With 97 percent of real estate professionals utilising social media to grow their network and share listings directly with potential buyers, it’s no surprise that social media was the tool cited as the best source for generating high-quality leads, ahead of multiple listing service (MLS) websites. If you’re an agent who is looking to leverage social media to grow your business and generate more leads, or refine your current efforts, here are a few tactics you can use.
1. Custom videos for each listing
When it comes to social media, video is king. However, many realtors fall down in this key requirement, as the quality videos don’t align with the high quality of their listing, and fail to engage potential buyers. When searching for a property, potential buyers want to imagine their life in the property, and video is the perfect way to provide an immersive experience on their social media feed. Producing custom videos that allow you to present the property in its best light while adding context is key to creating a scroll-stopping experience that generates interests and most importantly, leads. It’s understandable that many agents don’t have the time to become a video editing master, which is why they seek external support when it comes to producing quality assets. Some opt for a videographer, which can be time consuming and costly, as the agent is required to be at the shoot and provide feedback on the edits. Alternatively, utilising tools such as Giraffe360’s Video Editor, which mixed AI-generated property descriptions with virtual tour panoramas, allows agents to quickly generate a quality video based on the assets they have already captured. https://youtu.be/An3nsj7Cr4w Videos can be exported as landscape, ideal for feeds on LinkedIn and Twitter, or vertical, which is ideal for Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
2. High quality listing photography
Compelling property photography is not just beneficial for agents using social media – it’s crucial. Achieving a consistently high level of quality remains a challenge for many realtors. Low-quality, badly lit photos can significantly dampen potential buyer interest, making it harder to drive interest and enquiries. Prospective buyers browsing social media are naturally attracted to visuals that pop off the screen, with vibrant photography key to engaging them. Quality HDR images that capture the unique features and true ambiance of a property can be transformative, instantly drawing viewers in and helping them to envision their future home. However, capturing such high-quality photographs often requires more than just a good eye; it demands technical skill and the right equipment. While hiring a professional photographer is an option, it involves considerable expense. Enter the solution: an advanced camera system designed specifically for real estate. Our camera not only captures images in stunning HDR but also allows for easy export across various social media platforms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38q66qWqXhM This technology ensures that every shot exhibits the best possible lighting and colour accuracy, presenting the property in an optimal light. With this kind of tool at their disposal, realtors can quickly produce, customise and share eye-catching photos that are bound to capture attention and engage potential buyers effectively. This streamlined approach not only enhances listing quality but also maximises the impact of social media engagement, driving more views and, ultimately, more sales.
3. Engaging with the audience through virtual tours
In today’s digital age, engaging potential buyers through interactive experiences on social media can make a significant difference in how properties are perceived and pursued. Virtual tours, shared on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, are a powerful tactic that shouldn’t be overlooked. They not only showcase the property in a comprehensive manner but also open up a dynamic avenue for real-time interaction. Using virtual tours gives potential buyers a detailed walk-through of a property at their convenience, which is especially useful for those who may not be able to visit in person initially. By hosting these tours on social media platforms, where users already spend a significant portion of their time, you place your listings directly into their daily feeds, making it easy and appealing for them to engage. With the option of adding information hotspots for context, virtual tours make potential buyers feel as though they are being personally guided through the property, providing a level of detail and immediacy that enhances their understanding and appreciation of the property’s value. This engagement is crucial in not just attracting interest but in converting that interest into sales. Embracing virtual tours on social media platforms provides a dynamic marketing tool that reaches potential buyers right where they are, increasing engagement and enhancing the visibility of listings in a crowded market. By effectively utilising this tactic, realtors can ensure their listings not only get noticed but also remembered and acted upon.
4. Provide detailed property layouts with floor plans
Incorporating detailed floor plans into your social media listings can significantly enhance how potential buyers perceive and understand your property listings. A well-designed floor plan can do more than just show the layout; it can transform how buyers interact with the property long before they step through the door. Floor plans are invaluable in giving potential buyers a bird’s-eye view of the property’s layout, offering clarity that photos alone cannot provide. By including detailed floor plans in your social media posts, you give viewers a comprehensive overview of the space, helping them understand the flow of the property, the relationship between rooms, and the overall scalability. When combined with high-quality photos and videos, floor plans provide a fuller picture of what the property has to offer. This holistic view makes it easier for buyers to visualise themselves in the space, considering where their own furniture might go – enhanced by Giraffe360’s Floor Plan Object Placement Tool – or how different rooms connect to each other. Floor plans also help to verify the proportions and relationships depicted in photos, providing a realistic expectation of the property. https://youtu.be/0b78nuZhCZs
Practical tips for leveraging floor plans in your social media content
Enhance visibility: Make sure that floor plans are easy to read and visually appealing. Use clear markings and, if possible, include measurements or a north arrow for orientation. Integrate creatively: Include floor plans in your carousel posts, videos, or as part of virtual tours. You can highlight specific features or room dimensions directly on the floor plan for added detail. Highlight unique features: Use floor plans to point out any unique aspects of the property’s layout, such as an open-plan kitchen, en-suite bathrooms, or clever storage solutions, which might not be immediately obvious from photos alone. Cross-promote: When you post a video or photo of a particular room, include a snippet of the floor plan to help viewers place it within the layout of the entire home. By incorporating floor plans into your social media content, you can provide potential buyers with a clear understanding of the property’s layout. This allows them to visualise living in the home and encourages deeper engagement with your listings, ultimately leading to more informed and confident buying decisions.
5. Making listings easily accessible through integrated sharing
Integrating your real estate listings with social media through shareable pages that link directly to virtual tours, photos, and floor plans is a game-changer. This approach leverages technology to streamline how potential buyers interact with your properties online, enhancing the user experience and boosting engagement. Today’s property buyers expect a seamless online experience. By generating shareable pages, you can meet this demand head-on. These pages act as a hub, centralising all the important details of a property into a single, easily accessible location. This setup not only simplifies the browsing process but also enhances the overall user experience by providing a comprehensive view of the property with just one click. https://youtu.be/dNPLrGBQRFE With a simplified use journey, potential buyers can access everything they need to know about the property without navigating away from their initial point of contact. This convenience can significantly increase the time they spend interacting with the listing. It also increases sharability and boosts engagement. When all the critical details are presented cleanly on one page, users are more likely to share the listing with others. Integrated pages keep potential buyers engaged by offering interactive content like virtual tours and detailed floor plans, encouraging them to explore every aspect of the property thoroughly. This not only simplifies their process of finding a new home but also enhances the perceived professionalism of your listings, ultimately driving more valuable interactions.
6. Encouraging user-generated content and testimonials
Every potential buyer wants to be your next success story, so feed their appetite with proven results. Harnessing the power of user-generated content (UGC) and testimonials is a pivotal tactic in real estate marketing, especially on social media platforms where authenticity drives engagement. Encouraging your clients to share their own stories and photos from their buying experiences or life in their new homes can significantly amplify your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness as the social proof comes from external sources. UGC, including photos, videos, and written testimonials shared by clients, serves as a testament to the quality and reliability of your services. When potential buyers see real people voicing their satisfaction and showcasing their new homes, it adds a layer of authenticity that can’t be achieved through traditional marketing alone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2wHbQgJNVs&t=207s By humanising your brand, real stories and images shared by actual clients make your brand more relatable and trustworthy. It shows that behind the professional listings and polished photos, there are real success stories of happy homeowners. It also builds and engages your online community; UGC encourages a community atmosphere by connecting past, present, and future clients. It fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty, which can be crucial for word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.
How to encourage user generated content
Ask! At the close of a sale, ask clients if they would be willing to provide a testimonial. Frame it as a way to help others make informed decisions. These can be written or video testimonials that add varied content to your social media feeds. Another way is to provide clients with simple tools or prompts to share their experiences. For instance, a well-designed graphic they can fill in and post or a hashtag to use, linking their story back to your page. You can also use your own page to tell their story. Regularly feature client stories and testimonials on your social media pages. Spotlight a diverse range of different clients, from first-time homebuyers to those who purchased investment properties, to appeal to a varied audience. Finally, ensure you take privacy seriously. Always get explicit permission to use clients’ content in your marketing. Be clear about how and where their images and stories will be used, and respect their privacy by not disclosing sensitive information. Start today by reviewing your current social media strategy and identifying areas where these tactics can be integrated. Whether it’s enhancing your photo quality, sharing engaging virtual tours, or encouraging your clients to share their stories, each step you take will help solidify your presence in the market. If you’re ready to take your real estate marketing to the next level, consider exploring advanced tools and technologies that can streamline these processes and ensure you deliver top-notch content consistently. Don’t just be present on social media; be impactful. Take your listings to the next level with Giraffe360. Book a demo today.
