Facebook Tips For Real Estate Agents
If you’re like most agents, you’re probably confident on a few social media platforms but not all. Do you struggle with one, such as TikTok? Usually it’s the platform that is the newest because agents have had the least amount of time to get accustomed to it. It’s tough with all you already have to do, to find time to learn how to use a new app but it’s essential to do so as part of an overall social media strategy for real estate agents. Users from app to app are not created equal, but there is one common thread once you learn the content style of a platform: consistently high quality posts. So at the end of the day, while this blog will teach you how to tailor your content to each platform in the best way possible, it’s up to you with your knowledge of your market to bring your best ideas to the table.
Facebook, The Original
You’ve got to have the fundamentals down for Facebook. If you’re more than a beginner you can read on, but it’s important to overcome several issues when starting out, first among them: getting past the slow start up. When you first start posting content, it’ll feel like you’re shouting into a void, an endless sea of offers and buyers and other agents competing for the attention of the same prime listings. This is normal.
- Build your core audience from your Sphere of Influence (SOI): Don’t make the mistake of neglecting your core audience. Your friends, family, colleagues and prior clients … these people already know and trust you. Most agents, particularly new ones, don’t tap their SOI enough, instead relying on finding new leads over and over. This is time consuming and exhausting because you have to sell yourself all over again each time.
- Pay for ads: You know you need a certain ad budget, and Facebook ensures you make the most of every dollar. You know your buyers better than anyone, and you know your listings, so target them. If you have a bachelor pad in your downtown as a listing, target your ad for single earners over six figures who have never owned a home, making those who see your ads highly likely to purchase.
- Facebook Live: If you have some camera shyness, now is the time to work on that because Facebook Live doesn’t allow you to do retakes. You’ve got to engage your potential homebuyers when they’re most available, which is before bed and on their drive home. Create a compelling title for your live video, let everyone know when it will be going live and get ready to press record (with all your other notifications off). Now, you’re probably wondering which types of videos perform the best and there are three main categories: virtual tours/inspections, Q&As, and a day in the life. Think about it: all of these require pretty low prep on your part. Q&As are simply you responding to users who are watching, a day in the life is simply you working on a real estate task you already had to do anyway and virtual tours/inspections are simply ride-alongs through your listings. Do your thing and learn to document it in real-time with your phone and it’ll get easier with each live session until it’s just another part of your day. You’ll be marketing, nurturing leads and crushing your to-do all at the same time for a triple win.
- Facebook Community Groups: Your real estate business should have a Facebook Pages profile, but like a website this is just a storefront, it is not a conversation, and to sell you need to start conversations. Facebook Community groups allow you to jump into conversations and create your own posts as jumping-off points themselves. A good way to start is by creating posts related to your geographical target area and general points of discussion, so you stay targeted and open to larger concepts. Whatever you post, remember that viewers need a lot of give from you before you can make an ask, and yes—linking to your website or social page is an ask these days. It might sound like the softest sell in the world compared to the sales pushes of the past, but it still feels like selling. Remember, when viewers really like your content, they’ll naturally check out your profile and website. Social media content is about lead nurturing, not lead conversion. Plant seeds and you’ll be sure to see growth.