How to promote your real estate business on social media: Best practices, ideas, and tips for 2022

In 2021, the global real estate market was valued at $3.69 trillion and compound annual growth is expected to expand this figure at a rate of 5.2% from 2022 to 2030. 

When we take this statistic and dilute it down into layman’s terms, we can conclude that the real estate market is absolutely stinkin’ massive, and is only going to get absolutely stinkin’ massiver.

And in an industry so large, it only makes sense that there is a huge amount of competition — with countless real estate businesses all vying for a slice of the lucrative pie that is the real estate market. 

So in a sea of competition, what can you do to stand out and get yourself noticed? 

With outstanding ideas, of course. VistaCreate’s project, Solutions, offers everything you might need to promote your real estate business online. We’ve compiled a massive library of customizable ready-made design solutions for your social media, marketing activities, and anything else you might need a professional-looking visual for!

Read on as we take a deep dive into the best practices, tips, and tricks to promote your real estate business on social media.

Do social media and real estate marketing mix?

You may be sitting there thinking “what has social media got to do with real estate?” The answer, as it turns out, is quite a lot. 

When we take a look at the cold, hard facts we can see that 59% of the world’s population uses some form of social media for a daily average of 2 hours and 29 minutes. 

Now let’s combine that statistic with the fact that 95% of all homebuyers start their search for a house on the internet — and this number rises to 99% when looking at people between the ages of 23 and 56, which is also the largest demographic of social media users.  

What we can take from all of this is that there is a huge potential audience of people looking for a house on the internet and on social media.

Goal setting: The first step toward success

The first step that you need to consider is how to approach and optimize your social media strategy. While we’re specifically talking about real estate here, realistically this can be transferred to almost any business in any industry.

And of course, we’re talking about setting goals.

Setting tangible and measurable goals is the not-so-secret secret to having a successful social media strategy. They can help you to focus on what exactly it is that you want to achieve, and lay out exactly how you want to achieve it.

Because otherwise, you’ll just be aimlessly wandering through the online sphere, hoping success will fall into your lap. And unfortunately, that’s not how business works.

The first thing you need to consider is what you want to achieve on social media. Is it to:

• Increase your online presence?
• Improve your engagement rates?
• Increase traffic to your website?
• Gain more client inquiries? 
• Boost your sales?

There are endless reasons to take to social media — just make sure you know what yours are and how you can measure your own success.

Which platform should you use for your real estate posts?

It seems that nowadays social media sites are a dime a dozen. And with so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know which one would work best for you.

It’s important to note that you don’t have to just pick one platform, as you can absolutely spread out your options. However, people often fall into the trap of trying to manage too many accounts and therefore spreading themselves too thin. 

You don’t want to divide your attention too much, as if you’re managing too many profiles you may struggle to effectively grow your audience.

Our advice would be to pick 1-3 platforms that you feel you’d be most comfortable operating, and that you feel would provide you with the most value. In terms of value, you should be looking out for platforms that can give you:

• A large pool of people that are potentially looking to buy a property
• An audience in the right age range
• The ability for users to engage with you
• The ability to target potential clients and gather promising leads

So which of the social media sites out there work best in tandem with your real estate marketing? Let’s take a look.

1. Facebook

Facebook was perhaps the first site that truly cemented social media into our everyday lives. And while it isn’t as popular as it once was, it still commands an impressively large audience — with 69% of US adults saying that they use Facebook, with the majority of these users being between the ages of 25 and 65.

So there’s your audience.

Facebook allows text-based posts for information, pictures, and videos for content, and Facebook business accounts allow users to leave reviews about their experiences with your business.

This all allows you to fully engage your audience and provide curious users with endless social proof.

And with Facebook rebranding as Meta and starting to focus on VR and the metaverse, the opportunities are only set to grow.

2. YouTube

First of all, yes YouTube does class as a social media platform. And not only this but it’s also classed as a search engine, and is the second-most used engine behind Google. It also eclipses Facebook as the most used social media platform in the US.

YouTube allows for video uploads as well as live streaming. This means you can live-stream an open house tour, then upload the video to your profile afterward. And with its use as a search engine, people can discover this content by typing in a related search such as “properties for sale near me.”

3. Instagram

Instagram is almost entirely based on visuals. Whether that’s through the images and videos that users can post to their timeline, or through the Instagram Stories feature. This visual platform is the perfect tool for real estate businesses that focus on the product, as it allows them to fully show off the details and features of their properties.

Another bonus feature of Instagram is that it has a close affiliation with Facebook, as they are both owned by Meta. This means that you can run both of these accounts without too much hassle.

Instagram is a good choice if you’re leaning toward a slightly younger audience — as of its 1.44 billion users, 61.9% of them are between the ages of 18-34, which is the perfect age range for first-time buyers.

Honorable mentions

LinkedIn is a fantastic platform to use if you are leaning towards commercial real estate or are looking to grow your professional network. However, it provides fewer opportunities to directly gain new business — so it may be considered a waste of time for some realtors.

TikTok is a platform that allows you to be creative in front of a huge audience that is only growing day by day. It is a superb platform for growing your business’s visibility and making an impact. However, TikTok is generally inhabited by a younger audience which may not fully suit real estate.

Twitter is perhaps the biggest social media platform that doesn’t really work alongside the real estate industry. It has the users, but not the usability. Twitter isn’t set up for creating long-lasting connections as it’s more about eye-catching snippets of content that quickly disappear back into the mire of your timeline.

4 practices, tips, and tricks to help promote your real estate business on social media

1. Don’t be afraid to show off…a bit

Who has the best, most luxurious properties to sell, the best client and customer reviews, and the best sales track record? 

That’s right, you do.

And as they say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. And that is absolutely the case here. 

For example, 62% of online homebuyers said that they are likely to contact an agent if they’ve got good reviews. And with social media being such a prevalent resource, more and more people have full access to the general consensus of the public. 

Whilst, of course, this can be a bad thing if your reviews aren’t looking too rosy, it does mean that you can spread good reviews far and wide. Whether that’s through retweeting a glowing review, sharing a heartfelt testimonial on LinkedIn, or highlighting your 5-star reviews on Facebook. 

Check out VistaCreate’s library of design templates for review and testimonials. 

But remember, there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. So when it comes to partaking in a bit of humble bragging, it’s always best to let other people do the talking. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t gently push people in the direction of your good work.  

2. Create and share video content

People are constantly busy. Whether it’s long hours at work, a busy family life, or any number of other time-heavy tasks, people are constantly looking for ways to save time. 

Half of the battle in real estate is getting buyers to actually see your properties to help drum up interest, hence why open houses are such an invaluable tool. But what if you could show off your houses without buyers even lifting a finger? Well okay…maybe a finger. 

Video marketing is used by almost every business out there, and for good reason, with 97% of marketers saying that videos have helped to increase user understanding of their products or services, and a whopping 76% saying that it’s increased their sales. 

So why not show off that new-build three-bed with an Instagram Story? Why not share that cozy barn conversion with a Facebook live video? Or maybe that penthouse apartment overlooking the city with a snappy, stylish TikTok?

People can therefore take a tour of your properties without leaving their couch. That’s some useful stuff.

It’s not just virtual tours around the property you sell or rent out; you can also create video content that covers topics adjacent to real estate:

• How to find good properties in your area
• How to save up for your first house
• What an $XX home looks across the USA/Europe/the world

As well as that, you can hop on viral Instagram Reels or TikTok trends and adjust them to the real estate industry.

Doing this can boost your social media account and give you lots of extra exposure. However, if you don’t understand the trend or hop on it too late, it can do the opposite. So, be careful with choosing the trends you participate in. 

Find out more about TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram marketing in our articles:

• Pinterest for business: A 2022 guide
• Instagram marketing for small businesses in 2022: The essential guide
• TikTok Marketing for small businesses in 2022
• Facebook marketing for small businesses in 2022: The ultimate guide

But remember, behind every good piece of content is a good design. 

Your design is the perfect opportunity to catch the eye of your audience. Whether it’s through being bold and brash or sleek and simple, your design allows you to effectively make your mark. 

Not an artsy person? No problem! VistaCreate allows even the least artistic of us to create elegant designs in mere minutes. Take it for a spin today and see what you can come up with.

3. Let your personality shine through

The relationship between buyers and realtors is a key element of any deal.

Buying a property is a huge commitment, especially when it’s your first step into the world of real estate. And with 34% of homebuyers in 2021 being first-time buyers, people will want to deal with somebody that they can make a personal connection with — someone they feel that they know and can trust.

Social media is the perfect tool to promote not only your business but you as a person. Everything you put out into the world should give potential clients a sense of exactly who you are, what your values are, and why you are the perfect choice for them.

But how do you do that? Unfortunately, there’s no easy, quick-fire way to do this. Trust is built over time and requires a fair amount of effort. That means you’ll need to put the work in yourself — you’ll have to write your own real estate posts, come up with ideas for content, engage with people via comments, and build your own personal brand and network.

There is, however, a little quick fix that can give you a headstart in showing off who you are as a real estate agent. Simply show behind the scenes of your process; reflect on your real estate routine; take your followers with you to work, so to say.

Alternatively, you can spice up your social media content plan with bits of humorous content:

4. Be accessible

Being an approachable (and easy-to-approach) realtor offers a wide range of benefits.

But in a world where people look to the internet for their answers instead of reaching out directly to agents, there is less opportunity for direct contact. But people aren’t asking fewer questions, they’re just changing where they ask their questions.

Try utilizing your social media accounts to reach out to people and be available to answer any questions or queries they may have. Starting a dialogue is the first step in building a relationship — and while not every relationship may lead to a sale, having a vast network can only be a good thing in such a saturated market.

The socials solution

Social media is an underused tactic in the world of real estate.

Properly utilizing social media (along with our tips and tricks) means that you can reach audiences and provide them with value in a new way. Helping to boost your sales, and your reputation, and get people into homes that they’ll love. Because that’s what it’s all about really, isn’t it?

But whatever your approach to social media marketing is, just make sure that you keep everything looking sleek and stylish — and that’s where we come in.

Keep your real estate business visuals professional and clean with VistaCreate’s design solutions for real estate.