I thought it may helpful for you to know before I share these 8 internet marketing tips for real estate agents, I’ve spent 5 years as a real estate investor in the Boston area. I tell you not to impress you, rather I told led with that because I’m a serial entrepreneur that has been watching real estate agent after real estate agent not use the internet effectively to enhance their entrepreneurial efforts and better their bottom line for way to long!
If you looking to sell houses faster and with less “bail-outs” before the sale, you should read below.
Listed are 8 “new age” internet marketing tips for real estate agents:
1. Have a personal website or blog – Branding yourself over your business efforts has broken the bond with tradition for service providers. Customers and clients side with your relationship when buying, not with the company that you run your business through.
2. Give away a professional piece that brands you as an authority figure - Whether it be a PDF, video series or coupon that entices a client for doing business with you.. giving away and paying forward your knowledge of your industry is what is going to ‘hook’ buyers. This strategy will differentiate you from every other real estate agent.
3. Create a Facebook fan page for your business – Facebook allows you to communicate in ‘REAL TIME’ with your ‘raving fan’ followers. What’s great about social media is that you can brand in Boston, New York, Chicago, LA or wherever in a heartbeat – all at the click of a button! Who do your clients know has never been so valuable!
4. Brand yourself, not your company – The power of persuasion has been given back to those entrepreneurs who become “savvy” webpreneurs. I’d highly recommend sharing your expertise by partaking in value added entrepreneurship with your clients and buyers. Those who are self-branded stand out in the crowd in a big way.
5. Collect email addresses - Information is the most valuable currency in this “new age.” By giving away insight as to why (your driver) you do what you do and less about what it is that you actually do (sell real estate), getting customers to grant you permission to market to them is easier than ever in today’s economy.
6. Write an article or a blog post on each property your represent – The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is no longer a “sexy” sales aid because all real estate agents have access to it. Therefore, there are several Boston based agents that have completely swiped the market share of their competitors by being unique and educating their clients before selling to them. I know some of them personally and their system converts like crazy to sales.
7. Use self-made videos to market you and your properties - Company created sales aids can be beneficial, but being an innovative entrepreneur always strikes a chord with clients.
8. Train other agents on how to market online - This “new age” era has allowed agents and professionals in many other industries to open up a many diverse pathways for more income in their career. If you have a system that works, share it with other, they are more than willing to pay you for results in this economy.
Many consumers are striving to find the best deal, “trim the fat” off their prices paid and because of this, they are more willing than ever to find a new agent, thus leaving their loyalty elsewhere. The bottom line, get distinctive or lose customers – they just want top-quality service, whether it’s from you or somebody else.