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Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth

March 3, 2021 By

When it comes to truly standing out in today’s hyper competitive real estate market, one of the most important factors an agent should consider is their digital footprint. Social media platforms have become an integral part of the real estate business helping agents build a strong and consistent brand presence with target consumers and generate leads. While some may consider it a form of “free advertising”, doing it well takes a different kind of investment – time and effort. The most successful agents on social media agree that you need to be selective with your content, consistent with a posting cadence and showcase your authentic self to successfully drive engagement.

We sat down with a few of CENTURY 21 Real Estate’s most social-savvy affiliates to share their insights and key things to consider when incorporating social media into your business plan.

Chris Stager, CENTURY 21 Pinnacle

Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth image 1

Social Media plays the BIGGEST role in my business with over 80% of my transactions having been generated on these platforms. My business plan starts and ends with social media, I treat it like a live CRM. My goal is to build a trusted social brand by creating good and consistent brand awareness with one-of-a-kind, community-driven content. By being myself and giving my consumer a look inside of my life, from both a professional and personal standpoint, I am already establishing that unique connection with them. I believe one of the biggest mistakes agents make is too much focus on business content. There’s only one you, so BE YOU and not someone else. YOU are the one they are hiring to be their partner on this journey.

Shawn Battle, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty

Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth image 2

In today’s market, if you aren’t posting regularly on social media, you just aren’t doing your job as a real estate agent. That being said, I’m very selective with what goes on my page and what goes into my story. I’ve had the most success using video and YouTube. It’s the biggest way I distinguish myself because not as many agents are doing it. I like to put my own fun little spin on each video to show some personality and keep people engaged. I then use the CENTURY 21 CRM and email marketing tools to engage my sphere with this content at least once a week. I’ve attracted several new clients who said they saw my YouTube videos and wanted to work with me. My advice to other agents is to start with one platform and master it. Don’t just post to post, post to build a foundation and make the content consistent with your business.

Gabe Mendez, CENTURY 21 Award

Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth image 3

Social media is my main source for lead generation – I use it as a form of personal branding. People connect with me and the way I do business. When they see me, hear me, get to know me, they begin to build a level of trust which makes it easy and fun to work together. Not everyone wants to do business with me and that’s okay, but the only way they can make that decision is by knowing I exist and learning more about me. Our job as agents is to get attention to our business, to capture mind share. That’s why we cold call, door knock, send mailers. Social media is the easiest, most fun, and most affordable way of doing that. But even though it may
seem casual, the biggest mistake agents make is losing the professional aspect of your content. If you wouldn’t put it on a listing presentation, do not post it on social media.

As you can see, each of these agents takes a unique and personal approach to leveraging social media to engage with today’s home buyers and sellers. As part of the CENTURY 21 brand, our network of 146,000 affiliated sales professionals has access to a suite of tools that enable them to create unique and customizable social content, promote their personal brand with key targets and connect with system leaders for the latest coaching and training to take their business to the next level.

The post Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth first appeared on Century 21®.

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Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth

March 3, 2021 By

When it comes to truly standing out in today’s hyper competitive real estate market, one of the most important factors an agent should consider is their digital footprint. Social media platforms have become an integral part of the real estate business helping agents build a strong and consistent brand presence with target consumers and generate leads. While some may consider it a form of “free advertising”, doing it well takes a different kind of investment – time and effort. The most successful agents on social media agree that you need to be selective with your content, consistent with a posting cadence and showcase your authentic self to successfully drive engagement.

We sat down with a few of CENTURY 21 Real Estate’s most social-savvy affiliates to share their insights and key things to consider when incorporating social media into your business plan.

Chris Stager, CENTURY 21 Pinnacle

Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth image 1

Social Media plays the BIGGEST role in my business with over 80% of my transactions having been generated on these platforms. My business plan starts and ends with social media, I treat it like a live CRM. My goal is to build a trusted social brand by creating good and consistent brand awareness with one-of-a-kind, community-driven content. By being myself and giving my consumer a look inside of my life, from both a professional and personal standpoint, I am already establishing that unique connection with them. I believe one of the biggest mistakes agents make is too much focus on business content. There’s only one you, so BE YOU and not someone else. YOU are the one they are hiring to be their partner on this journey.

Shawn Battle, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty

Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth image 2

In today’s market, if you aren’t posting regularly on social media, you just aren’t doing your job as a real estate agent. That being said, I’m very selective with what goes on my page and what goes into my story. I’ve had the most success using video and YouTube. It’s the biggest way I distinguish myself because not as many agents are doing it. I like to put my own fun little spin on each video to show some personality and keep people engaged. I then use the CENTURY 21 CRM and email marketing tools to engage my sphere with this content at least once a week. I’ve attracted several new clients who said they saw my YouTube videos and wanted to work with me. My advice to other agents is to start with one platform and master it. Don’t just post to post, post to build a foundation and make the content consistent with your business.

Gabe Mendez, CENTURY 21 Award

Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth image 3

Social media is my main source for lead generation – I use it as a form of personal branding. People connect with me and the way I do business. When they see me, hear me, get to know me, they begin to build a level of trust which makes it easy and fun to work together. Not everyone wants to do business with me and that’s okay, but the only way they can make that decision is by knowing I exist and learning more about me. Our job as agents is to get attention to our business, to capture mind share. That’s why we cold call, door knock, send mailers. Social media is the easiest, most fun, and most affordable way of doing that. But even though it may
seem casual, the biggest mistake agents make is losing the professional aspect of your content. If you wouldn’t put it on a listing presentation, do not post it on social media.

As you can see, each of these agents takes a unique and personal approach to leveraging social media to engage with today’s home buyers and sellers. As part of the CENTURY 21 brand, our network of 146,000 affiliated sales professionals has access to a suite of tools that enable them to create unique and customizable social content, promote their personal brand with key targets and connect with system leaders for the latest coaching and training to take their business to the next level.

The post Power of Social Media Leveraging Your Online Presence to Drive Growth first appeared on Century 21®.

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CENTURY 21® Social: How to Use Snapchat for Real Estate

September 5, 2017 By

Snapchat is a powerful social platform to share entertaining, valuable, and informative content. It allows users to communicate through “Stories” containing photos and short videos that can be viewed for up to 24 hours. Users can also send Snaps to specific people on a timer, disappearing as soon as the viewer exits out of it. Real estate agents can take advantage of this social tool for sharing listings, local content, and more.

 

Every Home Has A Story

Agents can Snap fun facts about each listing and the neighborhood around it. Because the content disappears so quickly, you only have a few seconds to catch the attention of your viewers. You can shoot pictures and videos of each room in the house as “ten-second tours.” Providing snapshots of your listings to your followers will spark interest. Followers can then direct message you to set up a viewing instantaneously.

 

Snapchat Geofilters

This feature enables agents to use basic geofilters or create a custom option. When the app detects you are in a specific location, unique filters associated with your area become available to overlay on your content.

  • Pre-made Filters: You can use the geofilters that have already been created to show the coolest spots in the neighborhood. When showing listings in a certain area, agents can travel around the neighborhood itself and display the local bars, restaurants, and stores via Snapchat to add value to the listings.
  • Custom On-Demand Filters: For a small fee, agents can create their own sponsored filters for events like real estate conferences, open houses, and even local community events, to generate brand awareness and interest. Just be sure to keep your audience in mind and create something that users will want to apply to their content.

 

GhostCodes

This separate app lets you discover Snapchat users who are listed under specific categories, like ‘Real Estate.’ GhostCodes makes it easy for other users to find you and can help you increase your following. It’s a great way to help you build a solid referral network and meet new clients!

The key to Snapchat for real estate agents is to make your audience feel more connected to you. It is important to engage with your clients and share content that they want to interact with.

 

Sources:

http://bhgrealestateblog.com/how-to-use-snapchat-for-real-estate-101/

https://www.inman.com/2016/02/25/snapchats-new-custom-filters-will-change-real-estate-marketing/

https://www.agentimage.com/blog/snapchat-real-estate-marketing/

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CENTURY 21® Social: 3 Ways to Use Instagram Stories

July 12, 2017 By

Instagram has followed Snapchat’s lead in providing a separate feed dedicated to showcasing a user’s activities within the past 24 hours. Stories provides a time-sensitive “day in the life” overview of a single user’s postings by offering an in-the-moment view that makes followers feel like part of the action. While this may be a problem for Snapchat, it’s great for real estate agents. Now you can target followers with two very different content approaches all within one network.

Read on to learn what you can do with Instagram Stories.

Highlight Your Listings

From sneak peeks to virtual tours — Instagram Stories gives clients a new way to look at listings. First, it allows agents to link all of their photos together to display as one cohesive stream to promote listings and events. Its video capability also allows agents to share brief virtual tours to help followers get a glimpse of the bigger picture. No matter which visual approach you choose, Stories offers the option to draw on the photos or place markers so that you can highlight all your favorite features of the home.

 

Share the Spotlight

Instagram Stories boasts native features that help users enhance the content they share — a couple in particular, are very beneficial for agents:

  1. Stickers: Customizable sticker options allow agents to add context about the location, weather, or time. The location feature in particular is useful because users can tap the sticker to learn more about the location — giving agents an opportunity to share important open house information or highlight local businesses in the community they serve.
  2. Mentions: Similar to locations, mentions allow agents to tag Instagram accounts in a story. This is another great way to interact and highlight local businesses or influential people in the area.
     
    If you host weekly happy hours, networking events, or any other gatherings on a consistent basis, consider promoting them with Instagram Stories.

 

Unique Content

The first rule for any social media content is to ensure that it is providing value to the audience. Instagram Stories offers a unique way to do this. For example, DIY tutorials for new homeowners or sellers trying to make repairs can offer value followers will appreciate. Stories also provides a great opportunity to showcase the everyday life of an agent and their personality, which is crucial for developing (and retaining) connections.

As with any new feature, the best way to figure out what works for you is to experiment. Start by thinking of something you can create for each of the categories mentioned above and see where the stories take you.

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CENTURY 21® Social: How To Leverage Your Social Networks

May 1, 2017 By

It’s no secret that social media can be a very powerful tool for a real estate sales associates when used in the right way. However, with every social network comes a new set of rules and best practices. To help navigate each one more easily, we’ve created the following list of quick tips specifically for real estate.

 

Network: Facebook

Overview: Facebook is your best resource for reaching the most clients. On it you can share various types of content and reach a more localized audience with the network’s extensive geotargeting capabilities.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Post Your Listings: Tell fans about the home, highlight its major selling points, and post pictures. When sharing a listing on Facebook, it’s important to give it some personality and to make sure you’re not overdoing it. While many people who follow you will enjoy seeing listings, they don’t want their News Feed inundated with them. Your posts can also serve as a place for fans to ask questions about the listing so make sure you are ready to respond.
  • Use Photos: Images on Facebook are much more engaging than text-based posts. The more likes, comments, and shares your posts get, the more they will appear in your Facebook fans’ News Feeds.
  • Share Neighborhood Events: Show off your city. Post about local events in your town. If you’re going to or know about a neighborhood event, tell your fans and invite them to participate.
  • Take Advantage of Geotargeting: Facebook lets you target your ads very specifically. You can use Facebook Ads to give your most important posts some added exposure among users in a desired area. To learn more about Facebook Advertising and geotargeting, check out this blog post.

 

 

Network: Twitter

Overview: Twitter is the best place to share news and updates. Users are looking for quick and digestible information so try your best to keep things concise and to the point—if you can’t say it in 140 characters or less, maybe you shouldn’t say it on Twitter.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Tweet Tips for Buying, Selling, and Moving: Offer advice to your followers by sharing helpful tips about the buying, selling, and moving processes. These tips can include everything from good articles and videos to short and simple ideas.
  • Use Hashtags: On Twitter, using hashtags gets your tweets seen by an audience beyond your followers. Use relevant hashtags to be discovered by those looking for a particular subject matter. For example, use specific hashtags that pertain to your location and more general hashtags that pertain to the industry (e.g. #movingtips).
  • Share Local News: Twitter tends to be a great place for news. If there is something exciting happening in the neighborhood you serve, tweet about it. It will be attractive to potential buyers and keep you up-to-date on local happenings.
  • Use @Mentions to Keep in Touch: Twitter lets you send tweets to specific people. Instead of using the direct message feature, send out a Tweet to congratulate a new homeowner, to thank a local merchant for assisting you, etc.

 

 

Network: Instagram

Overview: Instagram users are drawn to beauty and inspiration. Use this network to show off striking home photography. You can add a few lines in your caption, but try not to say too much and let the images speak for themselves.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Post and Geotag Listings: When posting listings on Instagram, make sure the pictures are appealing and sized accordingly. You can also geotag the location of each listing to make it easier for clients to check out the area on a map.
  • Show Off Your Favorite Homes: Post pictures of some of your favorite homes you’ve sold to give clients an idea of the type of homes you work with—whether that’s a variety or a very specific type.
  • Highlight the Neighborhood: Sharing pictures and information about the neighborhood you work in markets the area to prospective residents and also shows your passion and knowledge of where you are selling homes.
  • Encourage Engagement: Include questions and other calls-to-action in your photo captions to encourage followers to comment. Be prepared to respond and have conversations there.

 

 

Network: LinkedIn

Overview: Aside from being a social network, LinkedIn is a valuable professional networking tool. Save the listings and promotional content for the other networks and focus on marketing your own personal brand to other professionals.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Join and Participate in Local Groups: LinkedIn Groups allow you to use the platform to communicate with other professionals who share interests, work in specific areas, or have other similarities. Use them to communicate and be sure to provide value—remember, this is a network for selling yourself, not your listings.
  • Ask for Referrals: Ask clients and colleagues to give you a referral on LinkedIn. Similar to a traditional referral, this will help potential clients make an easy choice when they’re looking for an agent.
  • Share a Detailed Description of Your Experience: Again, this is the place to sell yourself as a professional. When filling out your profile, be sure to use the Summary section to include relevant education and experience as well as a few facts that will add a personal touch.
  • Network: LinkedIn is a great place to network with other people in the industry. Take some time to see what others are saying and don’t be afraid to share your valuable insight with your network.

 

No matter which social networks you choose to focus on, social media is a great way for you to connect with both clients and peers. What works for some may not work for others, so don’t be afraid to test the waters and see what works for you!

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#C21Social: The Basics of Geotagging

March 31, 2017 By

On social media, geotagging involves “tagging” a geographical location in a status update, a photo, a video, or anything else you post online. Geotagging a location to your posts gives your followers, or in this case, your clients, a glimpse at where you are and what you’re doing. This can be especially beneficial for posts concerning new listings and open houses.

Each network’s native geotagging capabilities help provide necessary information in a convenient user-friendly way so that potential clients know where your newest listing or open house can be found. It will also offer them an opportunity to virtually explore the neighborhood before they decide to take the next step—saving you both time.

Read on to learn more about geotagging by network.

Facebook
When you post a status update or other media post on Facebook, you should be able to see a small location pin icon that you can click to “check in” to a place. Use the dropdown menu to pick a nearby town or place or search for a specific one. Your location will be posted alongside your Facebook post.

Note: To protect user privacy, Facebook will not allow you to post the exact address.

Instagram
Instagram is all about sharing while on the go. Every time you prepare to post a new photo or video, you have the option to add a location on the caption tab. When a follower sees the location, they are able to click on it and navigate to a map view where they can find the exact location and take a look at its surroundings.

Snapchat
Snapchat is another network that embraces an on-the-go lifestyle and appeals to a slightly younger audience. You can snap a photo or record a video and then swipe right on it to add an illustrated geofilter. Snapchat geofilters are pre-determined by the network and change depending on your location.

Let social media help you make that next sale by geotagging your location-specific posts.

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Most Popular Real Estate Keywords of 2016

January 30, 2017 By

When it comes to online marketing, there is a very powerful tool right at your fingertips: keywords! Simple words can be one of your most important and valuable assets for reaching new audiences in the digital space. Think about what words potential clients might enter into a search field and use that information to help guide your marketing plan. You can even use keywords to create relevant hashtags for social media.

To help you get started, here are some of the most popular real estate keywords of 2016.*

The Buying/Selling Process

Estate Property

Property Search

Owner

Close

Price

Years

Plan

Office

Rent

Aspects of the Home

House

Kitchen

Bedroom

Living Room

Bath

Floor

Location Consideration

Location

State

Community

Park

Area

Development

University

*Top keywords provided by Infegy. Data has been filtered to remove keywords associated with the 2016 Presidential Election.

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Get the Most Out of Social Media as a Real Estate Agent

January 5, 2017 By

Be a better real estate agent by learning the benefits of key social media platforms. Remember, each platform provides a different function, and each platform has its inherent pros and cons. What may succeed on one platform may not on another. Whether you’re tweeting about an open house, or posting a new listing on Facebook, this infographic will help you determine how to use your voice as effectively as possible.

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How to Be an Eco-Friendly Agent

August 9, 2016 By

Many people and industries today are taking a step back and considering how their actions impact the environment around them, and we believe that real estate and real estate agents should do the same. Join the trending conversation by practicing eco-friendly real estate marketing habits that may have a positive effect with your clients. Adjust your marketing efforts slightly with these tips and you may see larger results.
 

Enhance Email Marketing

Flyers can be effective when marketing open houses, but they’re just not enough in today’s technological world. Instead of relying on larger quantities of physical handouts, turn your focus towards email marketing. This waste-free option allows an instant connection with your clients, and opens up communication channels since someone can always reply back to you. Not sure where to get started? We’ve got some tips.
 

Utilize Social Media

Along the same vein of emails, social media is an online marketing tool that eases your impact on the environment. While we certainly don’t recommend tossing out your business cards, consider alternative avenues for networking such as participating in online communities and forums. Online interactions allow you to deliver information electronically, which not only reduces waste of notes or flyers, but allows your clients to retain information more easily. When you communicate on social media, there’s no fear of accidentally losing a slip of paper.

 

Encourage Public Transportation      

When advertising the location of your open house, don’t just list driving directions — include public transportation options as well when possible. While many clients may still choose to drive, giving other options subtly shows that you’re conscious about eco-friendly alternatives. If some clients do choose to take the public transportation route, their bus ride, train stop, or walk will be a great introduction to the area. It can even serve as a conversation piece about the neighborhood of their potential home.

 

Market Green Homes

Associate yourself with green homes whenever you can so that clients may see a connection between you and the environmentally-friendly. For example, if one of your listings has a feature or product that consumes less, don’t be afraid to point it out. Clients may appreciate knowing how solar panels, LED lights, or energy-efficient appliances can save both the environment and their wallets. Put features such as these first and they may stand out as more memorable.

 

Use your next open house to start aligning yourself with these eco-friendly practices. You may reduce your impact on the environment while increasing the efficacy of your real estate marketing efforts.

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How to Use Social Media Groups

June 3, 2016 By

Think you’re a master at social media when it comes to real estate marketing? Think again. Even after you’ve created a profile, established a following, and learned how to hashtag, there’s still more to learn. Social media groups, or communities built around a common interest, are yet another invaluable facet on social media platforms. To ensure that all CENTURY 21® Agents are smarter, bolder, faster, here’s some insight as to what these groups are and how to use them effectively.

What are Social Media Groups?

As mentioned previously, these online communities are formed around those who share a common interest. For you, these interests may be real estate, professional organizations, or those living in a certain geographic location.

Where Can I Find Them?

These networks live on Facebook and LinkedIn. To search for them, simply type in key words in the search bar at the top of your page and suggested groups will appear. Note that privacy settings may differ per group. An open group means that anyone may join, while closed groups require either an invitation or permission in order to be a part of them. However, it may not be the best idea to join any group at random. Start by asking friends or colleagues for recommendations or referrals.

Why Should I Use Them?

Social media groups play a different role in your marketing plan. While a Facebook or LinkedIn profile may be the best place to promote you and your business, these groups function better as a place to network, build your reputation, and develop skills. Depending on which group you join, you may be introduced to agents or homeowners you may not have met before. You can also engage in conversation to offer and seek advice.

What are Best Practices?

Think of these groups as an ongoing relationship — you have to put in what you take out. Genuinely participate in conversation, don’t just fill up the page with your own thoughts, requests, or promotions. You may post about an open house or two if you think others in the group would be interested, but make sure that you actively share other users’ content as well. If you’re seeking advice, such as whether homeowners in your area prefer one thing over another, take criticism in stride. If you’re offering advice, make sure your comments are constructive and not belittling.

Join a couple social media groups today to get started. Observe how the particular community functions, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself!

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