Uploading pictures and property listings on Facebook, Instagram, or even Twitter will not get you the leads you want.

There is no denying the fact that social media has a huge impact on society. Almost everyone with a phone is connected to at least one social media application, which is great for businesses who want to connect with their existing and potential customers. It’s also cost-effective and easy too if you compare it with traditional means. Launching a social media campaign using a series of photos does not require a lot of resources and money as compared to printing a bunch of flyers for distribution to strangers, who may or may not keep the flyer anyway.

However, most people in business tend to misunderstood social media in some ways. This is also especially true for those who are in real estate. Setting up a business page or two and uploading all promotional materials about a house and lot, condo, or townhouse for sale are just the key basics. Just like how you market yourself in person, it also takes some time, effort, and knowledge of the social media landscape to make sure that you optimize your presence online.

The Social Media Landscape

Social media isn’t just Facebook or Instagram. It is an extension of our reality nowadays, which can be an indispensable tool for real estate professionals who are looking for potential leads that they can convert to actual homebuyers. But social media as a marketing tool can be a bit confusing, especially if you do not know where your potential customers reside.

There is a myriad of ways to market and engage with potential leads, which can definitely be overwhelming for those who are using social media as a marketing tool for the first time. You will also find yourself facing competition from other business pages, groups, and even market listings that it is impossible to stand out from a seemingly vast crowd. Moreover, you will quickly learn that there are styles you need to consider for each social media platform you choose for your business. You need to get an understanding of which target buyers are you speaking to and how to approach them with the right messaging and at the optimal times of posting.

All these sounds like a lot of real work, time, and experts you need to hire to get social media to work for you. For real estate agents who do not have that many resources and are already super busy, you can’t just upload new listings and property details on social media and expect that it magically gives you the leads you need. Or launch an ad campaign without experiencing zero leads or poor ad performance the first time. 

But you can definitely benefit from a social presence if you approach it smartly. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to figure out how to win more leads, here’s a guide on how to approach each platform to your advantage. 

Facebook for Real Estate Agents

Facebook is pretty much a no-brainer. A marketing staple for real estate agents, Facebook remains to be the most used social media platform in the Philippines. With 78.71 percent of Filipino users using Facebook, it makes sense that you market your real estate listings online.

Aside from the wider reach, it has across Filipino users in almost all user demographics, Facebook also has business features to get your property listings to the right eyeballs. With the business page alone, you can also customize buttons for booking appointments, create an automated response for listing inquiries via Messenger, you can even host watch parties or virtual events of your properties, which is great if you want to conduct online trippings or house tours to interested parties. Facebook Ads also allows you to schedule promotion of your property listings as ads directly to your target demographic. 

Facebook favors posts that get a lot of user engagement, so go beyond the usual images or videos you got from your sales team or developer. Play around with posting content and learn which ones get the most engagement by reviewing the analytics. You can try posting questions or give them video teasers of the property, for example. Contests, exclusives or freebies such as free downloadable real estate forms or free consultations are also a great way to entice more people to be aware of your business page.

On the other hand, do best believe that you will not be truly successful with your promotions the first time. But as you launch more ads and engage more followers with compelling content, you can use and study the data analytics Facebook offers so you can understand what makes potential leads interested in your properties enough to send an inquiry.

YouTube for Real Estate Agents

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. At 7 percent, it may not warrant your time and attention, but 51 percent of people who visited YouTube are there to learn something, according to a Pew research study. 28 percent of visitors visit YouTube to pass time. 

You may not be able to recreate the magic of these trending YouTube videos in the Philippines, but you can generate enough interest with your potential customers by making these kinds of YouTube videos. The best thing about making videos? You can even share the videos as a post or schedule a viewing party on Facebook too:

1. Commentary

Make a commentary video about topics closest to your business. It can be about the developments of your preselling properties for sale or anything related to your property offering.

2. Product review

Your product review can be about one of your offerings. Viewers love a detailed assessment of the quality of a product, including things you do not like. However, frame it in a more positive way. For example, a 21-square condo unit in a busy city can be marketed as a property perfect for professionals or students who wanted to be at the heart of the city.

3. How-to 

How-to videos are a great way to market your brand as a local subject matter expert. These types of videos can also drive leads who really do need help with home buying, and can easily set you apart from the crowd. Moreover, people will go to you more as a brand and not because of the properties – which is actually a better strategy to gain leads. Even if you do not have the inventory to offer, you can still be the go-to person to close a sale, which matters more.

4. “Top” list

If you have a huge inventory that you need to draw interest in, this kind of video is great. You can simply categorize your inventory and build a story from there based on the target customers you wanted to get inquiries from. For example, you can create top condos for students in Makati, or chic condos for aesthetic fans. Framing the video concept this way helps you draw the right people to your properties for sale.

5. Q&A

Most of your Q&A content should be driven by buyer questions. Q&A (or question and answer) videos not only help establish your expertise, but it can also be a tool for you to aid your existing customers in completing the homebuying journey.

6. Interview

Interviews can be highly engaging centered around a conversation or dialogue, especially if the topics are very meaningful for them. For example, it can be with a real estate lawyer about a contract to sell, or home loan questions with a bank associate. 

It can also be success stories from your customers. Not only you can inspire other potential customers in taking the homebuying leap, but also assure everyone that they are in good hands if they buy a home with your service.

7. Educational

When we say educational in this context, we’re usually referring to things that are fact-based. You can create videos regarding foundational topics related to your properties.

Instagram for Real Estate Agents

Instagram is also a popular platform for real estate businesses right now. No longer a social media platform for aesthetics, the aesthetic standard the platform demands inspires people who are dreaming of their future home. For real estate agents who offer luxury properties, Instagram helps bring cred to what they are selling. Instagram is also a great platform to build a community of like-minded people, which is great for marketers who know which hashtags and which target market should they cater to in their posts, Instagram Stories, and Instagram ads. Moreover, the personalization of content on Instagram helps real estate professionals cultivate relationships with fans, which can turn into leads. The business features also allow you to put your contact details as a call-to-action, which decreases the chances of buyer hesitancy.

You can also use your Instagram account as a home decoration channel for your target customers. Renovation ideas and inspiration can inspire both prospective buyers and past clients.

Instagram Stories also is a great way to conduct virtual events or quick live videos with minimum production. This is a great tool for real estate professionals who want to take advantage of the ability to share live content that is relevant to their target customers, say the progress of a condo development for example.

Discover new clients and relevant real estate conversations on social media

Social media for real estate is not just attracting potential leads. Just like distributing flyers and cold-calling customers, it is all about being proactive and seeking these sales or connections yourself. You need to know about the social media platform you are using and put in the work in making your marketing channel work for you. 

For more real estate professional tips, visit Hoppler.com.ph/magazine.