Proven Real Estate Marketing Ideas

If implemented correctly, strategic and innovative Real Estate marketing ideas give Salesman an edge over the competition, generate leads, and make it much easier to convert those leads into customers.

We’ve listed down some Real Estate marketing ideas that you can implement & see you business grow. We’ve split each into three categories. This is a long list and it’s not advisable to try all ideas at once. The best way is to use the basics, and then pick a few of the advanced or innovative ones. Incorporate them in your Real Estate business plan and work through them diligently to measure their effectiveness for your business.

Develop a strong Real Estate resume & add it to your "About Us" Page 

When people see your brand online, they should also get a feel of your professional qualifications, experience and personality. Draft a Real Estate resume that leads will love, detailing your experiences, value, and interests, and put it prominently on the ‘About Me’ page of your website.

 Get a professional photo-shoot

You are your brand, so your personal photograph should exude a friendly demeanor and elevate your brand with a professional look. Hire a professional photographer who can make sure the final product is crisp and presentable . If you’re short of funds in the beginning you can also opt to create your that looks professional.

Define your brand and marketing plan.

Spending just a bit of time to understand and define your brand, and develop a plan that helps you set and track goals. This will allow you to plan out exactly what marketing strategies to prioritize.

Devise a schedule to make website updates once a week

Your website is one of the important face to your brand. If a customer sees the same information on your blog or homepage continuously, they’re likely to think you have limited value to provide them. Make sure you’re constantly refreshing featured listings and adding new content for readers at-least once a week.

Prepare a 30-second pitch to use when talking to new leads.

In your initial conversations with clients, you should be able to make a brief but powerful statement that conveys you’re a knowledgeable Salesman who knows the market better than anyone. Once you’ve created your pitch, practice it out loud.

 Get some material printed with your branding

Brand exposure in your area can help grow your business. Get items like calendars, pens, key-chains, and notepads, and have your name, logo, and contact information printed on them to pass out to clients or at local events.

Send a request to clients to review your services online

Online reviews have a prominent presence in search engines, have a large impact on your business’s reputation and are a major source of lead referrals. Take control of your brand by requesting online reviews from good past clients, and make it easy for them to post in multiple places.

Secure a keyword-rich domain name specific to your area

Many Salesmen make the mistake of getting a domain that showcases their name, but miss a great SEO opportunity to get traffic by using search terms in their domain name. Know how to select a domain name that is both branded and represents optimal keywords for your area.

Put your contact information on every page of your website

With lead generation being one of your top priorities, your contact information shouldn’t be hidden or only on one page of your website. Prominently showcase your contact information on every page to make it easy for leads to reach out.

Add social sharing buttons to your site.

Social sharing is a huge part of generating referral traffic and building brand recognition online. This process should be easy for your website visitors so anyone can click them and share your content quickly with minimal effort. Many website themes carry these as standard, or you can opt to install a plug-in for your site.

Vary post types

Not every piece of content has to be a long text document. In fact, most readers love variety. Create a mix of written blogs, eBooks, info-graphics, videos, photos, lists, etc.

Develop guides for buyers and sellers.

Almost every customer you meet will have lots of questions about buying or  selling. Means you’re answering similar questions again & again. Create your downloadable or printable guides you can give to prospective customers that contain information about various processes, documents and other related topics for a Real Estate transaction.

Call to action

Most people place calls to action button at the end of a blog post, but you should use them in other areas of site as well, like sidebar prompts to sign up for your newsletters, a homepage area asking folks to get in touch with you, or at the top  lead capture forms for customers to get more information on a property. 

 Spy on competitors.

You will likely be competing with other Salesmen/companies in your area. It’s a good practice to know how you stack up against them. Use tools to see how their sites perform online, their SEO and search engine marketing strategies, where they get back-links from, and the power of their social media presence.

Optimize your pages and posts with targeted keywords.

There’s no way around it: If you want your pages and site  to rank well on Google, you need to determine keywords that will generate quality leads and you need to use them effectively on your website. Start with keyword analysis  and follow up by learning how to use these to optimize your page.

Submit a sitemap to search engines.

Do this step for both Google and Bing to ensure all your web pages are indexed in search engines. (Some providers do this for you automatically.)

Curate content from other sources to include on your site.

Not every piece of content on your site has to be completely original. Effectively taking content from other sites, crediting the original source, and adding your own perspective makes content creation simple and quick.

Make viral headlines.

Studies show why blogs with certain lines/headings get shared more. Draft Catchy headlines using proven tactics to enhance the visibility of your posts.

Market blog posts to your entire network.

If you publish a blog post and no one reads it, is it useful? Probably not. Make sure your blog is seen and read by the people who are connected with you or your business. This includes your newsletter list, friends, family, notable bloggers you have relationships with, and social media followers.

Use analytics to drive your marketing.

Whether it’s a piece of content that gets high traffic, a listing that gets high time-on-site statistics or an influx in referrals from a particular blogger, monitor your website analytics and visitor behavior to determine where to focus your marketing.

Produce original art.

Original art for your blog, website, and social media content will make your brand stand out. Not an expert in doing so? No problem. Sites like Canvaoffer easy-to-use platforms where you can create interesting banners, icons, and images with little to no experience.

Set up dedicated landing pages for major pieces of content or events

If you’re advertising a major piece of content (like an eBook) or an event (like a major open house), create a dedicated landing page to focus visitors on taking a particular action, like a download or invite. Include images, details, a strong value proposition, and a call to action.

Guest post for high-traffic blogs

Writing your content for other than your site can be effective if done on high-traffic sites with a visitor base similar to the leads you want. Creating content for such sites as a guest will help debut your writing (and name) to a new, larger audience.

 Create multiple websites

While you may already have a real estate website, but many successful Salesmen representing large geographic areas or many properties create multiple sites, with each covering specific niche area of market or a particular   project, so they can target the needs of specific customers.

Thoughtfully comment on relevant articles written on other sites.

Developing a voice can simply start with your thoughtful comments at the end of a relevant high-traffic post. When you comment, include your URL in case readers want to know more about you and your business.

Give leads expense information and calculators.

Most clients have financial questions. Create a document that you can give to customers to help them calculate and keep their expenses, earnings etc. before, during, and after a sale.

Follow up with leads immediately and often.

Once you’ve captured lead details, follow up within minutes. Then, continue to follow up continuously via phone calls, messages, emails etc.

Develop your target customer personas.

Understanding your customers will help you design your marketing strategy more effectively. List down your best leads and clients, and the types of information and services they’re seeking.

Connect your email or text messaging to lead capture forms.

You’re busy, so have lead notifications sent directly to your email or message whichever you see instantly, so you can follow up as soon as possible.

Streamline follow-up with marketing automation.

Leads need to be nurtured, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose sleep trying to remember, when & whom to stay in touch. Use automation tools to time follow-up, when your customers will like.

Use your CRM to track clients’ needs.

Every client will have different likes, dislikes, and must-haves. Use CRM to track these, and develop easy process that meet their needs.

Send personalized gifts after a sale.

Leave a lasting impression after papers are signed by sending gifts to your clients like pizza dinners on their first night in the home, homeowner starter baskets or may be even host a welcome party for them.

Develop a referral system

Great past clients can drive referrals. Develop a system to encourage folks to let their network know about your services, with deals or freebies as incentives.

Check in with leads a month and year after move-in.

If you want to maintain long-lasting relationships, and get referrals, stay in touch with customers. Appropriate times are a month and a year after they move-in, which are often happy anniversaries. Send cards or make a phone call.

Post listing information on every social media outlet

Listings on your website are great, but let your followers know about new offerings by posting them on social media sites as well.

Construct great real estate listing copy.

Great writing can make or break a listing’s potential. The bare minimum details won’t do the trick if you want to get the best leads and offers. Post your listings with interesting words and  description that readers find useful & interesting.

Optimize listing pages.

Optimize your listing pages with local keywords, proper address formatting, appropriately sized photos, and the necessary links.

Dedicate blog posts or landing pages to showcase your listings in detail

Add more in-depth descriptions, photos, video, and information about the area to better pitch the property, and optimize post with local & correct keywords, address names, and property type keywords to attract organic traffic. Share your blog with your network.

Create detailed property documents and distribute at open houses.

Don’t let interested leads walk away from your open house empty-handed. -Document describing your listings, a mockup of the floor plan, and even showing how your property/services stands against  others in the area can help leave a long-lasting impression after the open house. The cover page     should hold all the details a customer would need to know, along with your contact information, if they’d like to get in touch.

Create video presentations for your offerings

Photos are expected as part of listings, but video can build a fuller experience for your clients and give them a more in-depth perspective on the property. Create professional property videos for priority listings to generate better interest.

Setting up social pages.

Your brand should have a strong presence on social media, as this is a major driver of successful marketing campaigns and referral traffic. Even if you don’t currently use all of them, secure usernames on every platform in case you choose to use them later. These include  Facebook,  Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, SlideShare, Instagram etc. If possible, use the same user name across all platforms.

Invite friends and family to like your pages or follow you

Every page starts with zero, so allow your personal network to give your online social brands a boost. Invite friends, family, colleagues, and past clients to like or follow your professional pages so you can build an immediate following (and so they can see and share what you post).

Post regularly on each social media platform.

Social media is only effective if used properly & systematically. Salesman using social media knows it takes a consistent posting to build an audience that will engage with you. This means posting almost daily on your core social media sites. Use your post to know about what types of content work best on each social site.

Secure a Google My Business account

A great presence on Google will only enhance your marketing. Google “My Account” is a free account that ensures your business’s contact information and domain name will populate prominently in Google searches, along with reviews written about your business and recent Google+ postings.

Get a social media scheduler.

Being an avid poster on social media doesn’t have to mean being glued to your computer every minute of the day. Many posts, like blog posts, announcements, property details, and general advice can be scheduled in advance using automated systems like Hootsuite, Buffer or Edgar.

Network with other people who influence

Marketing with people who influence can help you gain knowledge from successful marketers, and potentially amplify your marketing message with their built-in audiences. Start by sharing their content, developing natural conversations, and slowly build a relationship before requesting they share some of your content.

Generate slideshows.

Multimedia presentations produced from content on your website can build readership with audiences who prefer visuals to plain text. Publishing        slideshows on platforms like SlideShare puts your content in front of potentially thousands of users.

Include social follow buttons on your website.

You should make it easy for visitors to your website find and follow your social media accounts. Whether it’s in your header, footer, or sidebar, make sure your Social Media buttons are prominent on the page.

Join a Twitter discussion (or run your own)

Twitter is a great platform to engage with other professionals or clients. Follow major real estate related topics by searching relevant hashtags and offer thoughts or pose questions. You can also start your own chat, in which case you’ll need to advertise to your clients via email, messaging or social media, letting them know how to link with you during to get their questions answered.

Develop or join groups, &  start discussions build thought          leadership

Many discussions and coalitions are built within social media groups. Join some or create your own to build your network, where you can offer advice.

Run a contest through social media.

Contests can be an effective way to generate leads. Use social media to  host a contest, offer a prize, like a gift card of a local business or a free   consultation.

Publish new, original thoughtful articles on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn now allows anyone to write thoughtful articles in their publisher platform. Using this platform you can get your thoughts in front of thousands of readers.

Set up email sign-up forms on your site to grow your recipient list.

You can only get a good return on your investment in email if you have a substantial recipient list. Use on-site sign-up forms with effective calls to action to get readers to sign up. Create attraction for readers get motivation for this.

Create an email signature with essential details.

Your email signature should include your full name, phone number, email address, website address, links to your social media accounts and address of your Blog. Not only is this an easy way to provide your information, it also ensures that if your email is forwarded, the recipient will see all your details.

Construct responsive email templates

Email templates come in all shapes and sizes, but you should be using a template with responsive design and clean layout.

Create attractive subject lines.

Email open rate is heavily dependent on subject lines. You should spend significant time drafting a few  effective & appealing subject lines with elements of storytelling for every email, and pick the best option.

Personalize emails

Including a recipient’s name and other details can make emails more personal and will deepen their trust.

Segment your email list.

If you want to give personalized experience to your clients, divide your email list based on client personas & needs. Then, target mails with details pertaining to each client.

Use storytelling and imagery to increase engagement.

Include effective storytelling content and videos or images to increase click-through and conversion rates for your emails.

Set up auto-responders for thanking

Set up auto-responder messages to clients and leads know you’ll get back to them and their mail has been received. The same goes for messages to those who download a resource from your site or invite to an event.

Create a dedicated landing page for your email newsletter sign-up.

Create a landing page that outlines all the great features of your newsletter, and includes a value proposition and call to action. Then, use that link in your social bios and posts to direct users to sign up.

Develop an email guide for leads.

Your clients will have some similar issues or questions, related to Real Estate. Increase engagement by offering email guidance to these real estate issues,     offering a new tip each day or week.

Develop targets

Set your targets for both keywords you want to target and the types of customers who would be the most qualified leads.

Choose a vendor to set up campaigns for you

Setting up, monitoring and tracking advertisement campaigns takes time and requires lot of creativity. Salesmen who want to maximize the impact of their ads should work with a reputed company where they can have an expert to design & supervise their campaigns and analyze how these are performing.

Advertise in high circulation magazines

There are popular Real Estate magazines. Advertising there can take you to  thousands of readers.

Create a dedicated landing page for your advertisements

If you want to increase lead generation from your ad, a click should lead to a landing page where you provide more details to your lead, as well as a lead   capture form.

Sponsor local events

Local events at religious places, schools, and sports events are constantly looking for sponsors. Sponsor these in exchange for brand advertising on booklets, t-shirts, banners, flyers, etc.

Advertise your business and listings in local media.

Advertise your brand in local media like newspaper, magazine, radio, television, etc. to get your messaging in front of local leads.

Create a high-quality flyer

Flyers can help get awareness for your brand. Use high-gloss paper and sophisticated design to create flyers for your area.

Write a column for your local media.

Writing a column  regularly in your local newspaper, magazine, or online blog will help you present your knowledge to local audience and build recognition. If you’re a good talker, present your views on a radio show & at events.

Use creative ideas for Local Branding

Use creative idea for branding activities. Sponsor the coffee mugs at your local coffee shop, golf tee boxes at a golf club, or a stand at your local farmers market.

Develop a marketing niche with a group in your community.

You can’t make everyone happy, but you can make a niche group very happy and willing to work with you, and be able to generate your most productive leads for a better return on your marketing efforts. Find relevant & niche groups and become an active member of these.

Host free seminars on topics concerning buyers or sellers in your area

Host informal sessions to offer your knowledge and advice to locals. Use a sign-in sheet to collect information so you can follow up with attendees after.

Email marketing schedule

By now you will have leads and clients. Stay connected through an email campaign. Creating content to mail weekly &/or monthly say newsletter, blog post or a general market updates is a great idea to stay on the radar. The key here is to send out relevant information. You DO NOT want them to put you in the spam folder. Keep leads and clients interested with content that is engaging, useful and worth their time.