Social Media Trends for Real Estate
Posted By: Shannon Ripp
Corporate Marketing Strategist
The influence of social media on the real estate industry is undeniable. It’s so influential, in fact, that 82% of real estate agents want to improve their social media presence. Social media for real estate is an integral part of a successful digital strategy for attracting leads, building a brand, and much more.
Each social media channel has its own unique features and best practices; things that are trends on one channel may not be a trend on another channel. To help you navigate what works best for you, we’ve compiled a list of the top social media trends for real estate across the most popular channels.
It’s also important to note that because your real estate business is uniquely yours, your audience is, too. There are an abundant number of social media channels these days that you can use to elevate your social media strategy for real estate, but a few stand out as strongholds in the field. These channels include
It’s important to understand your audience and be active on the platform(s) where they are. Keep reading to discover the latest social media trends for real estate. Want more information on these trends and how to implement them to grow your real estate business? Let’s connect!
7 Social Media Trends to Grow Your Real Estate Business
- Expanding the focus
- Authenticity is viral
- Education engages
- Communication is a two-way street
- Video is still preferred
- Sharing success stories
- Automating the social media process
Expanding the focus
As more people seek out hyperlocal content about an area, they’re expecting to see more local content featured on social media, too. Buyers – and some sellers – want richer information than high level property details. They want insight into what features and attractions the neighborhood and surrounding areas offer. What is it actually like to live there? Sharing places to eat, entertainment in the area, attractions, and more creates a sense of place, which is invaluable for someone contemplating buying a house there. Doing so can also position yourself as experts in the area and gain the trust of prospective clients, including sellers, who also expect to see you sharing local content, videos, and providing market information that helps them understand their home’s, and their neighborhood’s, value. Following and tagging local businesses is a great way to demonstrate your connection to and knowledge of an area — and maybe even get a like or follow back!
Authenticity is viral
Now more than ever, people are seeking companies that they can trust — especially when it comes to a big, important, and often emotional decision. People respond to people, so leaning into the human aspect of your business pulls back the curtain slightly and allows better connections to form between you and your audience. For example, incorporating employee bios with information on what they do for work and also what hobbies they have or an interesting fact about themselves gives a little more insight into who they are. Additionally, posting behind-the-scenes photos to your real estate social media channels puts faces to your company. Want to showcase your unique staging services? Post before and after photos, sure, but also consider posting some action shots of the team getting the house ready; what better way to show how hard you’ll work on your sellers’ behalf?
Education engages
According to a recent study, seven in ten people use social media to connect, engage with news, or share information. Because so many people are turning toward social media for information, and sharing it, providing relevant information in the format of infographics, short videos, and digestible snippets from blogs is a great way to get people to engage with your brand online. Ideas can include home staging tips for sellers, what to expect during an inspection, the latest real estate trends, when the best time is to buy or sell a home in your area, etc. Also, as a result, you’ll further position yourself up as a trusted resource by being the go-to source of market and area information.
Communication is a two-way street
Simply posting a link, photo, or video might feel like the only step to take in building your brand online and sharing information with your audience. However, as more buyers and sellers turn to social media to find information, ask questions, and get answers, they’re also expecting responses from companies. Responding to comments with personalization like using the commenter’s name and directly addressing their problem or question will let them know that they’re heard. Even a simple “thank you for your comment” goes a long way to open up conversations.
Video is still preferred
Video and social media are synonymous at this point. Videos were popular before the pandemic and became even more in demand as people relied on online mediums to view property tours and get to know the area before spending the time and resources to visit in person (and even to buy sight unseen). In addition, companies turned to live streaming to hold Q&As, webinars, and conferences. With so many platforms integrating video as part of their features, like Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, and consumer demand as high as ever, video isn’t going away any time soon.
Sharing success stories
People take into consideration other people’s opinions, reviews, and experiences working with companies. We seek out “social proof” that working with a company will be worth it. Sharing success stories focused on how you’ve helped your clients solve their pain points provides potential clients with the information they need to feel like they’re making the right decision, and in what ways you’ll be helping them. Success stories are more than a simple testimonial; even one or two videos of happy clients talking about their experience in detail, such as how specifically you helped them and what impact that had, can be incredibly powerful.
Automating the social media process
As it’s important to be active on multiple platforms (including newer entrants) and with the rise in machine learning, incorporating an automated social media workflow into your marketing efforts helps you dial into the most relevant content for your audience. With the help of automation, you can determine the best times to post on social media, analyze engagement data, and so much more. Plus, you’ll be able to plan out your content calendar more effectively with social media scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to ensure your audience sees your posts on a consistent basis. Furthermore, posting on a consistent basis with relevant content extends your organic reach as your posts settle into each platform’s algorithms.
Because social media is ever-evolving, it’s essential to keep up with the latest trends and implement them into your social media marketing for real estate. Tracking your social posts with built-in analytics or a third-party social media tool will help you see what’s working and what’s not, making it easier to adjust accordingly and effectively grow your following online.
Looking to elevate your social media strategy? Connect with us today for specific recommendations to help grow your real estate business.
