The advent of online marketing and digital tools has transformed the Real Estate sector considerably. With nearly 700 million active internet users, the traditional methods of investing in real estate have been overtaken by modern internet-driven methods. One factor that is changing the fastest and most vigorously is real estate marketing. Whether it’s for selling properties or for offering consultancy services, companies are now implementing different advertising and marketing ideas. Hence, to stay a step ahead of your competitors, formulating a solid real estate marketing plan has become essential. Here is a compilation of 21 go-to real estate marketing ideas that will take your business to new heights.
1. Wait, You Don’t Have a Website?
Developing a website for your real estate company is not a marketing idea, it is a requisite. Being the main point of contact between you and a client, you need to invest in creating a website that highlights your services creatively. Apart from contact and property details, you can share client testimonials, details of new or completed projects, blogs on real estate, market trends, etc. Additionally, if you offer property management services, then you can explain how your company can cater to the needs and requirements of homeowners, builders, or corporates.
In this modern time of technology, a good website that is easy to use and has a professional appearance is essential for gaining trust and making people more aware about you. Your website acts like a virtual shop front where possible customers can see all information related to your offerings, area of expertise, as well as what makes you special in the market. A nicely arranged site not only shows off your properties but also represents how your company looks and its promise for top quality. Through a strong online presence, you can efficiently promote your services, build confidence and present yourself as an esteemed modern real estate company.
2. Let the Photographers Unleash Their Magic
The first impression is the last impression. And with real estate going online, uploading high-quality images of properties has become super important to attract quality leads. Hire a professional photographer and take pictures of property exteriors and interiors, varied amenities, neighbourhood images, and much more.
3. Google AdWords
As a realtor, you must be spending a huge amount of resources on open houses or on conducting site visits. But what if we tell you that with just one click, you can target an audience who is interested in properties that you want to sell? Yes, you read that right! Google Ads has made it possible to bring your brand in front of potential customers when they are looking for properties you intend to sell. This is why Google ads are one of the go-to real estate marketing ideas for your business.
So how exactly Google Ads work?
To accelerate the home sale and purchase process, you must have auctioned houses at one point or the other, right?
This is what exactly happens on Google Ads. Instead of auctioning physical assets, you will bid on a particular keyword related to the property or an area. Google will then select a keyword it feels most relevant for the bid. But this doesn’t end here. The rank of your ad will depend on the maximum bid you place (i.e. Cost-per-click bid) and your Quality Score (defines how relevant your ad is for the users).
Once the auction starts, the target audience sees your ads when they are looking for a particular property or real estate service.
4. Engage Through Social Media
Let’s agree, homebuyers gauge through the social media profiles of zillions of real estate companies before making a final decision. From exploring niche-specific hashtags to watching neighbourhood videos, the prospective clients try to understand your brand profile through social media. It also allows them to stay updated with new listings, services, and schemes that you have on offer.
Hence, social media presence is one of the answers to how to sell property fast. When it comes to the real estate industry, you not only have the option of leveraging the power of Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, but you can also post images and videos on other platforms like Pinterest. Although not used exhaustively, LinkedIn is also emerging as an ideal source for networking and generating quality leads.
5. IGTV Videos to the Rescue
If you want to generate organic traffic through multiple sources, then what’s better than posting IGTV videos?
Launched in 2018, Instagram TV or IGTV offers you a platform to post long videos, the format of which is more immersive than the traditional Instagram stories. With video lengths varying between 15-60 minutes, IGTV is one of the most innovative real estate marketing ideas and an amazing way to publicize your listed properties. Apart from showing the interiors or sharing client testimonials, you can take the users on a virtual neighbourhood tour through these videos!
6. Reel it Up, Realtors!
Real estate marketing ideas are not restricted to only long-form content, but you can engage your followers and leads through super creative and 15 seconds short Instagram Reels. Do you have a list of common homebuyer queries? Then post a Reel. You want to give some tips on home decor and interiors? Post a Reel. Want to share a teaser of a new listing? YES! Post a reel! Here are some other REELastic ideas to engage clients and prospective leads through short-form videos:
- Homebuyer checklist
- Space organization tips
- Neighbourhood spotlights
- Frequently asked questions
- Humourous content
- Market updates
- Behind the scenes
- Daily Tips
7. Showcase your Market Knowledge
When exploring properties, homebuyers look for real estate agents who are well-versed with the market trends and the area they sell properties in. Publishing survey reports and research studies pertaining to the real estate sector is an excellent way of showcasing your domain knowledge. You can educate your clients on a multitude of topics like economic insights, neighbourhood details, smart cities, capital flows in real estate, residential market trends, etc. So if you are looking for real estate marketing ideas, then incorporate this tip into your list!
8. Write to Impress
Imagine how many people are getting bombarded with real estate ads right now. Upon clicking the ad, they are directed to a website. At present, they don’t intend to buy a property but are keen on finding more details regarding a particular area or specific law. But if you are not uploading high quality and interesting content, the chances of converting leads to clients can reduce.
Creating high-quality and well-articulated articles or blog pieces is one of the essential real estate marketing ideas. It will not only help your brand grow but will also educate readers and familiarise them with the nuances of the real estate industry. Experiment with different content forms such as blogs, infographics, full-fledged guides, etc to keep the readers engaged.
9. Optimize Content for Search Engines
Now that you have written comprehensive guides, articles and blogs, how do you put it in front of the right audience at the right time? The answer is simple. You need to optimize your content for search engines through a process called search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is an ideal way of generating free/organic traffic through search engines. However, to get consistent traffic, you need to stay at the top of the result pages. This is because as you move down the rankings, the average click rate also decreases.
Hence, while planning real estate marketing ideas, you need to lay emphasis on SEO and evaluate different metrics. Look for relevant keywords, incorporate them uniformly in your content, write Google-friendly meta descriptions, set alt tags for images, and write eye-catching headlines.
10. Q&A Sessions
To understand a buyer’s mindset and to identify the key queries which prospective leads have, conducting question and answer sessions can be fruitful. You can either do this through Instagram stories and live Facebook sessions or can use the Q&A feature on Instagram stories. Apart from this, you can evaluate the market requirements by creating and posting LinkedIn Polls and surveys.
You can also host Q&A sessions in the famous “Ask Me Anything” subreddit on Reddit, in this subreddit any person, or organization can host a Q/A session in which users will ask questions, and the host would answer in a thread, this subreddit has been famously used by many big personalities. Reddit as a whole platform has many different subreddits, ranging from various topics, it is recommended to create your subreddit or participate in subreddits already existing on the platform, answer user queries in threads, most importantly, create engaging posts, that can go viral, this way your company will be able to create reputation, community and a fan base.
11. Communicate through Newsletters
Another tactic in our go-to real estate marketing ideas is to send regular newsletters to your existing or potential clientele. It is an excellent medium for engaging the leads through real estate laws, market trends, and any new services which you have on offer. Additionally, newsletters can be used to highlight the properties sold, show client testimonials, and showcase your accolades or yearly highlights.
12. Infographics, Charts & Graphs
Excellent research, superb designing and a strong marketing strategy will help you create interactive pieces of content to attract a large audience. The objective of using infographics, charts, or graphs is to disseminate a lot of information in just a few words or statistics. This marketing strategy positions you as an expert in your niche while keeping the users engaged! Here is an example of an infographic that lists the key statistics pertaining to the Indian real estate sector.
13. Use Virtual Reality
If you want to reach a wider audience without spending many resources, then you should lay emphasis on using virtual reality in real estate marketing. You can use this disruptive technology in 3 ways:
- Virtual staging i.e. furnishing the home through digital technologies. You can make the house look aesthetically pleasing by adding plush beds, couches, outdoor plants through online tools.
- Interactive Visits: It is a way of allowing the client to explore every corner of the house by clicking on the screen. You can consider this as an advanced and highly detailed version of the zoom feature on your phones and laptops.
- Guided Visits: You can offer the client a complete home tour through virtual reality or VR Headset.
14. Show the Zone Using Drone
Does your property offer views of majestic hills and glistening rivers? Is it surrounded by a lush green botanical garden? Are there sky-touching buildings with high-street retail near the project? Then what’s best than offering aerial views to clients through drones. Not only restricted to still images, but you can also offer the locality view through videos and 360-degree panoramic pictures taken by a camera fitted on drones.
15. Try Pinterest Boards
Our list of best real estate marketing ideas stands incomplete without mentioning Pinterest boards. Being an image sharing website and app, Pinterest offers a unique way of reaching your audience. But don’t restrict yourself to only listing properties. Instead, you can share neighbourhood images, locality specifics, new hotels or food joints near the project, DIY tips, sold properties, and much more! Alternatively, you can create boards for specific topics and compile pictures on it.
16. Influence through Influencers
Used widely by a plethora of brands, Influencer marketing is a process of paying celebrities to promote your brand or services. These influencers generally have thousands and millions of followers and can thus impact a wide audience. You should communicate and build cordial relationships with these individuals before collaborating with them.
Since each social media platform has its own specific algorithm to rank content, the number of followers and reach of influencers can vary from one platform from another. Hence, you need to conduct a through research and chalk out different real estate marketing ideas for every platform.
17. Don’t Ignore Print Media
It is a myth that print media no longer holds a dominant position in the advertisement world. However, if we go as per the report published by Statista, then you’ll be surprised to know that the share of ad volumes in newspapers is still high in India. In fact, the Indian Readership Survey noted that the readership volume in India increased from 407 million (2017) to 425 million in 2019.
This proves why getting your ads published in newspapers is one of the oldest and yet the best real estate marketing ideas. Apart from publishing project ads, you can also collaborate with magazines or newspapers to write a monthly column. The “printed column” can then be shared across multiple “online platforms” at no cost!
18. Advertise in Vernacular Languages
To capture the attention of ever-growing regional language speakers, you need to lay emphasis on publicizing your properties in vernacular languages. Whether it is Google, print media, or Facebook real estate ads, multi ligual ads creates an emotional connection with potential clients and offers a competitive edge to your brand.
Beyond traditional media, there are plenty of other great options to reach local language speakers. Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow you to run targeted ads based on language preferences. You can create localized campaigns specifically for regional audiences, ensuring your message really clicks with them.
It’s also worth teaming up with regional news websites, online community forums, and portals aimed at certain language groups. These niche outlets provide a direct line to your target demographics, allowing you to showcase properties in a familiar, relatable way.
An emerging opportunity is real estate apps and sites operating in local languages which are gaining traction in many regions. By listing on these platforms, you tap into an audience actively looking for properties while being able to communicate entirely in their mother tongue.
The key is to make people feel you understand their culture and way of life by speaking their language. It builds trust and credibility within communities, driving more leads and sales.
19. Offer Comprehensive Guides
You can provide ample information through blogs on multiple topics. However, to stand out from the crowd, you should offer a very detailed guide on a plethora of topics. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Neighbourhood guides
- City/state real estate trends
- Important real estate laws for homebuyers
- Types of home loans or mortgages
- Real estate basics and key terms
- Residential or commercial property investment tips
20. Add Innovative Tools
Homebuyers would want to know the worth of the property they intend to purchase. They would also want to calculate the mortgage they will have to pay for the chosen home. To make the process easier for the homebuyers, you can add mortgage calculators or home valuation tools on your website.
To enhance user experience further tools like personalized property recommendation engines that suggest listings based on the buyer’s preferences and search history can streamline the home search process.
21. Let your Work Speak
In the words of Phil Dusenberry, “A brand is nothing but an expression of a consumer’s loyalty and trust.” And the best way to put your brand in front of a large audience is to share client testimonials. If you have sufficient knowledge of your real estate niche and you have brought excellent deals for your clients, then your real estate company will be referred to more people by your existing clientele.
There are scores of real estate marketing ideas that can increase your ROIs and create strong brand awareness amongst clients. However, formulating the right strategies for every idea is what you need to aim for. Furthermore, you also need to measure and evaluate marketing metrics to check the overall performance of your digital real estate plans.
