Marketing Tactics for Aspiring Real Estate Agents

Did you know that 87% of home buyers purchase their homes through a real estate agent? Or that 6 million homes were sold in the US in 2019?

If there is one thing these statistics speak loud and clear is that there is a market for real estate agents. Yet, research has shown that as many as 80% of agents fail or quit in the first five years. So what do they do wrong?

According to Mashvisor, many agents fail because “they don’t know where or how to market themselves.” Competition in the real estate industry is fierce and failure to market yourself adequately will kick you out of business in no time. That said, here are 5 marketing tactics that will help skyrocket your real estate business.

Curb appeal matters when buying a home. But it’s not the only thing that buyers look for when buying property. Buyers also care about what a new house can bring them and their families.

So instead of just talking about the obvious specs—big backyard, new roof, spacious living room—promote other aspects of the property that could be integrated into the buyers' lives. For example, you could highlight its proximity to a shopping mall, park, etc.

So, how do you sell experiences?

You could share a customer’s success story on social media or capture the details in your listings. According to Follow Up Boss, ads that feature real people stories succeed because they create an authentic connection with the audience. For more info on how to create ads that sell, check out this article on the 24 real estate advertising tactics.  

Today, millennials represent the largest cohort of home buyers. According to NAR, this generational group accounts for 36% of all home purchases.

And since millennials are a digital generation, they prefer to search for houses online. This is the group you’re most likely to attract with the inbound marketing strategies—social media, ads campaign, blogging, etc.

That doesn’t mean you should focus your marketing on digital advertising only. Some homebuyers, especially baby boomers, still prefer the old school ways of doing things. Boomers were born in the age where print media ruled the marketing docket with an iron fist, so they’re accustomed to newspaper advertising.  

So, when implementing your marketing campaign, be sure to blend traditional with digital marketing strategies to reach out to all audiences.

By now you probably know that 79% of customers read online reviews before making a buying decision. What you may not know is that 80% of consumers change their buying decision on the basis of negative product reviews.

Bottom line: Never underestimate the power of online reviews. If a buyer was happy with their experience working with you, ask them to leave an online review. Some of the best sites to leave real estate reviews are:

You should also include customer reviews on your website. This way, your website visitors will have a gist of what to expect when working with you. The best way to do this is by having video testimonials on your website to provide potential clients with a personal connection to satisfied customers, building trust and credibility. When video testimonials are done right by a previous client, your potential ones will be able to see your knowledge, professionalism, and success, helping to differentiate you from competitors.

Video is what people want to see and share with their friends, so make sure to include video in your marketing arsenal. Forbes found that 40% of decision-makers called vendors after watching a video.

You could live stream long videos and post shorter clips to Instagram Stories, or even take a short video tour of a home showing the most striking features. Videos also drive organic travel and this can be good for your website.