Social Media Secrets for Estate Agents

I like to keep an eye on the various businesses in Plymouth that are using social media. Some are doing really well. They’ve joined Twitter, set up Facebook Pages and even taken their first steps onto YouTube. Most, however, aren’t. This article addresses two of these types of business: Estate Agents and rental property agents.

Why should Estate Agents bother with the social media “revolution”? Well, they shouldn’t unless they want more customers, increased brand awareness in Plymouth, and  better communication with potential clients. Put your listening ears on, this article is full of tips on using social media for estate agents.

Tap Into an Enormous WOM Network

When you sell property for a living, it’s essential that you tap into the power of recommendations. One happy client can be responsible for an enormous number of leads. Of course an unhappy one can block twice as many. So your job is to manage how people talk about you. That’s where social media can be your best friend. The kind of friend that tells you when someone’s saying bad (or good) things about you. I could talk about this more but there’s not enough room in this article. If you want to find out more get in touch.

Be a Real Person

When I mentioned to a few people that I was going to write an article about selling property, the response I got was remarkable, but not unexpected. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that estate agents aren’t popular, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Social media gives you a unique opportunity to change the stereotype. By sharing your story, your hopes and everyday disappointments via Twitter or a blog you can become real to us.

Social networking is about making friendships that can lead to word of mouth recommendations. That kind of lead cannot be bought. Show us how real you are; make friends and be accessible. Share your interests and discover others with similar tastes. Before you know it, your online friends will be passing you leads because you’re ‘the honest estate agent’ not at all like those other faceless ones. Engage with people outside of hours in their comfort zone not yours. Life isn’t about 9-5 and you already know that selling property isn’t either. By being contactable out of hours you can touch the lives of a multiplicity of potential buyers and sellers. It’s important to be there when your prospective buyers have questions – and let’s face it, that’s usually going to be after normal working hours. This is how you use social media for estate agents.

Show You’re Not Just Another Shark

By being a friendly expert you can help your prospects to feel comfortable enough to ask you questions that they wouldn’t ask another agent. We are more inclined to trust recommendations made by our friends. Your job is to make friends with as many relevant people as possible online. Two ways you can do this is by answering questions and offering tips via Twitter and Facebook. Another great way is by making connections with local twitter personalities. Pick people who tweet a lot and have lots of followers. Getting them to act as brand ambassadors for you will open doors you never even knew existed.

Tell Your Story

Be willing to reveal little clues to your real life and attitudes over time. It’s really easy to spot a fake with social media because fakes can’t keep up the false persona consistently. Be yourself, be honest and be helpful. This is how you use social media for estate agents.

Make an Offer

Have a blog or email newsletter and use it to swap genuinely useful information for email addresses. People will love you for it and that will translate into loyalty and recommendations. The secret here is to be generous with your expertise. If you’re authentic, that generosity will come back to you before you know it.

Social Media for Estate Agents – The Next Step

Talk to your web designer and social media mentor about setting up a blog and joining the main social media channels: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook. These are some of my top tips for using social media to set yourself ahead of your competition. If you want to know about the rest and discover more about how to use social media in your property business, talk to me today.