As a real estate professional, your business is yourself.

It’s not the unit, it’s not the property developer and it’s not even your boss.

How this business succeeds will depend on whether clients perceive you as trustworthy and professional. Once you fit these criteria, then you have a higher chance to close more deals.

In today’s market, there are so many opportunities to grow your real estate business using online tools. And for real estate agents, social media is a great place to tell people about yourself and your business.

In the absence of a brick & mortar office, you can use social media as your 24/7 digital storefront. It has the power to create lasting impressions and attract potential clients.

RELATED: How to Upgrade Your Online Presence Without Spending Money

If you’re not online and visible when people are searching for an agent, then they could easily go elsewhere! So, use the information in this article to leverage the power of social media because times have changed and digitalization can directly affect the growth of a business.

Why Real Estate Agents Need Social Media Presence

In recent times, more realtors have been increasingly stepping up their game in social media. It has proven to be an effective way to showcase their value as an agent, as well as promote their properties for maximum reach.

Now if you’re a real estate agent who has yet to build (or rebuild) a social media presence, first you need to know the top seven reasons why you should.

#1 – Connectedness

Building relationships is a two-way affair.

By connecting with potential clients through social media, you have an unbelievable advantage to know what ticks them and find out if you have common interests. And when this happens, you can relate to them on a different level that transcends beyond property investments.

Moreover, clients, too, can learn more about your background. They can see what you’re capable of and what drives you. When you show your real estate agent side through social media, you give off a great first impression which is the reason for the next one;

#2 – Credibility

Without social media, you may have to resort to traditional and expensive means to spread the word about you, your listings, and your achievements.

And if you’re just starting out, this can cause some headaches.

Other than those highly-established real estate agents who after decades-long in the business are still successful without a social media trace, the 2020s is the time when almost every business has social media footprints. This is because it gives the person or business some credibility. And second, this is a chance to build toward some mainstream appeal.

So, if you have dreams of making it far in the real estate industry, use this reason to take your social media up a notch.

Present yourself in a way that makes it easy for others to be aware of your existence.

#3 – Authenticity

If you were in a position of a client who is being sold an apartment to or offered a lease of a floor of an office building – first, you’ll probably run a quick Google search of the development itself to determine its location.

Second, you’ll most likely try to use the extra minutes to research the agent or brokerage you’re dealing with to see if they are who they say they are.

Clients would think twice before handing over their business to some random person they just met. Therefore, you at least want to utilize social media to validate your presence when clients do their due diligence.

In any case, prospects are not going to specifically look for a ‘Blue Check’ account. But in the absence of a personal website, social media presence for real estate agents is definitely a good start.

#4 – Contactability

Okay, this word may not officially be in Merriam-Webster yet but it kinda gets the point across.

Think about how many real estate firms and agents exist, vying to close deals on a daily basis.

Not putting a face on your business can diminish your chances with potential clients. Some people you meet may either have a short attention span or could have lost your business card somehow.

Say, for instance, you met a client at an event or in a casual setting but after your small talk, they misplaced your contact details. What if their only recollection of your initial interaction was your name and your city? If they were keen to reconnect, they’d probably try their luck and feed that information to Google. The odds that they will find you are going to be much higher had you been a Meta or LinkedIn member.

#5 – Marketing

Social media has become a significant part of people’s daily habits and routines.

That’s why it’s no surprise successful brands and entrepreneurs continue to allocate huge percentages of their marketing efforts to both organic and paid reach.

With the right medium combined with best practices in digital marketing, you can maximize the benefits of social media. You can deliver your value proposition to your target group in the shortest amount of time with the least energy spent.

Nowadays, big and small-scale businesses including public figures benefit from the scale and usability of different online platforms.

So as a real estate agent, why resist the digital age and miss out on the advantage of free marketing advantage of social media?

#6 – Value Creation

Apart from marketing your listings, social media is a good avenue to provide valuable content about trends and news in the real estate market.

Micro-blogging, as many people call it, requires less work compared to a regular blog website but can provide the same effect in adding value.

A ready audience of millions of people looking for guidance and inspiration should be enough motivation for real estate agents to use social media to share nuggets of information.

READ: Instagram Real Estate Content Ideas for Feed and Stories

Case in point, you may have acquaintances that you don’t talk to very often who suddenly find themselves needing to buy an apartment.

Who do you think they will reach out to? Are they going to drive a hundred miles away and walk-in into a random real estate office? Or will they seek help from the knowledgeable and dependable realtor they’ve been following for years?

That’s the beauty of social media; you’ll never know how far your reach can go.

#7 – Referral

The social media algorithm may work in your favor depending on how often and how engaging your posts are. A high percentage of your online network sees your new posts more frequently if you stay consistent in your digital activities.

For those reasons, you want to be top of mind in your sphere of influence. The more these people get updates on your business, the higher likelihood they will send business your way. Let’s take a look at this example below:

Okay, let’s cut it right there, but see what I mean?

That is just one of the many possibilities and advantages for real estate agents having a consistent social media presence.

Again, social media is a great way to connect with people and continue to build your business. The best part of using it for real estate is that it can be done from anywhere at any time, allowing you to use your resources more effectively.

Now, do you need to be a marketing whiz to have a polished online presence? The answer is NO.

But you do need to have the willingness to learn and the patience to execute the work required to attract potential business.

For actionable tips and tricks on how to use social media for real estate more effectively, let’s go to the next part.

Effective Social Media Profile Tricks for Real Estate Agents [2023]

We believe we made a strong case as to why real estate agents need a social media presence.

But if you’re half-convinced, let’s look at this data that shows the number of social media users over the last 3 years.

With over 4.9 Billion people expected to use social media by 2023, it’s only practical to know what tips and tricks you can use to stand out.

Thus our goal, first and foremost, is to help you create an engaging and relevant personal brand.

This way, you can avoid common mistakes and maximize your resources (time + money) to meet your other business goals.

So without further ado, here are the effective social media tips from the pros that real estate agents should try right now:

Our blog is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Tactic #1: Be Candid

Instagram is one of the frequently used social media platforms real estate agents use to share about their professional lives. The one prevailing trend we’ve noticed more realtors try on to boost their Instagram engagement? CANDIDNESS.

Most of the active Instagram realtors highlight their work achievements and the daily grind. But with the candid use of social media, people are able to see a different side of you.

The digital world makes it easy for people to fake or exaggerate things. Therefore being candid can translate to authenticity that makes you more relatable as a person or brand. Don’t be afraid to show your personality online in the way you would normally be in real life!

TRICK: Don’t force it else it might backfire on you.

2023 PRO TIP: According to the social media management tool Hootsuite, 2023 is still a good year for the ‘no-edit’ edit

Let these real estate reality celebrities who are not ones to shy from bare(footing) themselves show you how it’s done.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barbara Corcoran (@barbaracorcoran)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ryan Serhant (@ryanserhant)

Tactic #2: Utilize Video Format

With the massive growth in the consumption of short-form video content in recent years, real estate videos in social media posts have attracted more eyeballs than static photos.

The popularity of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts in promoting video content resulted in higher impressions and increased brand awareness.

In fact, it’s become so powerful that realtors were able to carry on their business through virtual tours despite mobility constraints or lockdowns due to a pandemic.

Following this trend, many companies have then started to think outside the box. Real estate agents and companies looking to differentiate themselves continue to produce different themes and video formats that promote their knowledge and expertise in the business.

With the right tools and tricks in content planning and creation, your social media video content can be compelling enough to capture the shorter attention span of digital users, as well as drive conversion to your call-to-action campaigns.

TRICK: First impressions last so add a strong hook at the beginning of your video.

2023 PRO-TIP: For increased viewership, add captions and subtitles since many users watch videos without sound according to Skedsocial.

Agent’s Checklist: Equipment & Tools to Produce Your Own Video Content

If you’re looking to get started with creating your own dynamic content, here’s a checklist of equipment and tools that can help:

• Camera
• Gimbal
• Ring light
• SD Card
• Editing Software
• Stock Media Content

CAMERA

If you already have a digital camera or want to use your camera phone, then great! But if not, then consider first your needs before buying a camera.

Whether or not professional gear makes sense depends largely on what type of work needs to be done with the videos. If multiple people will be involved in making them happen regularly (i.e. producing weekly episodes), then investing on a camera upfront may be the best option because it means less time spent troubleshooting technical issues later down line.

RING LIGHT

To produce videos that get clicks, good lighting is your friend. Natural light is the best way to go but if that’s not viable then artificial lights are your next option.

Ring lights are the best starter lighting since they’re compact and portable, and can emit various light colors. With proper lighting, your video shots will look more high-quality and professional-like.

GIMBAL

A gimbal is basically stabilizer equipment for mirrorless cameras or phone cameras to take great stills as well as capture silky smooth motion. It has become a must-have tool for vloggers, not just for professionals.

Without a stabilizer, your footage may end up looking like it was shot with an amateur camcorder from the 2000s where instead of great first impressions, you might get raised eyebrows from those who caught a glimpse of your videos.

SD CARD

If you’re now convinced that you need to create more real estate videos for your social media posts, then you need to make sure to always back up your work. The worst thing that can happen is you plan and produce content only to have it not recorded or stored at all!

Make some room in your cloud, or external drives, or use multiple SD cards to store data from your cameras. SD cards are available in a variety of sizes from 4GB to 512GB and are formatted to work with different devices.

EDITING SOFTWARE

Video editing software can be expensive. However, there are some great options out there that are budget-friendly and can be done using your smartphone. Apps and websites like InShot, Biteable, or VN continue to thrive thanks to the generation of digital users who love to create their own content.

There are also plenty of free video editing apps available on the market, so it pays to do your research before purchasing a program. If you plan to edit your own videos, make sure the following features are available:

• Add simple edits to your videos (adding transitions, captions, and music)
• Use basic effects like cropping, trimming, blurring, and mirroring
• Create a montage of clips from several videos together into one clip (similar to what Instagram does with its own Stories feature)
• Option to duplicate your drafts for A/B testing or backup

STOCK MEDIA CONTENT

Content is king! It’s what you’re going to put into your video that makes it unique and worth watching.

There are many different types of media content you can utilize for your videos including images, music, and stock video clips.

Real estate agents can show some variety in their social media posts by using stock media content from the following websites.

• Unsplash. A free website source of over 4 million high-resolution images
• Canva. A free-to-use online graphic design tool to create social media posts with a vast library of free and premium images
• Envato.  Unlimited downloads of over 11+ million creative assets under one subscription

Tactic #3: Be a Thought Leader

Since Instagram and Facebook are usually more about personal and lifestyle-oriented content, a trend many real estate professionals use is sharing their expertise through their LinkedIn profiles and posts.

Overall, LinkedIn could be as powerful as having your own website as it’s usually the top result in search engines when people key in your name and industry.

Aside from being a platform to grow connections, it also has Recommendation and Article features that can add up to your online credibility.

READ: Smart Ways Real Estate Agents Use LinkedIn for Personal Branding

TRICK: Make sure to complete all the sections on your profile, style it with a cover photo and put up a recognizable and friendly headshot like this one.

2023 PRO-TIP: Well-thought-out and impressive statistics are just some of the highly effective LinkedIn summaries you can use for an instant credibility boost, according to Hubspot.

Tactic #4: Optimize Your Discoverability

As more people upgrade their digital footprints, online content will keep on mounting and yours may get buried.

So for your online profile to stay relevant, there are a number of key things you must do on a consistent basis:

• Use niche hashtags (you can add up to 30 on Instagram!)
• Enhance your bio with keywords in your profile name
• Participate in trending topics or Reels/TikTok
• Boost your SEO with descriptive captions
• Assess your metrics regularly to adjust your content as necessary

TRICK: To get discovered by your target audience with zero dollars spent, use FEWER generic hashtags.

It may sound counterintuitive since the point of hashtags is to have a wider reach but the reality is, using generic hashtags doesn’t end up targeting the right group you want a conversion from.

e.g. #realestatelisting is likely to be a more effective social media awareness trick than #realestate

2023 PRO-TIP: Analyze which hashtags were successful on past posts, as advised by Hootsuite.

#PropertyOfTheDay: Experience sky high living and panoramic Central Park views from your breathtaking @TrumpNewYork residence @TrumpRealty https://t.co/M9BlZ9srn2 pic.twitter.com/maINjA4ybG

— The Trump Organization (@Trump) March 28, 2019

Tactic #5. Maintain Your Brand Aesthetic

Design and colors have the power to influence a person’s perception of your brand. And having a brand aesthetic is your way of aligning your social channels to ensure consistency.

Here are some important pointers real estate agents must remember in choosing a social media look:

• Theme. Establish a brand voice. That is, what are the three words you want people to say about your social media look and feel?
• Color palette. Choose 2-3 colors (HEX color code) that align with your theme.
• Typography. Choose any font you like and stick with it in ALL your social media posts.
• Power of imagery. Use stunning photos to draw people in and avoid using poorly taken photos as it might drive potential clients away.

TRICK: Create FREE social media graphics with the design tool Canva and repurpose your branded content.

2023 PRO-TIP: Follow a master guide like WestElm to perfect the art of interior photography. Also, you can present interactive listings with current technologies like 3D Virtual Tour, as compiled by FitSmallBusiness.

Conclusion

Social media is a great tool for your business as a real estate agent. With the right strategy and execution, you can reach more potential clients that you can build better business relationships with.

For realtors, there are many advantages of the free marketing brought by social media. So block the time in your work calendar to track and engage with your audience so your business will be top of mind in no time.

In addition, when you post interesting things about the industry in your sphere of influence, they’re likely to keep coming back for more. And when you stay consistent, they may end up referring you to their connections as well.

After reading this article we hope that you can effectively use social media to your advantage. Especially since we live in a time when many other real estate agents are stepping up their online presence. Remember, you have just about the same access to the best resources. So go ahead and be bold enough to take things to the next level!

READ MORE: How to Spend $100 for Marketing and Branding in Real Estate

---

What are the social media practices you find most difficult or most useful in your real estate business? If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below!

— First Published on June 10, 2019