You are here: Home / Social Media / Use Visual Social Media to Attract Buyers: Marketing for Real Estate

Use Visual Social Media to Attract Buyers: Marketing for Real Estate

October 10, 2012 By 4 Comments

social media

Like many industries and businesses around the world, the real estate sector has had to evolve in recent years to become more centred around online activities in order to stay relevant and connected to potential home-buyers, and of course those looking to sell.  Today, the most successful real estate businesses are those that recognised the opportunities online social media marketing would offer at an early stage and are well established in the market.

As the internet continues to grow, perhaps the biggest online factor that influences most of our lives on a regular basis is social media platforms. Again, much like attitudes towards the internet initially, many businesses have been late to jump on board the social media bandwagon, and as such have, in some cases, missed out on a myriad of revenue generating opportunities.

Many people working within the real estate sector are confused as to how social media can play a part in their success. We looked at how using social media as a focal point of an online marketing program could make a business stronger and visible to more potential clients.

Use Social Media Marketing to Attract Buyers

Taking a Home to the People

If we are going to be brutally honest, it would be fair to say that the biggest obstacle many businesses face when it comes to social media is themselves. Through a misplaced belief that social media is “just having a Facebook page” many real estate agents (and businesses in general) are inadvertently shooting themselves in the foot.

One way that real estate agents could innovate their sector is through the use of visual social media platforms, such as Pinterest, Instagram or YouTube. Sounds simple, doesn’t it, yet it is amazing how many real estate agents stick to text only formats online, then wonder why their competitors are a lot more successful!

How Could YouTube Help You Stand Out?

Increase YouTube Views

Well, the obvious answer is that you could use a YouTube channel to run a stream of the latest homes and other properties within a real estate portfolio, or simply showing an introductory video, so potential clients can familiarise themselves with your brand and what you stand for.

As good as those ideas are, the harsh reality is that they are now considered as everyday basics in the business world, and by doing these you will simply be following the norm rather than innovating or offering a unique selling point.

Instead, why not consider using YouTube to host virtual house tours? Send an employee to a property that you will soon be listing, or have already, and get them to conduct a “video tour” of the house. There is enough simple video editing software available to present this however you wish and add an appropriate voiceover.

Is This Worth It?

Almost everyone in the world today wishes there was more time in the day. If people are looking to buy a home or new property, they will browse your website, look at your pictures (this is where Pinterest or Instagram would potentially come in) and make a decision on whether to view a property based on this.

Wouldn’t it be great if that person, sat in their office at lunchtime, could also view a quick 3-4 minute video clip of the property to make a much more informed choice? Not only are you offering an innovative service and saving your client time, you are also saving the time of your agents going attending viewings where there is little to no chance of getting an offer. If a person has already had a “real” impression of the property away from photographs, arranging a viewing will then feel like a much more qualified lead, and increase the likelihood of getting an offer.

Trying out various initiatives, such as using YouTube, away from the traditional, tried and trusted methods, could help your business stand out in an ever increasingly crowded sector.

___________________________________________________________________
Thank you to my Guest Post Author: Robert Rayford

Robert works for Harworth Estates. They are one of the largest landowners in the UK with access to over 30,000 acres of land.
___________________________________________________________________

Other Posts That May Interest You:

Social Media Marketing For BusinessHow To Use Social Media Marketing Successfully For Your Business Social Media Marketing5 Ways To Do Social Media Marketing The Right Way Social MediaWhy You Should Use Social Media Marketing To Boost SEO Performance Lynn Brown InterviewLynn Brown Interview – Chatting To A Social Media Marketing Manager ROIMaximizing ROI from Email, Social Media AND Snail Mail Marketing
Filed Under: Business, Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,
About Guest Author

This post was written by a guest author. Please see their details in the post above. If you'd like to write for OnlineIncomeTeacher, then check out our write for us page for details about how YOU can share your tips with our readers.

  • Andi the Minion

    I really believe that Estate Agents are missing a trick here with all these free social media tools and access to digital tools like hand held camcorders and smart phones.When they pop and do a measure of a property they could easily film it and take snaps, plug camera/phone/camcorder straight into the laptop and have the images and film online within minutes of arriving back at the office… Very powerful indeed. Every estate agent should have a social media marketer in their office.

    • http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

      I totally agree and am still surprised that they aren’t doing this already. As a customer I’d find it very helpful to browse through videos of potential homes/flats, which would save me time having to go round each and every one in person.

      I’m sure in the coming years many estate agents will wake up to this and start incorporating visual social media into their business.

  • http://www.shahgroup.co.in/ 2 bhk Flats In Kharghar For Sa

    Visual social media is one of the major parts of real estate using for increasing page rank, traffic and increase business. All information is very informative and useful. Thank you sharing such nice information.

    • http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

      It makes sense when you think about it. How can real estate firms hope to sell property without images! It’s much easier to engage with customers when you can show them examples of what you are selling. Doing that on social media just makes sense.