I spent two years working in a variety of real estate offices on the administrative side. Along the way I saw a lot of marketing ideas for realtors, most of which sounded like a Destiny’s Child song:
This shiny new loft
I SOLD IT
This adorable Cape Cod
I SOLD IT
This fabulous renovation
I helped my client BUY IT
This charming starter home
MY CLIENTS BOUGHT IT BOUGHT IT
This beautiful acreage
I SOLD IT
Try these creative marketing ideas for realtors instead.
Name recognition is important, but it’s also important to have substance to back up the name brand. Anyone can walk through a house with clients. Anyone can read a real estate contract if you have some training. But only an experienced and knowledgeable realtor can look past flashy advertising and spot a good deal. (Or a bad one!) The agents I worked for were all very experienced, and obviously successful enough to hire an assistant in the first place. They knew how to navigate all kinds of tricky scenarios, from low appraisals to sinking foundations. But they were also good at guiding people through “ordinary” transactions. Not just because they had done so many of them but also because they knew that, for their clients, their particular transaction was anything but ordinary.
I’ve put together some marketing ideas for realtors that make use of your specialized knowledge. Even if you’re just starting out in your real estate career, you can win clients by educating them about the home sale process. Real estate transactions, by their nature, play out over longer time periods. A family buys a house today and will need to sell in a few years when they move. Young professionals may want to rent until they are ready to buy. People may age out of their current homes and need to sell or downsize. Realtors have a unique opportunity to form lifelong working relationships with their clients. You can start building that relationship with these content marketing ideas for realtors:
Build your e-mail list.
Social media provides instant gratification, but e-mail keeps in touch with people for the long run. Buying or selling a house is a big decision, and most people think about it for a few months (or even years) before they move forward. By building a list of potential clients and providing them with useful information at regular intervals, you can help them know, like, and trust you enough to call you when the time is right.
Provide targeted information.
Maybe you specialize in a particular neighborhood or property type. Or you are an accredited buyer representative with plenty of experience with FHA loans. Even if you do it all, break your e-mail list into segments so you can provide targeted information. People are more likely to remember and respond to content that is relevant to their needs. (And less likely to hit unsubscribe after the fourteenth boring newsletter!)
Roll out the welcome mat.
As realtors, you know that the first impression is everything, right? Make yours count by sending a personalized, targeted welcome sequence when people sign up for your mailing list. Not only does a welcome sequence train new readers to open your e-mails, it’s also a great opportunity to gently prepare them to buy or sell. You can learn how to write a welcome sequence with my free e-mail course here.
Share everything you know.
People are always afraid to give away their “trade secrets.” The reality is, in the age of Google, there aren’t many secrets left. People will find the answers they’re looking for one way or another. You can capture some of that traffic for yourself by sharing content on your website…or let it go to a competitor. It’s up to you. The beauty of content marketing is that you can repurpose your content across multiple platforms: blog posts, e-mail newsletters, social media posts, even traditional postcards, mailers, and print ads. One of the agents I worked for was also a builder, so he sent postcards with seasonal home maintenance checklists throughout the year.
Reach out to your network.
Realtors work with lots of different vendors: home inspectors, appraisers, mortgage lenders, title officers, contractors, and more. You can collaborate with these vendors on educational content for your common clients. Everyone benefits from the exposure and you show your audience that you are well-connected and able to leverage those contacts on behalf of your clients.
Follow up after the deal is done.
Once the contracts are signed and the keys handed over, don’t just disappear! Follow up with reminders about switching utilities and address changes. Introduce them to their new community, and add them to the group for that community if you have one in your e-mail list.
One final note: There’s no reason to give up channels that have worked in the past like postcards or mailers. One of the agents in my hometown sends magnet calendars every year, and my parents have one on their fridge to this day. It’s just important to stay memorable and relevant. These content marketing ideas for realtors can provide your potential clients with useful information that helps them remember who you are and feel confident about your skills and experience.
If you want more specific content marketing ideas for realtors, you can purchase the complete Content Marketing Map for Realtors below. In it I provide sample welcome e-mail sequences, a sample follow-up sequence, and 20 topics for social media, blog posts, e-mail newsletters, or postcards.
[products ids=”5159″]If you have ideas but need help creating the content, you can borrow my brain and time here. As always, if you have any questions, let me know!
