Whether you run a large business or you’re a one man show, it’s important to have a strong marketing strategy. Mistakes are inevitable, and part of the learning process, but they’re also preventable, so you don’t have to go through the hassle of repairing damage you could have easily avoided in the first place. Here are the 9 most common marketing mistakes real estate agents make — and how you can stay away from them.
1. Being Absent on Social Media
Posting on social media is a great way to promote your business. Sadly, many real estate agents overlook this very important aspect or simply can’t identify its benefits. Engagement on social media not only improves your online presence and visitor count, but it also attracts leads. Although it might seem time consuming, it’s better to manage your social media yourself. This way you can interact with your followers, know their needs, keep up with the latest trends, and ultimately stand out from the competition and drive in those leads.
2. Not Investing Enough Time in Listings Descriptions
The language you use to describe your listings has the power to attract and keep potential buyers interested. When describing a property, put yourself in your customer’s shoes and consider all the things they might want to read about – from square footage and amenities, to the quality of schools in the area. A good way to get started is to see what others are doing. Online real estate portals like Point2Homes.com display useful, detailed listings descriptions that you can use as inspiration for your own.
3. Not Having a Target Group
Aiming for wide-ranging appeal might be an obvious choice, but focusing on a specific group is much better for your marketing strategy. For example, first-time home buyers might want to know practical information about financing options, whereas luxury shoppers will have different requests. More is not always better, and spreading yourself too thin might lead to inefficient marketing. Bridge the gap between amateur and professional by becoming a pro in a specific field rather than being average at many things.
4. Having an Unresponsive Website
A well-functioning website makes for a good first impression and, let’s face it, your website is your business card. As most people start searching online when they want to buy a home, it is important that your website works on desktop computers, as well as on mobile phones or tablets. Building a website yourself might seem complicated, but there are many all-in-one DIY toolkits that can get you started. Solutions like Point2 offer amazing marketing tools for professionals, including dozens of easily customizable website templates, easily accessible across all platforms.
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5. Forgetting about SEO
Many websites remain anonymous due to ineffective SEO strategies. If your website isn’t on the first pages of search engines, nobody will reach it. Optimizing your website is hard work, but it will pay off. If you don’t know how to tackle this on your own, there are plenty of search engine optimization tools for real estate agents. Many real estate agent websites even come with some level of optimization right from the start to make your business rank high and generate the leads you are aiming for.
6. Not Targeting Your Local Market
When you promote yourself online, include city and neighborhood names in your keywords. Local agents who focus on a specific area attract customers, not visitors, and enjoy better search engine rankings. It’s tempting to opt for general terms like “homes for sale” in your advertising campaigns, but a potential customer is most likely looking for a specific type of property, e.g. “2-bedroom home for sale near me”. While general targeting might bring in more visitors, they are not necessarily the most motivated buyers.
7. Not Having a Blog
A blog is a great way to attract more traffic to your website and interact with potential customers. Every blog post you write (and share!) increases your chances of getting discovered in search engines and directing traffic to your page. Good content is key as it will keep readers engaged and coming back for more. Choose a website provider that includes WordPress blogs, which are intuitive and easy to use.
8. Sending Untargeted Emails
Drip email campaigns are an invaluable tool that can help you boost your business. If you don’t want your communications to end up in the junk email folder, avoid sending untargeted messages, which often do more harm than good. Segment your audience, analyze their needs, and only send them relevant communications. It may sound like a lot of work, but it can be easily done by using automatic email campaigns. It will help you build and nurture client relationships and get customers ready to buy or sell faster.
9. Overlooking Relationship Marketing
Many real estate agents overlook the importance of relationship marketing and they tend to focus more on short-term improvement rather than on maintaining customer loyalty. Show appreciation to your clients by sending them thoughtful notes of gratitude, for instance. Don’t think “word of mouth” marketing is underrated. A satisfied customer can bring you more leads than any online social network.
What marketing mistakes have you been making?
There are many more real estate marketing ideas that you can include in your strategy to get your real estate business running smoothly in no time.
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Point2 is a powerful online marketing solution for real estate professionals. Get everything you need to expand your real estate business, including an easy-to-use-website, intuitive lead generation tools, detailed analytics and much more.
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