Why Don't Real Estate Agents Like Mark Zuckerberg?
One of our clients is a large national real estate franchisor so we get to know real estate agents from across the country – what products and services they buy, how they market. Good real estate agents are some of the savviest marketers out there. They try new things, test what works religiously and understand that marketing is a process, not a project.
Great real estate agents are also, without question, the best networkers I know. Which is exactly why I don’t’ understand why real estate agents don't like Mark Zuckerberg… you know, the Social Network, the guy who started Facebook and has about 1 out of every 6 people on the planet on his social networking platform.
Movoto.com’s December 2011 survey of real estate agents showed that just 26% ranked social media as an important source of business. So while 90 percent of agents have Linked In profiles and nearly half say they have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, they’re not using social networking to generate business and instead continue relying on old push marketing like:
- Just listed – Just sold postcards
- Semi-custom monthly newsletters
- Customized homes magazines
And still hoping these tools will generate referrals to get them in front of a buyer or seller with the just the right information at just the right time to start a relationship. This seems so odd to me when prospective homebuyers have been shown to use the internet to make choices about homebuying as in this study by postling.com (which is a really cool tool for managing social media BTW).
So when new techniques like inbound marketing using social media tools like Facebook have proven to be the most powerful method for attracting new prospects (Meet Me), Building relationships (Know Me) and Developing foundations for a close (Trust Me), why do just 2.5% of agents rank blogging and 6% rank social networks as primary sources of new business? When client referrals - which are fundamental to the way social networks operate - account for nearly 80% of new business leads, something doesn't add up.
6 Tips For Real Estate Agents To Get The Most Out Of Facebook
As you work through these 6 Facebook tips for real estate agents, always keep in mind the stages of your prospect sales funnel: Meet Me, Know Me, Trust Me. Each is a pre-requisite for the other. A person will only buy from you if they trust you, they can only trust you if the know you and they must meet you for anything at all to happen.
1. Have good photos and detailed captions
Your prospects love good visuals, this cannot be stressed enough. If the photos posted on your Facebook Page are not appealing, the message is that the photos of the house they’re selling won’t be, either. What’s more, instead of simply posting photos of a home, use the caption portion of a photo to sell the home.
Is the home great for a family looking for a place near an elementary school? Are nearby jogging trails perfect for staying in shape? Do mouthwatering apples fall from the backyard tree? The more information and specific details about a home you provide a prospective buyer without any interaction, the better. This will save you time, effort and energy as the number of genuinely interested buyers increases and those searching for specific home qualities can self-disqualify if home descriptions do not meet their expectations or needs. Let the internet work for you!
2. Be less Obvious
Right off the bat, if your Facebook Page’s profile picture doesn’t scream that you’re in the business of selling homes, the frequent open listings as status updates will. Don’t be a lemming! On Facebook most real estate agents follow the same rules. Even their profile picture is a dead giveaway. Use a more natural photo than the one on your business card. You’re trying to relate to people who will choose to associate with you and eventually become customers. You're not selling (yet)! So rather than look like the rest of the agents out there – and if the aim is to bring something new to the table in a very me too industry – think different as Steve Jobs once said. As an agent, simply posting what you’re selling is not going to get you any results in a social media network. Instead, show passion, be creative, have a little humor, create conversations, ask questions. Be helpful. Stand out.
3. Share good news about the economy
The poor economy makes it more difficult to sell homes. However, despite the tough times, when there is a bit of good news or hope on the horizon, share it with your fans. As a realtor, posting good news about the economy on Facebook does two things: it inspires the confidence and encourages fans to rethink or reconsider investing in a home. Also, overall spreading positivity is a good thing to do. People gravitate to positive people.
4. Brand your listings and recognize your target buyer
Take advantage of the About Me portion of your Facebook Page. Rather than keeping it bare bones, you should use this section to create a clear, honest description of your expertise. Think about the reasons you are the best at specifically what you do. Describe the niche homes that excite you and what homes are most appealing for you to sell. Imagine a person getting excited to list with you or use your services because they relate to what you’re writing about yourself.
For example, is working with families to help them find the perfect family home appealing? Are homes that need a little love charming? Are modest to luxury condos and apartments an area of expertise? If a potential buyer reads that your style of home matches or is similar to their profile, the selling pitch becomes that much easier for you. Moreover, it’s difficult to sell and appeal to a broad audience in a crowded market. The most effective approach to any marketing strategy is to find a target and focus. In real estate, both having a target selling home and a target client in mind is key. The language and the content of your Facebook Page can define those targets and attract your prospects to them.
5. Be apart of the community
Educating people and sharing relevant events about the community will help you develop deeper and more reliable connections with your future prospects (these factors influence all 3 phases of your prospect funnel). By being aware of the community’s surroundings and being tuned-in to what people are interested in, you create opportunities to capture the attention of prospective buyers and more importantly, it’s a way of becoming noticed as a community resource and well-rounded agent. For example: “The new Metro West mall in has just opened– I have 2 homes nearby- each about 2 miles away! Convenient places to live and work! Check out my gallery, RidgeLine, for pics if you’re interested” This example post is an easy, enthusiastic and non-pushy way of advertising the sale, redirecting fans to more housing information and sharing some community news.
6. Integrate Facebook into everyday business
Nearly every real estate agent has a business card (we print business cards BTW... give us a try!). Some even run ads in local newspapers, in the yellow pages or online. Every place you promote yourself (including in your email signature!), you should also promote your Facebook presence. Include your Facebook information. Direct your prospects to your Facebook page and make it easy to share that information (remember word of mouth referrals!). On your page, ask clients to post a Review, follow up or ask questions. The more emphasis you put on your Page as a contact point and informational resource, the more integrated and second-nature Facebook will become to your business.
Armed with these 6 tips, you can begin developing Facebook as a source of leads and revenue for your real estate business. Most importantly, remember to treat your Facebook marketing as a process, not a project you do on Monday and forget about. Simply posting information and forgetting about it will do you no good. Nada. Zip. Your social media marketing is truly an extension of yourself.
Give Mr. Zuckerberg a chance, he's created a great tool for you to multiply your relationships and develop prospects into customers ready to make that big purchase. If you need help with social media or are interested in learning more about the power of inbound marketing, Innovative Marketing Resources has tons of free content, sign up to read our blog, or we'd be happy to discuss doing inbound marketing for you!
