While the internet has become one of the most highly trafficked resources for consumers to begin their real estate search, ensuring you, as a REALTOR® and your listings stand out online is crucial in this highly saturated space. Communicating your story, value and professionalism is critical in setting yourself apart from the competition. With advice from the UCBR & HVCRMLS, we’ve compiled best practice marketing tips for REALTORS® to help your social media and email marketing efforts get noticed by prospective buyers.

Social Media: One of the most widely accessed platforms on the internet, if you aren’t using social media in your marketing mix, you’re missing a key marketing platform to access your existing and potential client base. One of the best things about social media for business, is that even if you have a limited marketing budget, you can advertise and post listings for free, or for very little spend. You also ‘own’ this space, so you are able to communicate your value and story in an authentic manner. With Facebook Ads, you can easily and affordably create ads to your targeted audience for both Facebook and Instagram. 

Another great tool is to use Facebook’s ‘custom audience’ feature. This allows you to upload email lists, and Facebook will match these emails with corresponding Facebook Profiles. This becomes your ‘custom audience’, and you can target ads directly on social media to these profiles. This is a great tool to maximize your marketing efforts, as chances are, those individuals who have previously signed up for email updates from you, are interested in what new listings you have acquired. It is also a great tool to showcase any sales, or quotes from previous home buyers praising your professionalism in the industry. 

Building a custom audience, and advertising directly to them ensures this information is seen by your intended market. It is good to have organic posts, but because of Facebook’s algorithms, it is not always seen by all your followers which makes this a very valuable marketing tip for REALTORS®.

Utilizing Instagram for ads, especially with ‘Instagram Stories’ ads, is also an affordable and excellent way to reach new and existing customers. Since Instagram is a social media platform built on high quality, visual images, uploading high quality images of your listings onto Instagram, with appropriate hashtags, is a great way to engage with clients. If you’re looking to target first time buyers, millennials or young families, Instagram is a great social media channel, as half of their followers worldwide are under the age of 34, as compared to Facebook, whose highest concentration of users in between the ages of 18-44. 

Integrating social media into your marketing mix is cost effective, and a great way to build your value and story to your target market. As a member of the HVCRMLS & UCBR, you are also able to gain access to member benefits, such as specific REALTOR® social media marketing campaign resources and advice, to help you generate best practice content. 

Email: Email remains the number one way to engage with your client base in the digital world. The great thing about email is that individuals that have signed up to your list, are already interested in learning more about your listings, news and updates to your business. But, ensuring your emails are opened and read, is one of the biggest execution downfalls for companies. Often times, they try to put too much information in one email, email at too high of a frequency, or email their clients information that is not relevant to them. In a world where the average person receives over a 100 emails per day, it’s important to make sure your email counts. 

Keep it simple. Too much visual clutter, writing what seems like an essay are sure ways to get your email moved to trash. Most people tend to scan and skim emails, so less is more. Having a catchy subject line, and a sprinkling of information with one or two key images is simple, clean and quick to read. You can always have the URL of the complete article, listing or news update for them to click to read the rest of the information on their own time. 

As a member of the UCBR & HVCRMLS, you will gain member access of specific email examples and best practice for communicating your email marketing effectively to your customer base, ensuring a successful execution of this important digital marketing channel. Join us for more great marketing tips for REALTORS®!

In addition to Social Media and Email Best Practice Resources, as a member of the UCBR & HVCRMLS, REALTORS® receive additional marketing information, including resources for print media, brand and style guidelines, as well as exclusive marketing campaigns designed for REALTORS® to use to help grow their business. If you are a REALTOR® in the Hudson Valley and Catskills Region, check the Ulster County Board of REALTORS® and learn how you can join the UCBR to access the HVCRMLS marketing resources in addition to the other professional services. Learn more about the Ulster County Board of REALTORS® here on our website, contact us or call (845) 338- 5299 to speak with a Realtor®.