to represent them during their transactions) online. Be sure to add educational posts about local market data, neighborhood highlights, design trends, the buying and selling process, explanations of common real estate terms, analysis of trending news topics, and home improvement how-to’s to your content calendar.
Laura Stace is vice president of luxury marketing for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.
