Competition in the real estate industry is fierce, so it is essential to find ways to stand out and make yourself stand out from the crowd. There is an ever-increasing number of licensed Realtors in the United States, at present adding up to over 1.5 million.
Many real estate agents give up during their initial years in the business, and some of this dropout rate might be caused by the intensely competitive atmosphere in the industry.
The median number of real estate deals closed by an agent annually is around six. Competition for these clients is fierce. Developing an efficient real estate advertising initiative is imperative for your prosperity as a real estate agent.
Both printed materials and digital strategies should both be implemented in your marketing plan, as they each fulfill distinct objectives. At the conclusion of this blog post, you will have a clearer notion of the optimal promotional materials that can assist you in expanding your real estate business.
Importance of Real Estate Marketing Materials
You should not only focus on print and digital marketing if you are looking to generate leads. For instance, keeping in contact with individuals in your social group can occasionally provide a valuable lead, similar to how tips or recommendations from your sellers and your area of influence can do the same.
The primary distinction between utilizing marketing strategies and connecting/alluding to others is the degree of reach. No amount of time you spend going to networking gatherings, reaching out to people directly, and getting referrals will change the fact that you have 24 hours in a single day and 7 days in a week.
You are neglecting key opportunities to expand your business and develop relationships if you do not exploit the potentials provided by marketing instruments.
To increase your financial gain, you should devise a comprehensive promotional plan that strategically capitalizes on a versatile mix of approaches.
Best Digital Marketing Avenues for Real Estate
You should always be vigilant in seeking out new channels of marketing for real estate as digital pathways continue to widen.
Nevertheless, there are certain essential approaches that real estate agents employed in prosperous endeavors always take advantage of. These should be viewed as essential components in your digital marketing strategy.
1. A Professional Website
The foundation of your digital marketing plans is your professional website, and it bolsters any campaigns conducted in print.
Many individuals today will investigate a real estate agent before making contact. What will possible customers discover when they search for your name on the internet?
Using a website allows you to manage the way you present yourself, so that you look experienced, knowledgable, and helpful. This indicates what your brand stands for and displays your work experiences and accomplishments.
Your professional website should include some key features. IDX makes it possible to showcase MLS listings on your site without requiring double publication efforts. Besides making your website handling more convenient, IDX makes sure that visitors to your site are capable of locating the data on the current listings that they are searching for.
Your website’s design needs to be both fast-loading and efficient to prevent visitors from becoming irritated by delays, a troublesome structure, and other issues. These visitors could exit your website swiftly, which would generate an elevated Bounce Rate and lesser performance.
People who use smartphones often prefer to search for real estate listings on their device. Your website should be designed in such a way that it loads quickly and can be seen clearly on any type of mobile device.
In addition, there are certain aspects to stay away from when creating your website. These include:
It may be appealing to present a full-resolution video on your website, however, huge files slow down how quickly the page loads. PDFs and big pictures that have not had their size reduced can also be big files.
Instead of posting these items to your webpage, you could add a link to have them accessed or viewed on a different platform. A great idea is to include a link to your YouTube channel in a video.
You can get guides you can access online by using a 3rd-party page builder such as Unbounce, in addition to being able to receive names, emails, and phone numbers.
You wish for your visitors to linger on all the pages of your website rather than becoming disoriented. Create a website that is structured in a way that is simple to understand and has navigation features that are effortlessly discoverable.
2. Social Media
Social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram enable you to effortlessly create an audience and keep in touch with your online network. Social media marketing does not cost anything to utilize, though you might want to put money into tools for photo and video editing.
You will gain more connections through social media, and your influence will also expand with them. When making use of social media marketing, it is important to remember certain things in order to achieve the most positive outcome. Your social media marketing efforts should include:
Making use of social media posts is an effective way to remain visible to your followers, however, posting too often can become irritating. Do your best not to exceed a couple of postings per week on your profiles in order to stop followers from unfollowing.
Having good-quality images and videos is an absolute necessity for effective social media promotion. To maximize their effectiveness and keep up a knowledgeable digital presence, only share high-grade images and videos that have been thoroughly improved or modified as necessary.
Each social media post should be beneficial to your followers. Think about incorporating things like referencing recently listed properties, including links to current real estate news, expressing your knowledge of the area, and more.
If you post too often, there is a likelihood that some people will opt to no longer follow or be your friend. This is especially the case when what is posted does not have much meaning. Think about making a schedule of when you publish so that you don’t post too often.
When individuals or groups make the effort to inquire or leave feedback, they are likely to be disenchanted if they do not get an answer. Utilize the two-way communication that social media sites supply in order to converse directly with people who comment on your posts.
3. YouTube
You could be missing a great chance for higher visibility on the web if you are not taking advantage of YouTube as a marketing tool, given that it is second only to Google as far as search engines go. You can include connections to YouTube videos on your webpage, write them in blogs written by guests, post them on different social media website, and many more.
You are able to upload walkthroughs of properties for sale, instructional videos offering advice to both purchasers and vendors, commentary on how market fluctuations might affect buyers and sellers, and more. YouTube is a powerful marketing resource, and you can optimize its benefits in these ways:
Developing a Personalized YouTube Channel: You can arrange all of your videos in the same place with a single link by creating a YouTube channel. This is a vital step in advertising your video material, allowing your followers to receive video updates by signing up to your channel. They will be alerted when you post recent videos.
It is vital to create excellent videos in order to come across as a serious professional. Moreover, top-notch video recordings provide your viewers with a better experience, motivating them to watch your videos from start to finish.
There are plenty of ways to advertise your channel by using YouTube, such as in-stream videos, bumpers, and discovery ads. You can configure the location where your ads will be displayed in order to reach your local demographic.
Videos should be succinct and direct without talking too much without purpose. If your video surpasses 15 minutes, it appears rational to separate it into segments.
There are lots of prospects to tailor and give your own flair to your YouTube channel, including deciding a name, selecting an image to go on the profile, and including the banner artwork, and further. These are useful methods of setting up your identity on YouTube, so make sure you choose your aesthetic aspects with caution.
Print Marketing Materials
It would not be a wise decision to overlook print material while trying to maximize your digital marketing efforts. As a real estate agent, you need to be aware that some people might be suspicious when it comes to online marketing, while certain groups aren’t acquainted with technology yet are still possible buyers.
Analysis of records from the last ten years indicates that print advertising brings about a stronger impression when compared to digital advertisements and memory recall of the ad remains better after seven days.
It would be beneficial to formulate a strategy for advertising your real estate company in print form. Print marketing materials should be considered a visual complement to your digital strategy.
4. Brochures
Brochures are an effective, budget-conscious, and informative approach to highlighting your real estate agency.
Research showed that printed documents like pamphlets are seen as educational materials by a lot of people, and can also be used as informative references to your properties/listings or as extra elements of bigger advertising strategies.
Brochures are especially beneficial when deploying a real estate farming tactic, which requires a realtor to become well-known as the go-to person in a particular neighborhood or area for real estate-related info.
Brochures present a great opportunity to get creative with the design and it’s important to find a good harmony between the text and the visuals presented. It is suggested by professionals that you should keep your words to the minimum, but never omit information that is paramount and valuable.
Brochures can be employed to feature one specific apartment, home, condo, commercial estate, advertise multiple properties or to advertise your real estate services. The best way to go about it is to decide which of the following you want the reader to do, such as: giving you a call, sending a message to your company, or acquiring something.
Based on this, make a list of what should go on the brochure. If you’re creating a brochure detailing a property, for example, here’s what you can include:
4.1 Property details, features or inclusions
It’s important to display and make it clear what features come with the property, as this will make the house/commercial area more appealing.
This list of features could persuade a potential buyer to contact you to arrange a viewing of the house. It could aid someone who is looking to purchase or rent a property in choosing between two or more of them.
4.2 3D Floor Plans
A plan of the land plus 3D decorations aid a viewer analyse more accurately how the room will appear and be experienced as a residence. It can be hard to make sense of a two-dimensional design, like a blueprint. In such cases, a 3D layout helps.
4.3 High-Quality Photos
Pictures are essential for pamphlets, and can be strong enough to make a possible customer contemplate leasing or buying a property.
In this case, having good quality images that are bright and attractive, which display the property’s best features, is a great plan, as demonstrated by the example shown.
4.4 Descriptions (compelling but short)
Real estate descriptions of small size can help enhance your brochure. But what should you include? From the example, it is clear that utilizing concise captions can help reinforce the imagery and provide your clients with a visual, make sure to use the proper punctuation, do not reiterate the same points, and ensure that the information you provide is accurate.
4.5 Real estate agent contact details
It should be obvious to everyone who would like to enquire, view properties, and purchase that they can find your contact details.
Including a picture may help your business come off as more welcoming and friendly, as demonstrated in the example given.
4.6 Map
Including a map in your brochure like the one pictured, can give potential buyers an increased understanding of the property as well as the area around it. Put a pin in the map to indicate the spot of your property accurately.
5. Business Cards
As a real estate marketer, using a well-designed business card is a great way to get your name out there and begin building your social network. Business cards in the field of real estate provide your contact info, qualifications, and link to your other accomplishments.
Experts maintain that handing out 2,000 eye-catching business cards can boost business by 2.5 percent.
Figures show that almost 9 out of 10 people who bought a home would recommend their agent to other people or use the same agent again. This means that business cards can be used to attract people as possible referrals.
6. Open House Signs
Research indicates that approximately 10% of individuals located their residence via a sign in the yard or an open house event.
Yard signs can be used to promote open houses, to indicate that a property has been sold, and as a means of guiding buyers to your open house.
A yard sign can not only advertise your properties well but also provide a way for you to demonstrate your marketing acumen in a manner that is sure to be remembered. We’ve got two excellent yard sign case studies for you that illustrate how to get both right:
Yard signs may look simple, but there are many ways to make them really stand out and draw in potential buyers. Here’s how you should go about using them:
Placing a yard sign when the weather is the nicest and nearer the date of your open house is a great thought; in doing this, those who are out and about will be sure to spot it.
The main goal of an open house sign is to attract drivers passing by, but don’t place one too far away from the area in different directions. Put your signs at the primary entrances to the town and main junctions instead. Think about displaying open house signs in places that get a lot of traffic on the weekends such as shopping malls, supermarkets, farmer’s markets, eateries, parks and other spots for recreational activities.
Utilize vanity phone numbers; these are incredibly simple to recall and store a much greater recognition compared to a standard 10-digit telephone number.
If potential clients can remember your company’s phone number with ease, there is a good chance that they will choose to call you over other businesses.
Businesses use call tracking systems to track all incoming calls that come in, such as the date, time, number that the call has come from, and how long the call was. Having a thorough analysis of every phone call a company receives gives them the capability to proactively respond to any potential customers.
7. Postcards
A more timeless and easy-to-use print material for marketing in the real estate industry is the postcard, which is highly effective and flexible. According to NAR’s Home Buyer and Seller Generational 2019 Trends, mailing postcards has been shown to be far more effective than airing TV commercials or being featured in real estate magazines in terms of attracting more home listings and clients.
Postcards are usually employed as part of a real estate farming strategy, where your local presence and other direct post sends listings to you instead of needing to pursue them yourself. Real estate postcard advertising doesn’t involve quickly mailing a massive number of cards to a wide variety of properties. It calls for a long-term, patient effort.
8. Posters
Posters, which are larger than brochures and smaller than billboards, can make for an effective way to market for realtors. Posters are a budget-friendly and effective option compared to pricey magazine and newspaper advertisements if they are in the optimal location.
It is interesting to note that posters tend to stay in style for a longer period of time than any other marketing materials. Due to this, someone considering making a purchase has the ability to view the poster and the accompanying details you provide around the clock!
The place and communication to be used are key to making a poster marketing effort successful. Placing a poster in a place with a great deal of foot traffic will help you reach out to an expansive audience in a single go.
Experts suggest being more specific and selective. Examine the area where you are wanting to promote, then investigate who your intended viewers are in order to determine the most effective spot for putting up your poster. Think shopping centers, lobbies, coffee shops or cafeterias.
Posters can be utilized to feature the latest nearby residential home sales, advertise upcoming lists and open houses, or aim to attract renters with specific local info.
If you wish to become an involved member of the community, arrange an event that raises funds for the community, or back a school sports team or activeness and make a sign that promotes your endorsement.
9. Flyers
Nowadays, flyers have a reputation of being tedious and outdated. Experts in the field of real estate marketing recommend that if one wants to explore a new market, utilizing flyers to get the word out may be a good idea.
A pamphlet can be a very effective tool for promoting real estate. It is remarkably inexpensive to make, and it yields a substantial profit.
The key to having your flyers be successful is to ensure that they are properly placed. Examine the infographic below to find out how.
Conclusion
You are now well-informed on the various real estate promotional items, which paves the way for you to devise a plan, contact the proper associates and help your business attain success in the approaching year.
You may want to investigate our different resources on real estate advertising if you would like to gain more knowledge on how to implement your real estate promotional strategy successfully.
