Why Digital Marketing is the Future of Real Estate

When a person is ready to choose a career, they will almost always come to a crux: do I follow a safe path or take a risk and follow the path unknown? Following a safe path typically means you dedicate your knowledge to a trade that can almost always guarantee a good income, and that trade becomes your career. Real estate has long been a lucrative job for many, especially in areas with increased population growth. In today’s digitally connected world, however, in order to succeed, it is not enough to just know your trade.

The internet has brought about a complete overhaul in how both businesses and consumers view the business/consumer relationship. For instance, if you’re a real estate agent, you’ve probably realized by now that solely relying on the old ways of marketing isn’t working anymore. New businesses are being founded on the new, modernized online process and using constantly updating software tools. It is not enough to post flyers and yard signs; now, you must also have a strong digital presence, as well. Here are a few reasons why digital marketing is the future of real estate.

People Want Convenience

If you asked someone what a good online presence meant ten years ago, they would probably say a decent website with the right SEO keywords. These days, not only does your website have to hold attention, but you also need to engage with your audience on a social platform, and be willing to pay to reach larger crowds. A Facebook ad, for instance, can bring a great deal of traffic to your site.

If an existing client wants to recommend your business to a friend, and they can just pull it up on Facebook, it can establish a true sense of immediate trust. This is why, when it comes to website and social media management, it’s important to not only post regularly but engage with your audience, as well. By engaging with the audience in addition to posting, you’re not only showing that you’re a trustworthy source of information, but that you’re reliable and approachable, too.

Google Ads and Reviews

No matter what you search in Google, the first result will almost always be a paid ad, and paying for visibility is crucial. If you’re not ready for a Google Ad, however, one thing you should do is get your website listed on Yelp and Google and ask each of your clients for a quick review. For the most part, in the “instant” culture of the internet, people are less willing to dig around for a diamond in the rough. These days, they want the diamond to come to them. Having 3 reviews versus 25 reviews can make a big difference in people’s snap judgments while searching for a real estate agent online. There are also multiple pages competing for the same keyword, and you need to analyze it carefully for the benefit of your site’s rank.

Targeting

Facebook is quickly becoming one of the best ways to market your business to potential clients. The big reason for this shift is the vast ability of audience control you have when creating an ad. Not only can you target specific age ranges, locations, or income levels, but you can also target people that have recently visited your site, or detailed demographics such as people that have recently gotten new jobs, become newlyweds, or recently moved. Once you take the time to explore how microscopically detailed you can get with Facebook advertising, it is easy to see just how much online advertising has evolved in a short amount of time. What used to look like a scattered buckshot into the digital world is now a very refined pin-point, if done correctly.

Visibility

Both Facebook and Instagram have the potential to reach hundreds of millions of people. Use that immense visibility to your advantage. Instead of booking a bunch of appointments for walk-throughs with no guarantee that every appointment will even show up, you can post a Facebook Live open house, or create an Instagram Story and label it, “Digital Walk-through”. If you’re able to share a simple walk-through with more people online, it can benefit you twofold.

Not only is there a good chance that you’re getting more eyes on your property, but you’re also getting better buyers in the end.

People that actually book physical viewings after watching your post are much more likely to close on a deal because they’ve not only experienced the property already (and in the comfort of their own home), but they’ve enjoyed it enough to come visit it in person. It’s something they already want versus something they are curious about after seeing a few pictures.

In reality, it is difficult to find a job market that hasn’t been completely renovated with an increased dependency on digital marketing. While it can seem daunting to create an entirely new identity online, a crucial aspect of digital marketing is simply taking the time to understand the intricacies and benefits of each platform. Constant learning is crucial to any trade, and if you want to keep closing, it’s paramount that you take the time to learn the vast landscape of the digital world.