In today’s crowded housing market, it’s challenging to stand out as a real estate agent online. However, by building a strong online presence, leveraging your website, social media channels, and the power of content marketing, you can stay ahead of the competition and win new business.
In this article, we’ve gathered the most important tools to help real estate agents stand out from the crowd. Beat the competition by following these simple tips:
Table of Contents
Build a Strong Website
The first step to building a strong online presence is setting up a professional real estate website so that potential clients can find information about your business and your listings.
A winning real estate website has the following features:
- It is well-structured, with clear menus and headers.
- It can be easily integrated with your CRM system.
- It is mobile-friendly, responsive, and works seamlessly across all screen sizes.
- It provides visitors with functionalities like map search, saving favorites, wish lists, and more.
- It has been optimized for search engines (SEO), boosting your visibility.
Of course, you can build your website from scratch with the help of a web developer and web designer. But today, you can also opt for pre-built websites with IDX capabilities specifically designed for real estate agents.
The benefits of having an IDX website for real estate agents is being connected to Multiple Listing Service (MLS) databases. This allows users to browse the listings published in the MLS database directly on your website, making your site more informative and dynamic.
An IDX website has functionalities like advanced search, dynamic dropdowns, related properties, wish lists, map search, and more, keeping your website visitors engaged and giving you the opportunity to capture those leads—without the effort of building out those features yourself.
Also Read: The Top Benefits of Having an IDX Website for Real Estate Agents
Share your Real Estate Agent Bio
A strong bio is vital for any real estate agent, as it lets people know you’re the expert who can sell their property or help them find their dream place. In addition, it helps highlight your experience in the market while building trust with clients.
Your website aside, there are several platforms where you can share your bio, including Zillow, Trulia, Active Rain, and Yelp. The more sites you post your resume on, the better your online visibility and the more likely people will contact you for your services.
Establish Yourself as an Authority
To stand out as a real estate agent online, you need to become an authority in your field, and you can do that by showcasing your expertise whenever you can. Start with publishing quality content on industry websites and social media. Then try to get into reputable magazines and newspapers by building relationships with reporters and journalists. When contacting such publications, it also helps to choose a niche rather than posing as an expert on all real estate topics. Although making press contacts is a long process, it is definitely worth the effort, as your value as an industry expert will increase once you are published.
Engage with Prospects via Email
Email is one of the most effective customer retention and acquisition channels, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. It allows you to nurture leads by regularly sending exciting content—such as neighborhood guides, home renovation tips, and current market trends—that matches their previous searches and interests.
Don’t shy away from using this powerful tool: people who sign up on your email list are likely interested in what you have to say and want to receive personalized content. That said, aim at sending a real estate newsletter 1-2 times a week (don’t flood their inboxes) and use automation and reporting to streamline your campaigns.
Attract Clients with Freebies
Your clients may like personalized content but want exclusive content even more. Giving followers freebies is a great way to get more referrals, shares, and business! Freebies are downloadable resources you can provide in return for subscribing to your email list, helping you build a list of prospects you can follow up with later.
Get creative and give them something they cannot find elsewhere, such as homebuyer tips, moving checklists, neighborhood guides, and so on. While these resources are time-consuming to create, they are worth the effort as they result in a steady stream of email sign-ups.
Get Active on Social Media
To stand out as a real estate agent online, you need to get active on social media. Considering that many millennials (and baby boomers) start their property search on social media, you may miss out on important business if you neglect your social media channels.
Social media provides an excellent opportunity for real estate agents to build awareness, reputation, and loyalty. It helps engage with your target audience, establish yourself as an authority, and show professionalism by replying to messages and comments.
For greater success on social media, adapt your content to each channel:
- Facebook is where you want to publish property-related information, including company updates and recent listings, and offer booking appointments.
- Instagram is more suited for visual content, such as high-quality photos, stories, and reels, to entice prospects and engage with them in real time.
- Linkedin is great for networking, which is an important step to establishing yourself as a thought leader in the business, but you can also use it to promote your listings.
Create Real Estate Videos
Online audiences prefer video content over text and images, yet few real estate agents are harnessing the power of video marketing. This also means that real estate professionals who do use video content in their marketing strategy can get in front of more potential clients than ever, staying ahead of the competition!
You don’t need a professional, expensive camera to get started with video marketing. You can use your phone to produce creative videos (about your listings, neighborhood spotlights, and client testimonials) and share them via email, your website, and social media. Use reporting to understand what content your audience likes to engage with and produce them accordingly.
The Bottom Line
With more and more people searching for property online, it’s never been more important to stand out as a real estate agent online. Building a strong online presence starts with a solid website with IDX software to capture leads, being active on social media and industry platforms, and utilizing tools such as email and video to increase your visibility to prospects. This way, you can stay ahead of your competitors and grow your business.
StrategicAgent provides mobile responsive websites and IDX for real estate agents. For just $29/month, you can take the first step to building a professional online presence and stand out from the competition in today’s crowded marketplace.
To learn more about our premium IDX real estate websites for real estate agents, call StrategicAgent at 805-413-7895 or contact us online.