Dezrez Blog For Estate Agents

Social media for Estate Agents

Following my Facebook property search integration campaign I thought it would be a good idea to blog about the social media do’s and don’ts. From the feedback and conversations that I’ve been having, I believe it’s about time that estate agents started embracing social media, and I’m here to help you on your way.

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The dos- (see below for full descriptions)

1. Use it as a tool.

2. Analyse and evaluate your success through the public opinion.

3. Accurately evaluate your resources.

1. It is a tool, something to complement your marketing strategy- Whilst most people think social media is a great thing, people don’t realise that it is just merely another tool. For estate agents, there are various tools that you can use to help market yourselves and your properties effectively. Make sure that you already have a strategy in place to promote your organisation; social media should simply be a channel that’s used to help communicate the message and used as a medium to disseminate this information.

For example, will you attend events to help promote your agency? Use display advertising with links to social media?

2. I need feedback? What for? Whilst social media should be used for communicating externally to the public it is also a great way to gauge the public’s emotions towards your organisation. Use this as a source of feedback to identify how your marketing is being received.

For example, if you tweet properties, and then tweet about your events. Which gets the best reception or engagement?

3. Are you superman or do you have 4 pairs of hands? Sometimes juggling too many tasks can be a tiresome job. You need to accurately evaluate whether you have enough resources to effectively carry out a marketing strategy. Expecting Sales negotiators to do the entirety of marketing can sometimes reduce efforts in other areas of their job.

For example, dedicate certain tasks to different individuals to reduce workload from one or two individuals. Evaluate the skills of your whole workforce. Is your director a great copy writer? Is your negotiator really social media friendly?

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The don’ts- (see below for full descriptions)

1. Shy away from bad feedback, address it.

2. Leave your profile unfinished.

3. Use social media because you think it’s a fad. Embrace it.

1. Bad reception? Sometimes you’ll occasionally receive bad feedback. It is best to address the issue rather than ignore it. Use the internet to effectively explain yourself, if you were either wrong or right. People may be following the conversation and dialogue, it will be important to create a professional presence online for the success of your strategy and overall company.

For example, if a customer provides bad feedback feel free to apologise and accept that you could have potentially done better and will endeavour to do so next time.

2. Are you like the Cathedral of Saint John? The answer should be no, it’s never been completed and is still unfinished to this day. With any social media, be sure to complete your profiles to the best of your ability. The public find it reassuring to see as much information about an agent as possible. It also helps to add a bit of personality, history and human touch to the corporate brand; a crucial aspect in successfully using social media.

For example, using a company logo is great, try to also include employee spotlights so people get to know you as an agency, after all, you do operate locally.

3. Here to stay, gone tomorrow? Not the case. Many people think that social media is a fad. Well it has been recently confirmed that there are now 27 million Facebook accounts in the UK. That accounts for 1/3rd of the population; spending 7 hours a month on Facebook which is 4 times more than on any other website. It’s time to embrace social media and to begin using to our advantage. It is one way to build trust, relationships, and connect with customers on a much more personal level.

For example, share your experience with the public and give them a chance to engage. If you suffered heavy losses in the recent flooding issues, tell people about it, I’m sure they will genuinely feel for you and tell you.

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Hopefully this has been useful for you. Check in next week to read the next blog article on even more do’s and don’ts. There are so many that I wanted to split it into more easily digestible parts.

If you need any more advice with your social media strategy, don’t hesitate to give me a call.

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