Next Gen Marketing: How Young Realtors are Finding New Clients

In the dynamic world of real estate, success often hinges on your ability to effectively market yourself and your properties. Marketing isn’t just about selling houses; it’s about selling a lifestyle, building trust, and establishing a strong personal brand.

In this blog post, we will explore the essential strategies and tactics that real estate professionals can use to excel in the ever-evolving field of marketing.

Before diving into marketing strategies, it’s crucial to understand your target audience. Are you primarily working with first-time homebuyers, empty nesters, or investors? Each group has distinct needs and preferences. Tailoring your marketing efforts to address these specific demographics will yield better results.

Good marketing means knowing where your consumers are, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that if you’re primarily targeting older consumers, you have nothing to learn from younger agents.

According to the Pew Research Center, the share of those 65 and older who are tech users has grown in the past decade. While those 65 and older also were the least likely of any age group to say they use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, still nearly half (45%) reported using some form of social media.

Presence on social media among Americans 65 and older grew about fourfold since 2010, while use by the youngest adults remained relatively constant in that timeframe. Since 2010, the gap between adults under 30 and adults 65 and older shrank from 71 points to 39 points.

Social media will only become more important each year, even for those selling to seniors. For those focused on other buyers and age groups, it is essentially a prerequisite for those looking to meet their clients where they are engaging.

In the digital age, some online presence has become non-negotiable. Start with a professional website that showcases your services, listings, and testimonials.

Even if your brokerage provides a simple page, having your own website can help you stand out and draw even more clients directly to you. With services like Squarespace and Wix, it’s easier than ever to create a simple, self-made website.

If you’re eager for an extra step that will help draw in even more traffic, optimize your website for search engines (SEO) to ensure potential clients can find you easily. While SEO tactics can be complex in order to have an effective strategy, to do it simply yourself, make sure you are:

Social Media

Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn to connect with potential clients and other professionals in the industry. Share informative content, engaging visuals, and updates about your listings.

If you’re new to social media and unsure where to start, simply follow other real estate professionals to see what they’re doing well and incorporate some of their strategies.

Mainly social media is about connecting and helping people feel comfortable with you – be yourself and share a mix of industry insights as well as “water cooler”-level personal information. Nothing too personal, but about the same level as what you would share with co-workers. Family celebrations, trips and accomplishments all serve to provide others with a sense of who you are as a person.

Content Marketing

Blogging and content creation can establish you as an authority in your field. Write articles on topics like home-buying tips, market trends, and neighborhood spotlights. Once created, share these on your website and social media channels, as well as emailing them out to your list to provide value to your audience.

Email Marketing

Build and maintain an email list to keep clients informed about new listings, market trends, and industry insights. Personalize your emails for a more tailored approach.

This helps you maintain a monthly connection with clients old and new, so hopefully, they will keep you top of mind for any referral opportunities or their next real estate purchase.

For most if not all social media platforms, high-quality photos and videos are an integral component to achieve successful results. Investing in a quality smartphone, and improving your photography skills (again, YouTube tutorials will come in handy for this) will pay off – literally.

Especially for social media updates, you don’t always need professional photography and videography to showcase properties in their best light. While those have their place, when you’re trying to get a property in front of your audience as soon as possible, you’ll want to make sure you can quickly take flattering photos.

Many real estate agents also find success with video marketing. Investing in a tripod and ring light for your smartphone means you can quickly create easy video content which allows you to talk about local trends, interview area real estate experts and even get customer testimonials to share across Instagram, Facebook and even TikTok.

This is content you could then use to write a blog or email to recipients who would find value in the information. One video could reach your audience across several different platforms, all with a minimal amount of work.

Every property has a story to tell. Craft compelling narratives around your listings. No matter what medium you’re using to market your property, use photos, videos and written content to highlight unique features, neighborhood perks, and the lifestyle a buyer could enjoy in that home.

Storytelling helps potential buyers connect emotionally with a property. If you can show them what living in that home or area will look like, they will be more attracted to the possibilities. As psychologists and scientists tout, familiarity breeds liking.

Networking is a cornerstone of the real estate industry. Just like you would at local events, it’s necessary to put yourself out there when using social media.

Social media is a great way to establish relationships with other agents, mortgage brokers, contractors, and home inspectors. These connections can provide referrals and valuable insights.

So how to you go about building social media relationships? The best way is to follow other professionals and engage with their content. This means “liking” and commenting on others’ posts, and maybe even reaching out to do some collaborative content.

If you want your clients to know more about the home inspection process, for example, you could interview a local trustworthy company and post a video of the discussion.

Also, if you’re in local neighborhood groups on Facebook or NextDoor, when someone is asking for real estate referrals, you could volunteer yourself as a resource. You can also encourage current clients to “tag” your social media account when they see these posts from friends and neighbors.

It’s important to track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts so you know where to direct your focus. Use metrics like website traffic, lead conversion rates, and social media engagement, and then adjust your strategies based on what’s working.

For example, if you notice certain social media content or topics are getting more likes than your typical posts, you know it resonates with clients. Then, you can produce more and grow your audience over time.

Real estate is a constantly evolving field, so online marketing techniques are a vital part of having a successful career. To stand out in a competitive market, real estate agents must know their audience, and take some cues from those who are new and hungry in the industry. By mastering the art of marketing, even established real estate agents can further build their brand, attract clients, and thrive in this dynamic industry.