Real estate is a satisfying career for so many reasons. Many agents get to be their own boss and enjoy lots of autonomy and uncapped income. On top of that, most agents love helping people find their forever home and guiding them through what will likely be the biggest purchase of their lives. With all that autonomy, however, comes some downsides as well: it’s up to agents to find properties to represent, and they need to be able to market and communicate effectively in order to do so. Social media blends those two essential activities together, making social media marketing a strategy agents can’t afford to ignore.

Why Social Media is Relevant for Real Estate Agents

Social media and social media marketing is part of our culture now. It’s not going away. In fact, in one recent survey, 41% of marketing professionals plan to increase their social media marketing budget substantially in 2018. That combined with the fact that 74% of adults who use the internet also use some type of social media shows that in such a relationship-heavy market as real estate, agents need to leverage its potential power. Social media can be used for everything from finding new clients and forming relationships to providing fast customer service. Let’s take a look at just a few of the ways agents can use social media to their advantage.

Build Your Brand

Anyone who runs a business has to worry about their own or their company’s brand. Even agents who work independently have their own business or personal brand. Everyone knows firms like Sotheby’s, but that kind of recognition doesn’t happen without branding. Building a brand takes time, and getting involved with social media can be a great way to start building up that all-important brand awareness: showing people what you do, who you are, and why that’s unique.

Gain New Customers

Capturing the interest of the latest generation of homebuyers should be a priority for any agent who wants to expand their business, and social media marketing can help agents attract the attention of potential new customers. Millennials are the up-and-coming first time home buyers, making up 66% of this market. Since 99% of Millennials do research online to find homes for sale, agents need to get on their turf. In addition to listing on sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com, engaging in social media marketing can allow agents to capture the interest of Millennials who often search through their social media feeds for real-estate related hashtags.

Get Reviews

One of the hardest parts of running a business comes at the beginning: getting the word-of-mouth reviews that build trust and attract new clients. Of course, people trust their friends and family first, but in the absence of those referrals, online reviews give potential customers the peace of mind they need make a decision. Social media marketing can help agents get those crucial reviews, allowing them to build a good reputation with clients. Social media helps agents stay top-of-mind with clients and makes it easy to ask for reviews in a warm and friendly way.

Make Your Business Credible

In addition to developing a good relationship with clients, agents need to present a professional image and stay credible in the eyes of their clients. Social media can have a major impact on how companies are seen and trusted. In fact, in the financial sector, 70% of wealthy investors have changed their relationships with financial firms and adjusted investments based on social media information. This is why it’s so key to use social media marketing carefully—it’s important to preserve credibility while building a brand.

Network and Interact

Social media marketing is, well, social. The networking and interaction benefits can be huge. Agents can find clubs, associations, make beneficial relationships with other agents, developers, and more, which can help to grow their business and get more referrals. Networking and interacting is a great way for agents to promote their business, build relationships, and provide value to the community.

Getting Started with Social Media Marketing

Now that you know the importance of social media marketing in real estate, how do you get started? First, you’ll need to pick a platform. Facebook can be a great option, since it has a huge audience and lots of features. However, it’s important to think about the demographics you’re trying to reach: don’t discount other platforms that may have younger buyers. Experiment with different social media techniques and see what works best for you. If you want to take your real estate business to the next level, it’s time to get social.