Social Media Best Practices for Real Estate Agents: 7 Tips

Social media can be an excellent way for real estate agents to promote their brands and connect with clients. But before you start posting, you should take the time to optimize your profile and create a basic strategy to ensure your efforts lead to more engagement and sales. Not all agents are well-versed in the techniques necessary to build a strong social media profile. So, to help you get started, here are 7 social media best practices for real estate agents.

Obtain A Professional Headshot And Logo

Before creating your profile, you should obtain a professional headshot and real estate logo. You’ll want to make yourself appear as professional as possible to separate yourself from the competition and brand yourself as a credible real estate expert. Users coming across your profile for the first time should be able to tell immediately that you are a legitimate professional they can trust.

A selfie or a candid photo shot by a friend doesn’t send that message, so it’s best to use a professional headshot. Furthermore, a logo is another good way to establish credibility and brand yourself in a unique way. You don’t have to get carried away and spend thousands of dollars on your branding materials, you can shoot a headshot at home for free as long as you wear business professional attire and pay attention to the lighting. You can also create your logo using cheap resources like Canva or Tailor Brands.

Learn The Best Time To Post

Research the best time to post to reach as many people as possible. First, consider your ideal client and when they will most likely be on social media. Also, think about the type of content you’re offering and when it would be most relevant to your audience. For instance, if you’re posting an inspirational quote, you may want to post first thing in the morning, but if you’re sharing a white paper or e-Book, it may be best to post in the evening when people have more downtime. Learn how to study analytics to see when your audience is most active. You can also learn through trial and error and post at different times to know when you get the best reaction.

Be Yourself

Authenticity is big on social media – so be yourself. Don’t try to please the algorithm by posting generic content to blend in with the crowd or other competitors. One hundred engaged followers are often better than thousands of passive consumers. So, let your personality shine and showcase your interests, talents, and opinions through your content – it will be a great ice breaker for potential clients before they meet you.

Educate Your Audience And Be Transparent

As a real estate agent, a big part of your job is educating and informing your clients – so you should use your social media to perform this function. You can do this by sharing positive lessons you’ve learned or addressing common pitfalls clients should avoid. Be transparent about the home buying or selling experience, just like you would if the client was right in front of you. Doing so can help set the tone and make the browsing experience more pleasant when you work directly with the client. Plus, providing valuable insights can help establish trust in your audience, which can be beneficial in the long run.

Engage With Your Followers

Don’t just post and then turn off your phone, make an effort to engage with your audience as much as possible. Respond to comments, spark discussions and keep an open mind. Be sure to engage with both the positive and the negative suggestions or comments because both can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what isn’t. It gives you a chance to better connect with clients and address any shortcomings or disagreements constructively, which may even lead to a valuable discussion. There’s always room for improvement, and the best way to grow is to receive honest feedback directly from your audience.

Switch Up Your Hashtags And Location Tags

Using hashtags and location tags strategically can be a great way to expose yourself to new audiences and reach a larger, more diverse crowd. Make sure the tags you use are relevant to the content, but also switch things up periodically to get in front of different groups. You never know who may stumble across your profile and become a lifelong client.

Measure Your Results

Monitor the results of your social media activities if you want to increase the ROI of your efforts. Pay attention to what kinds of content get the best reaction and lead to the most engagement. You may also want to change your Instagram account to a business profile so you can monitor the analytics or focus on a particular channel if it’s resulting in more business. Also, keep an eye out for how well your social media activity generates paying clients. If you’re posting consistently but not generating actual business from your efforts, it may be time to change your strategy. The only way to improve is to take stock of what’s working and what’s not, which can only be done if you measure the results of your work.

Final Thoughts

Building a brand on social media may seem intimidating initially, but it gets easier with time. Don’t be afraid to experiment and learn through trial and error. There’s no right or wrong way to approach social media as long as you’re being yourself. So, use these tips to get you started on the right path and continue improving over time.