Maximum visibility is important for any service provider in any industry, but in real estate it is absolutely huge and it’s why real estate agents in Canada spend so much on advertising and that’s precisely the reason most bus stop benches or shelters will have a realtor’s face and contact information shown on them. Traditional targeting strategies in real estate will continue to include conventional means, but these days there is increasingly value in real estate digital marketing and no one is going to need an explanation as to why that is.
You need to be most visible online now, as that is where the vast majority of people looking to work with a real estate agent are going to be searching for one to reach out to. But that’s in the face of the reality that most people wanting to sell their home will already know a realtor or have had one referred to them. Referrals have always been a huge part of getting new clients for realtors, and that’s hugely beneficial and the way it should be. All of your real estate marketing efforts should be undertaken with the aim of facilitating this for you too.
All of this is where you need to be making investments too, but they need to be smart investments and much of what will determine that is the area of the country where you’re working as an agent. In smaller locales where there a fewer realtors (but also less business to be had) you may be able to get by without using Google Ads for real estate for example, but you’ll still need to have some measure of hustle in ensuring you’re one of the most visible realtors in that area. Conversely, if you’re working as a Vancouver realtor or a Toronto realtor then utilizing social media marketing for realtor is going to be essential.
And that’s because of A) the competitive nature of working in an area where there are thousands of similarly-minded realtors, and B) the way that urban individuals are more likely to be making connections of this sort through social media platforms.
There’s so much more to this topic related to promoting yourself as a realtors and being super visible to prospective clients, and with this blog we’re going to dig right into that.
Go to Google
We’d be remiss if we didn’t put our first and foremost focus here on Google Ads for Real Estate, and what will follow here is a few proven-effective ways that using Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising quickly becomes one of the best ways to generate instant traffic to your real estate listing or website. It’s ideal if you do come up in the first page of SERPS when someone searches ‘______ real estate agent’ and while there’s no guarantee of that you can increase the chances of making it happen with PPC google ads for real estate.
Here are some tried and tested Google Ads strategies that realtors can put into place today and see new real estate client generation in shorter order:
Geo-targeting to Reach More Realistic Buyers
Geo-targeting works with targeting strategies in real estate. You can use the geo-targeting feature inside the Google Ads platform to solve the localization problem and prevent your ads from showing up in irrelevant locations.
Here’s the basics of how to do it. After logging into your Google Ads account, click on Location options and move to the Target column where you will select People in, or who show interest in, your targeted locations. This setting will make your ad to become visible to only those people in the locations you have selected. Select People in, or who show interest in, your targeted locations under the Exclude Column.
Your ads will become more visible to people who might be interested in relocating within the same city, along with those considering to buy or sell sin your primary locations. The last thing to do is set location bid adjustments. The goal is to increase the bid even as searches get closer to your targeted areas and decrease the bid as the searches move further away.
Filtering Out Irrelevant Exposures with Negative Keywords
Using negative keywords in your ads is a means of telling the Google Ads algorithm to avoid having your ads shown when certain keywords are searched or typed into the Google search bar. An example could be you don’t want to target condo buyers, so ‘condo buyers’ is added as a negative keyword. This will prevent your ad from showing when a potential homebuyer searches for a condo in your targeted areas or locations.
Assuring that your ads are seen more often than not by people who’s buying or selling prerogatives make it more likely they will contact you as a local real estate agent is hugely beneficial, and indicating negative keywords is easily done with Google ads for real estate.
Maximize Clicks to Bid for Top Ad Positions
Ad Position shows the order of your real estate ad in the auction results with respect to other ads. Consider these 5 factors to increase the chance that you get the highest volume of clicks possible:
- Bid amount
- Ad Rank thresholds
- Searcher intent
- Quality score
Done correctly you’ll increase the chance your ad shows up at the top of the page and in ad position 1 for higher CTR (click-through rate) and a high CPC (cost per click). There was a study that the most profitable average ad positions are 2.1, 3.5, or 4.6. The goal with your bidding should to hit that sweet spot between CPC and CTR – meaning the #1 position or a spot or two lower in the ad positions. But no lower than that.
Focusing On The Right Keyword Match Type for Real Estate PPC
Realtors working with Google Ads for real estate will 3 different match types for each target keyword they bid on – broad / phrase / exact. Broad match is mostly the default match type, and many newer real estate professionals are inclined to use it exclusively. With broad match keywords selected and ads appear whenever a search phrase contains that keyword is used.
You can gain maximum exposure here and that is always a central aim with real estate digital marketing, but what can happen is that the resulting traffic is low quality. The best keyword match types that can help you make more money from your ads are phrase match and exact match.
Tracking Conversions From the Start
The time to start tracking your Google real estate ads is right away. And you shouldn’t choose to wait until you have started making money before setting up the conversion tracking code. Knowing what percentage of users click your ad and what days generated the most clicks is important. You need to be clear on the fact that ‘clicks’ don’t always equate to sales or real estate client generation down the line.
Keyword-Based Ads Created in Multiples
Running real estate ads online effectively is done best when you target keywords that homebuyers are searching for in a specific location. As specific the location as possible, the better. You should focus on optimizing multiple ad copies based around those specific keywords you where you hope your property listings will show up when a user enters those keywords. And remember that ad copies should also be relevant to your ad group.
Good tips:
- Highlight benefits as much as you’re highlighting features
- Use numbers in copy
- Come up with more eye-catching and appealing headlines that are also formed around your expected local real estate search query terms
Ad Spend & Conversions
Realtors who do well with Google Ads for real estate never run ads blindly on Google blindly. And well they shouldn’t, because this avenue of real estate digital marketing is not inexpensive. You need to be aware of how much you’re spending and what results you’re getting or it’s likely you won’t be getting anywhere near the value out of what you’ve invested in real estate agent ads online.
Yes, Google Ads is a great way to get consistent leads but you also want to prevent or minimize irrelevant clicks and attract only qualified leads. This is always a very important consideration, and it makes it a smart idea to spend an adequate amount of time on your ads’ analytics. Also, invest in improving your knowledge of Google Ads. It’s a data-driven advertising platform — that combines science and art.
We’re going to move on to social media marketing for realtors now, but before we do we’ll stress again that there’s no better time to use Google ads to get leads and buyers for your real estate listings. In a competitive industry you need a consistent flow of quality leads where the chances of them being converted into real estate clients is more likely.
Spending an inordinate amount of time trying to get free traffic from social media and organic search results is never very useful it seems. Use Google Ads to level up and grow your real estate business.
New King
Social media is very much the new king of marketing potential, and if you’re new to working as a real estate agent you’re going to quickly see that nearly every realtor is very active on social media, and entirely by design. There are over 4 billion monthly active users across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and there’s no denying social media channels are an increasingly integral way for real estate agents to broaden their reach and connect with potential clients. In many ways it has revolutionized real estate digital marketing.
Getting the most out of it required the right approach, and there’s no getting around that. What will follow here are social media marketing for realtors strategies that can be used to build top brands in the luxury real estate space plus advice about which platforms might be the best fit for you as your promote you real estate business to the best of your ability. It tends to be a point that gets hammered on, but without a strong social media presence there is the risk of missing out on major opportunities.
Smart social media marketing strategies help you connect with your target market, establish yourself as a local real estate expert, expand your reach, and grow your real estate business. Keys to lasting success as an agent are definitely wrapped up in this.
Top real estate social media tools include Facebook and others, but Facebook is a good one to put a lot of emphasis on. It offers real estate agents an effective way to reach and meaningfully engage with potential clients and targeting strategies in real estate can definitely be incorporated here. There is an average of2.9 billion active monthly users here and you are able to pinpoint specific demographics, interests, and behaviors.
For getting your real estate business in front of the right people, Facebook is a wonderful social media resource and it is the most popular platform for people of the age and socio demographic that are more likely to be buying or selling a home. But there’s a lot more to it too, as Facebook can be utilized as revenue generator for your business by:
Showcasing properties and creating posts or albums that are complete with photos, videos, and detailed descriptions
Engaging with prospects through Facebook’s commenting and messaging so potential buyers are able to immediately reach out with questions or requests for more information
Building relationships with clients by sharing helpful real estate tips, insights, and updates, you can build trust and rapport with potential clients, which can be beneficial for long-term relationships and referrals.
Keeping up with industry trends with content that makes it natural to follow and engage with other real estate professionals, industry news sources, and professional organizations that have valuable information on the latest real estate trends and developments.
LinkedIn for Real Estate Agents
LinkedIn is also a very valuable resource for realtors looking to promote their real estate businesses and be identified as market leaders in their area. With its powerful network of professionals and potential clients, LinkedIn can be equally good for generating real estate leads and connecting with key people in the industry. It is always best to optimize profiles with relevant keywords, accurate descriptions, and engaging copy speaking directly to your ideal clients.
By doing so you can position yourself as an expert in your field and attract more prospects. Investing in sponsored social media posts or ads on LinkedIn is also a proven real estate social media strategy that’s helpful for multiplying your visibility and fast-track results. Career promotion is not the only use case for this platform, and you’ll quickly see how it is conducive to effective real estate digital marketing too.
Instagram for Realtors
Some do consider Instagram to be the best social platform for realtors looking to make connections with legit client prospect, and that has everything to do with the way the algorithm distributes content. But not just any content – very visually-oriented content and as you’ll know a huge part of marketing a home for sale is making attractive images of the home and property available. With over one billion active users, of course top real estate agents will look to Instagram to build relationships with customers and boost their businesses.
You can create stunning visuals that capture potential customers’ attention to connecting with influencers who have a following in your niche, and there are several Instagram strategies you can add to your real estate social media plan to accelerate your growth.
TikTok for Realtors
TikTok’s focus is on video content, and this type of real estate digital marketing approach is the very reason that so many realtors have bought drones to take high-view panorama video of the homes they are selling and the property around the dwelling. It can definitely help you reach more people and generate buzz around your listings, and with the way it is less focused on people who already know you’re a realtor it becomes a good place to find brand new viewers and build a real estate clientele base.
YouTube for Realtors
Maximizing their online presence is a key part of self-promotion for all Real estate agents these days. looking to Creating a YouTube channel as part of their real estate social media strategy is a good means of doing that. YouTube has over 1.9 billion active monthly subscriber and is the 2nd-largest search engine in the world.
A survey found that 51% of home buyers use YouTube for their research and 73% of homeowners stated their increased likelihood to list with a real estate agent who uses video to market homes for sale locally.
Overarching Real Estate Social Media Marketing Tactics
Social media marketing for realtors needs to be more than simply creating and posting content and hoping it ends up providing traction. Real results come from having a plan and being intentional in your approach. Consider these proven strategies used by industry leaders who’ve built their PRECs with effective approaches to real estate with social media.
High-quality photos
Your focus here needs to be on more than just beautiful pictures. The images you put on your real estate website and the social media platforms you use should build trust with clients, increase engagement, and drive sales as best as possible.
Client testimonials & success stories
You can do really well with optimizing your online presence as a realtor on social media by posting testimonials and success stories from past clients. It is great for showing potential buyers that you’re an experienced and successful agent, and also makes you come across as more genuine and approachable.
Company milestones
Having company milestones marked on social media can be an effective and relatively easy way to build authority and trust. You may even have the ability to turn this into a promotion.
Market & industry news
Posting industry and market news on social media shows that you stay informed, establishes you as an authority in your space, and promotes much more trust with your followers as they consider which Canadian real estate agent they’re going to choose to work with.
Home tips & renovation ideas
Realtors can take their experience in the business and what they’ve learned from clients to offer home tips and renovation ideas on their real estate social media platforms. This is a time-tested strategy that can add more value to your social media content and that value is then transferred over in the form of an increases likelihood of viewers thinking ‘this might be the right realtor for use to choose to work with when we are ready to buy a home.
Real estate event coverage
Leveraging your involvement in industry events is also a smart practice on social media. Not only does it demonstrate your commitment and expertise, but it leaves a positive impression on prospects, too.
Dos& Don’ts for Real Estate Digital Marketing via Social Media
Let’s now move over to some best practices for real estate social media and ways you can avoid common missteps:
- Do be yourself – Agents often choose to portray themselves in a certain way on social media and often one that’s not an accurate reflection of themselves or the way they’re inclined to help clients sell or buy a home. Being your authentic self is a much more effective way to resonate with current and potential clients.
- Do educate buyers – Real estate social media marketing is an essential tool for connecting with and sharing information with buyers. By educating your audience, you position yourself as an expert and build relationships that increase sales.
- Do post regularly – Realtors who create valuable content and share it regularly are more likely to be educating prospective clients about the industry and showcasing their expertise to the extent that they will have greater numbers of real estate leads generated.
- Do respond to comments – By responding quickly and kindly to comments, you show prospects and clients that you are engaged, timely, and on top of your game.
- Do share contact details – Contact info should always be clearly listed on all of your real estate social media profiles, as if potential clients have difficulty contacting you they’re going to be less inclined to make further effort to find a means of being in touch with you and getting the local real estate information they need.
- Do promote landing pages – Sharing your landing pages on social media is a proven way to drive more traffic to your website. This both increases visibility and promotes more real estate leads and leads that are eventually converted into clients / sales / commissions.
- Do build your brand – Having a consistent presence across online channels gives you credibility, visibility, and reliability, which builds trust between you and potential clients.
__
- Don’t exclude video content – The right strategies are always going to allow real estate agents in Canada to use videos to engage with prospects, highlight properties, and showcase their expertise. Done correctly you are much more likely to stand out from the competition and enjoy greater success as a realtor.
- Don’t assume clients are first-time buyers – Social media marketing for realtors provides an opportunity for real estate agents to reach potential clients from all different backgrounds. Take advantage of that and you’re nearly guaranteed to have more of the success with new real estate clients that you’re hoping for.
- Don’t be self-centered – Excessively focusing on yourself will limit your success as a real estate professional by alienating current and prospective customers, possibly harming your reputation, and likely seeing reduced engagement between followers and your local real estate content.
- Don’t ignore existing clients – Real estate social media is a powerful tool for connecting with current and past clients, and making the most of it will always involve ensuring engagement with existing clients as well as prospects.
Real Estate Social Following Generation Tips
We’ll conclude this entry by talking about specific tips that can draw more prospective clients toward you vial the social media platforms you use for real estate. Agents often forget to include their real estate social media accounts on their website, marketing collateral, Google Business Profile, and other client-facing assets. This is never good, as you want to make it as easy as possible for people to see and recognize the best way to get in touch with you.
You can start by keeping your social accounts active. Simply creating a social media account for your real estate business is not enough, and you should stay active by consistently monitoring for comments and messages, as well as regularly posting content. This is all tied into targeting strategies for real estate too, because prompt replies and being seen as someone who is ‘at the ready’ to discuss real estate sale / purchases is big-time beneficial for you.
Letting your personality shine through is good too. There is always going to be a lot of competition, so you need to ensure your content is seen and appreciated. Every realtor will be hoping to establish their services as something of a brand that’s uniquely theirs, and you can create an online presence that will help you reach more clients and grow your business.
The last consideration you may want to look at is to hire real estate social media experts. The ever-expanding number of social media platforms and ever-changing algorithms make it definitely for laypeople to do as well with all this as they’d like, so it’s easy to start to lag with your real estate social media strategy. Hiring a real estate lead generation expert – someone who’s likely much younger and social media savvy than you – may be a good investment when you can see how social media marketing is so big in real estate nowadays.
