If you are a realtor, you may have seen a significant shift in the past decade. Today, clients are purchasing houses much differently than they did in the past. Their search typically begins with market research online, along with a clear vision of what they want from their future home.
To achieve the best possible reputation and success, realtors must adopt digital marketing as a part of their efforts. From being able to generate new leads, complete sales, and more, the real estate industry is now more reliant on digital marketing than it has ever been in the past.
The Importance of Digital Marketing in the Real Estate Industry
When searching for anything, most people start online. This includes everything from mortgage refinance rates, a new car, a date, and more. It only makes sense that someone searching for a house or interested in selling a house would begin online.
The first “game-changer” in the real estate industry was social media. It provided an effective way for real estate agents to be found online. From buying Ads through different platforms to sharing images of new listings, using social media helped real estate professionals build their personal brand and grow their business.
However, as time passed, more and more real estate agents began using social media, resulting in it becoming saturated. Now it is time for modern brokers and realtors in the U.S. to find ways to help further differentiate themselves. This is where digital marketing comes in.
To help jumpstart your efforts, use some of the tips highlighted below.
Create an Email Campaign
Regardless of the industry, having an email nurture campaign effectively connects with new leads while remaining relevant to past clients. Having a well-rounded campaign will help funnel potential clients through set actions based on previous engagements and their buyer profile.
The average open rate for emails in the real estate business is about 27%. However, the CTR – click-through rate – is 3%. However, if you can create more relevant content to your clients, they will be much more likely to open it and see what you offer or say.
Create a Website That Is Easy-to-Use for Your Visitors
Have you ever opened a website and then closed it immediately because it did not load quickly enough? If there are too many links or photos, this can happen. Many realtor websites are full of these things, which can make this tip tricky.
The key to success is to hire a professional web designer and to know what your clients are searching for. The right developer will be able to help you create a responsive website that has been optimized for mobile browsing.
Approximately 50% of web browsing is done on mobile devices. If you have a site that is not responsive, your clients won’t be able to browse your site easily. When creating a mobile-friendly site, you need to ensure you include content to help provide your clients with the best experience possible. Some of the content you must include is a list of all your new property listings, content that provides guidance through the buying process, and links to any type of moving-related services.
You should also think about adding a live chat feature on your site. Remember, a real estate business is people-centric, so you must be available when someone has questions. By investing in live chat software, you can connect with people 24/7 and easily schedule appointments without speaking directly with you in some cases.
Invest in Pay-Per-Click Advertising
PPC (pay-per-click) is a smart strategy for realtors who want to generate new leads based on ads that are paid for each time the ad is clicked on. PPC is a smart digital marketing strategy for a real estate professional who wants clients who are truly interested in an offering because they will only pay if someone clicks the ad they created.
In some situations, PPC ads are targeted toward people who have searched for or even correlated keywords through Google or through a different search engine.
Create Valuable Blog Content to Post
A responsive website that has a blog usually sees 434% more indexed pages. This helps real estate professionals achieve much better SEO.
Blogs are a great way to improve SEO, create a positive reputation online, and offer your clients actionable advice for selling or buying a home or property. The digital marketing strategy you create for your real estate business is nothing if you do not create valuable content. This is true no matter if it is shared via social media or on your website.
Along with a responsive website, be sure to regularly write content that sellers and buyers will be able to come back to for answers to their most important real estate questions.
Provide Virtual Tours
A virtual tour of a home is a great way to create an effective digital marketing strategy. Not only will these tours provide video content, which can be used to generate revenue up to 49% faster than marketers that are not using video, but potential clients can see – for themselves – what a particular home or property offers.
Buying a home can be a challenging process, and a real estate expert needs to make sure the home buying process is as easy as possible for their clients. Some essential qualities that you should include in your virtual tours include real footage of the home rather than digital illustrations, make sure the video is interactive and responsive, and make the tour user-friendly and 3D.
Using Digital Marketing to Build Your Real Estate Business
There are more than a few things to keep in mind when it comes to digital marketing for your real estate business. If you want a strategy that helps you achieve the desired results and level of success you want, keep the tips and information here in mind. Sometimes, working with professionals is necessary because they will be able to build a digital presence that ensures your business stands out from the crowd. Being informed is the best way to ensure you achieve the desired results for your real estate business.