Commercial Real Estate News / Marketing / How to Use Social Media as a Real Estate Agent

How to Use Social Media as a Real Estate Agent

Published: 09-26-24 Category: Marketing

Specializes in providing actionable insights into the commercial real estate space for investors, brokers, lessors, and lessees. He covers quarterly market data reports, investment strategies, how-to guides, and top-down perspectives on market movements.

A screenshot of an iPhone's social icons.

Since the internet became a household item, almost everyone has developed the habit of researching or reviewing future purchases before taking the next step. This is especially true for both commercial and residential real estate.

For example, over 90% of homebuyers go online to check out homes for sale before attending an open house or contacting a real estate agent.

While statistics for commercial real estate investors' shopping habits aren't as easily calculated, many rely on commercial real estate brokers for assistance when compiling a shortlist of possible purchases.

This means that both residential and commercial real estate agents need to set up an online presence, especially on social media, which thousands of potential property buyers visit daily.

Whether you're a licensed agent specializing in commercial or residential properties (or both), learning the finer points of creating a social media presence is vital.

And you can learn them in just a few minutes, right here.

Here, we'll illustrate several proven social media posting strategies that draw prospective clients. But first, let's look at the three sites that offer the most opportunities.

Social Media Sites

While it's tempting to join every social media platform, focusing on those most relevant to your target audience is more effective.

This applies even if you spot competing agents on other sites.

#1 – Facebook

This site has been established for just over 20 years and is well-known around the world. A Facebook Business page is a “must have” for commercial and residential agents, due to its readership numbers: Over 194 million Americans visit the site daily.

In addition to ads and funnels that create paths for your prospects to reach you, Facebook is also home to a Top Providers Initiative. This has been designed especially to assist real estate agents with discovering the specialized services provided to Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger users.

#2 – Instagram

Originally created for iPhone users to share photos, Instagram is ideal for uploading collections of property photos.

The site has expanded to allow video uploads, which enables residential agents to upload video walk-throughs of properties.

#3 – LinkedIn

While this site's services were initially considered to be tailored to recruiters, LinkedIn has introduced a growing array of features for business users, including commercial and residential agents.

In addition to daily opportunities to connect with potential clients, LinkedIn provides various ways for users to network with potential clients, commercial clients and referral sources.

Users may upgrade by subscribing to LinkedIn Premium. This charges users a monthly fee and provides access to features not available to basic users.

These include InMail messaging to people not in their network, company insights, access to LinkedIn Learning, and private browsing.

Recently, LinkedIn has created more opportunities for real estate agents to contribute, including collaborative articles. This provides agents with the freedom to compose and publish industry insights and even thought leadership pieces.

After establishing a presence on social media, it's time to think about the sort of content you want to share.

Creating Content With Genuine Reader Appeal

Whether you're specializing in commercial or residential real estate, providing relevant content is crucial.

Your social media postings don't have to be 100% property listings; there are other subjects equally important to potential buyers.

These include:

Local area highlights. What will make leasing your office space or buying in your territory truly special? Are there parks, shopping, and/or sporting events nearby?
Client testimonials. These are especially attractive as they belong to you and nobody else. Be sure to ask permission from clients before publishing some or all of their testimonial or five-star review.
Behind-the-scenes glimpses of your work. These can be truly interesting to those with little knowledge of what a real estate agent does. These also help you convince prospects who may think that real estate agents do little more than show listings.

When composing your content, keep in mind that social media is a conversation, not a speech. Be sure that some of your content encourages your followers to comment, share, “like,” and subscribe.

If you have access to your audience demographics, such as their ages and income levels, preparing content that proves that you understand their concerns and interests is especially valuable.

Next, we'll look at the type of visuals that will work best with your content.

#1 – Be Visual, Colorful, Intriguing

Real estate shopping is inherently visual to residential and commercial audiences. While high-quality photographs and video tours of your properties are essential, other strategies will interest audiences while educating them.

For example, if you're an agent with some imperfect properties in your listings, show prospects what can be accomplished by renovation. Before-and-after renovation photos can help you sell the fixer-uppers in your listings.

Now that you know the basics of creating social media content, here are some strategies to finesse your content to make it work harder.

#2 – Engage With Your Audience

Social media is about building relationships. When creating content, think of approaches that will encourage interaction with your followers.

Always respond promptly to comments and messages left by site visitors, as a slow response may result in a lost sale.

#3 – Build Your Personal Brand

Create a consistent look and feel across all your social media profiles. Ideally, your Facebook followers will recognize you immediately if they spot you on LinkedIn or Instagram.

If you specialize in a certain niche, such as Class A commercial real estate or condominium sales, share your expertise to build trust with prospects.

#4 – Share Your Local Knowledge

When someone is relocating to a new office building, city, or another state, an agent who shares their local knowledge will reassure them and build trust.

Share insights about your “farm,” including local schools.
Post about local events, businesses, and attractions. Putting yourself in the photo can be appealing, especially if you're helping sponsor an event.
Create content that positions you as a local expert.

Remember, social media works best when its content includes authentic engagement in addition to your listings. Above all, listen to your audiences and respond to their comments…one or more of them may be your next clients.