The real estate industry remains an intensely competitive market, and there are companies of all sizes trying their best to maintain whatever edge they can find. In this environment, there is little doubt that whatever can be done online will be enormously beneficial because hundreds of thousands of potential buyers are actively searching for information via the web.
It is important for people in real estate to be aware of the current trends so they can be up to speed and compete with what many of their competitors are doing. You should be constantly examining your own online strategy and adjusting accordingly when you are not seeing the results that you had hoped for.
A joint study from The National Association of Realtors and Google found that nine in 10 home buyers today rely on the internet as one of their primary research sources, and 52 percent turn to the web as their first step. Properties Online, Inc. reported that nearly 95 percent of home buyers use the internet to search for homes.
The bottom line remains that it is essential for any real estate company to make sure they are visible online in order to be seen and attract clients. Both residential and commercial growth is creating a more urgent need for those in real estate to be sure that they are being seen when people are searching for properties online.
Any real estate company is going to want to make sure that it is investing solidly in digital marketing efforts since this can go a long way toward attracting new clients as well as retaining existing ones. Read more about some of the most common trends so you can be aware of the best steps to be taken.
#1 Leveraging Social Media For Real Estate
At this point, there is little doubt about how influential social media has become in everybody’s everyday life. Hardly a moment of the day goes by without people checking their Twitter, Facebook, or other social media feeds.
Social media is only becoming more important as more people rely on this avenue to communicate with others because of the more limited personal interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Real estate agents need to capitalize on this source of potential clients as social media can offer numerous opportunities to be promoted and contacted.
Many agents involved with both buying and selling real estate have started to invest time and effort in social media marketing for real estate by crafting diverse content and then leveraging social ads. It is important to try and capitalize on all available social media channels, not just the big ones.
Twitter and Facebook were already mentioned here and are indeed two of the biggest, but other social media websites include Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr, Reddit, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Quora, TikTok, Vimeo, BizSugar, Mix, Medium, Digg, Viber, and WeChat. Do not ignore Slack either.
#2 Virtual Home Tours
Again, in the age of the pandemic, virtual home tours are extremely valuable. Many people are still hesitant to visit homes personally because of COVID concerns, and virtual home tours can be a great way to give people a real view of the homes they are hoping to purchase.
The success that has already been achieved with virtual home tours is not likely to slow down any time soon, even as COVID-19 fears begin to dissipate. It will be important for real estate agents to make sure they are continuing to offer this resource for many potential home buyers who could be hard-pressed for the time needed to make appointments for personal visits.
#3 Content Marketing
Content marketing is a kind of marketing that involves creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. Many businesses of all kinds use this to attract attention, generate leads, expand customer bases, generate or increase online sales, increase brand awareness or credibility, and engage an online community of users.
The good news with content marketing is that it does not have to be terribly expensive. Some agents may need to hire writers for content marketing purposes, but the practice is generally viewed as being one of the more affordable forms of marketing available.
Content marketing could involve blogs, YouTube videos, or Zoom webinars. With content marketing, you will want to identify your goals, learn more about your audience, decide on content formats, make sure you are organized, and measure your performance.
#4 Using Drones
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is commonly known as a drone, and drones can be controlled remotely by a pilot on the ground or operated autonomously through an onboard computer, communication links, or other equipment. Drones are extremely useful because they can give a person a terrific view of scenery that is not visible from the ground.
Drone footage can be especially beneficial when it comes to real estate because they can provide an overhead view of an entire neighborhood in some cases. Drone footage can provide dramatic aerial views compared to a regular photo or video shoot from the ground, and the shots add both dimension and movement to a website, print materials, commercials, and more. PC Mag has a list of the best drones for 2022.
#5 Leveraging Automation
Automation refers to multiple technologies that reduce human intervention in processes. The Technology Advancements Transforming the Asia-Pacific Intelligent Automation Market, 2020-2024 report analyzes the intelligent automation (IA) market in Asia-Pacific (APAC) and presents an overview on how artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) is gaining significance across key countries in the region, their applications, and some of the drivers and restraints in using these technologies.
Leveraging the power of automation lets businesses increase efficiencies, meet market conditions, and achieve and sustain competitive advantages. Businesses may automate selected or all operations at a time, decreasing errors and expenses and increasing the bottom line.
Businesses have the ability to automate in the stages appropriate for them, and it allows small and mid-sized businesses to focus on revenue-generating activities, while also keeping the employees engaged in learning. Automation can help you gain a competitive advantage including:
- Streamlined Business Processes
- Efficient Business Operations
- Better Employee Engagement
- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
#6 Email Marketing
While we mentioned the importance of social media, it is important to understand that there are still many people who do not use social media. So how do you reach those potential clients?
Virtually every person has an email address. Thus, email marketing is an incredibly important avenue to pursue because there can be high click-through rates as well as open email rates.
Email marketing is more beneficial than just creating new clients too. It can be incredibly effective at helping real estate agents retain existing clients and getting them to share emails with others, which could potentially lead to new clients.
#7 Community Service and Charity
Never look past the opportunity to be charitable with your time because the efforts you make will reflect well on you and generally be viewed favorably by others. You can take a strong step to help cement a much stronger impression among the public when you take steps to do good in your community.
Real estate agents who take active steps to help their communities quickly become trusted members of those communities, and many people will immediately reach out to such agents when they are in the market for a new home or other property. Good places to volunteer could include your local public library, the local parks, and recreation department, a local community center, local faith organizations, state or national parks, animal shelters, and adoption centers, food banks, homeless shelters, disaster relief organizations, civil rights organizations, advocacy groups, retirement homes, and long-term care facilities.
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