A Realtor’s Digital Marketing Checklist: The Essentials

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 28 August 2018 08:31
A Realtor’s Digital Marketing Checklist: The Essentials Fifteen Design

Digital marketing is taking the advertising world by storm, and for good reason. There were over 4 billion active internet users in early 2018, and this number is only likely to increase as the world gets more connected.

The vast majority of every realtor’s clients will be internet fluent, using the world wide web to learn more about real estate, the home buying or home selling process, and locate services. The internet is, therefore, your ideal platform for self-promotion.

I’ve discussed how your website functions must like a digital business card. Social media profiles and online reviews can also influence client decisions.

But what should you have on your digital marketing checklist? In this post, I’ll discuss the top four online advertising methods and techniques you should have in your toolbag in the real estate industry.

A High-Performance Website

Most digital marketing efforts are designed to draw traffic to your website. Because your website is the ultimate landing page in this regard, it’s imperative that it meets clients’ expectations. Unfortunately, more small businesses and independent agents than people realize lack a sufficient website--if they have one at all! 

Learn more about the qualities of a high-performance real estate website here.

Real estate websites that truly take the cake will be user-friendly: they are easy to navigate, well-written, and boast a clean design. They will also likely display available properties thoroughly, either via virtual reality or 3D modeling.

Yes, a website can be a digital marketing tool! For this reason, you may wish to outsource professional web design and management services to ensure your site is meeting industry standards (and outshining your competitors). You may be tempted to build your website in-house, but unless you hire a truly savvy designer, your in-house efforts may only take you so far.

A Social Media Presence

We love and we hate social media, right? While people may debate the social value (and cost) of social media, these platforms remain valuable marketing channels for the right businesses. Instagram, for example, can give companies a chance to advertise their services through compelling images and video content. Given the fact that a lot of customers respond well to image-based advertising--particularly videos--this can be a fantastic channel for captivating clients.

I like to see social media as a channel for customer engagement. You can use in-app messaging to answer client questions in real time, post intriguing content, and amp up excitement for available properties. A realtor’s social media presence can also be valuable for targeting millennials, who prioritize companies willing to engage with technology (and them).

Lastly, social media can also play a role in your online reputation crafting and management. Facebook permits users to leave reviews for businesses on their profiles, for example, much like Google. Your average rating will appear on your Facebook profile, giving visitors an instant snapshot of the professionalism they can expect from you.

In general, realtors should prioritize one or two social media platforms. You don't need to build profiles on all available platforms. In fact, doing so can effectively 'water down' your outreach.

Learn more about social media marketing basics here.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

We all use search engines on a daily basis to find information on-the-go. This information may be news-related; it may also be commercial. A lot of clients turn to Google to find details about mortgages, lenders, and real estate agents in their area.

Realtors wanting to be competitive in their industry absolutely must harness the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which can help their content rise to the top of Google search results. Because searchers will prioritize results with high rankings—high rankings often mean high authority—SEO can be your secret to gaining valuable visibility. The beauty of SEO lies in the fact that anyone can do it, provided they research wisely and regularly monitor campaigns.

Local SEO, in particular, can ensure that your content appears in location-based searches relevant to the regions you service. Whether you’re a personal injury attorney or a professional dog walker looking for more local clients, the right SEO campaign can help.

I’ve written a lot about SEO on Realty Times. Check out this article to learn more.

Online Reviews

Your online reputation matters. Unfortunately, just like any industry, the real estate sector is home to very good agents and very poor ones. If you nurture a powerful community reputation, it’s important to nurture the same on digital platforms.

Online reviews can be an important part of your real estate digital marketing strategy. In fact, they can be a valuable piece of local SEO campaigns, as many online reviews are posted by local clients. These reviews can surface in relevant search results and very quickly become visually attached to your name and brand, even in a matter of seconds. 

A lot of realtors shy away from online reviews because they are wary of receiving a negative rating. This is totally understandable, and it seems that every industry can easily fall victim to "that one unhappy client" who lays waste to their reputation. Yet demonstrating your willingness to receiving ratings from clients can resonate with future customers. The right clients, after all, are less likely to be dissuaded due to one negative review.

I’ve written a post about online reputation management in the real estate industry—check it out here!

So, how do you put this all together?

For one thing, this list is not designed to be comprehensive. (I haven’t discussed email campaigns, for example, or blogs, both of which can be vital).

However, if you are keen to build an effective digital marketing strategy, it’s important to start with these four advertising techniques—they are most likely to generate the leads you are seeking and will be 'trending' in advertising for quite some time.

In most cases, realtors will craft individual marketing campaigns per channel, all of which fall under an umbrella goal. I’ll be writing more about what should go into a digital marketing strategy soon, so stay tuned.

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Kate King

Kate King is a freelance writer, editor, and blogger. 

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