The real estate market is ever changing.
Long gone are the days of billboards and basic listings. To maintain relevance to today's buyers, you need to know the latest trends in marketing.
Reading time: 9 minutes
Level: Novice
Skip to the section you're most interested in:
- Create a Professional Website
- Install Analytics
- Build a Blog
- Define Your Brand
- Utilize Content Marketing
- Use Professional Photos
- Video Tours
- Have 3D Scans Made
- Tap Into Micro-Influencers
- Start an Email Campaign
- Set Up a Google Business Page
- Create a Facebook Page
- Snap Photos for Instagram
- Get Social on Twitter
- Get on TV and Radio Stations
As a home builder, there are plenty of options out there for marketing ideas. So which path should you head down?
We're here to tell you that you don't have to only choose one. For example, YouTube marketing is extremely successful, and so is Facebook Advertising. The key thing is to make sure they all work together, for you.
Not sure how to keep up with the latest and greatest real estate marketing ideas? Here are 15 ideas to get you started.
1. Create a Professional Website
In a day and age where everything is online, having a website for your home building business is the defining factor in your success. With that said, anyone who is anyone will likely already have a website.
That's where the term "professional" comes in to play.
There's a big difference between a regular old website and a professional website that's built to serve your clients and your business goals.
Your website should have your real estate marketing ideas in mind. It needs to be one of the forces in making those ideas come to fruition.
Your site should be speedy, look good, and function well. It should be browsable with ease and the content you share should be top quality. Avoid gimmicky ads and subpar content that could turn potential clients away. Check out our post for other great ideas for your home builder website design.
2. Install Analytics
The next step in creating a professional website is to install and familiarize yourself with the Google Analytics tool.
The metrics that Google Analytics tracks will give you a variety of insights. You'll be able to measure the success of your web-based real estate marketing ideas.
Google Analytics will be able to give you an idea of how many people are coming to your website. It will also reveal how long they're staying and how often they're clicking away to somewhere else.
As time progresses, these insights will only become stronger. You'll be able to see and identify patterns in traffic which will allow you to set realistic goals. That way, you can focus on doing more of what works.
3. Build a Blog
If your website doesn't have a blog section, you're missing out on major inbound marketing potential. However, in order for this to be one of your successful real estate marketing ideas, the content on your blog needs to be top notch.
In the realm of marketing using content combined with SEO strategies, quality is king. It will be more important than quantity every single time.
Your blog should focus on providing your target audience with relevant information they should know. Otherwise, your efforts are likely to be in vain. Any traffic you do manage to bring in will likely not be traffic that brings revenue.
One idea for quality blog content is easily shareable infographics that explain home prices or mortgage rates. Using various forms of media like videos or podcasts is another great way to generate traffic and shares.
4. Define Your Brand
Once you have your website and blog up and running, make sure you're defining your home builder brand through your content creation.
The information and blog content you're putting out there should have a uniformity to it. Over time, it will build an image for your brand of competency and success.
Other brand building strategies include things like colour themes, a professional logo, and a vision message. All of these combined will attract and appeal to a wide range of people.
5. Utilize Content Marketing
One of the most effective real estate marketing ideas is content marketing.
Content marketing will tie into the marketing efforts on your blog. Using strategies like link building with other popular authorities on your chosen topics - like communities, interior design, and quick possessions - will help to grow your audience and ultimately your client base.
Another method to content marketing is to publish your content on platforms like LinkedIn's publishing site. You can also use Quora to draw more click-through traffic.
6. Use Professional Photos
Using photos as a marketing strategy is perhaps one of the most tried and true real estate marketing ideas.
However, there's a caveat here. Anyone can take a few photos on their mobile device, throw it on a website, and call it day.
In order to stand out from everyone else in the real estate game, utilize a professional real estate photographer. That way, you'll get the highest quality photos that showcase the best your properties have to offer.
A professional will have a keen eye for the best angles and lighting. They're much more likely to take photos that will catch the eyes of a buyer.
7. Video Tours
A method that is slightly more in-depth and will give a potential buyer a different perspective is to film a video tour.
A video tour shouldn't be stand-alone but is a great addition to professionally shot photos of your homes.
If you have the budget for it, get your tour professionally done. However, you can do it yourself with your smartphone or video camera. The key is to make sure you have a steady hand!
8. Have 3D Scans Made
Perhaps the most immersive of the real estate marketing ideas is to have a 3D Matterport scan done of the property. This scan will allow the creation of a digital 3D rendering of the property.
This scan can be an integral part of a listing. It will allow for potential buyers to virtually tour a property right there on the listing.
This marketing strategy is one of the most innovative on the market today. It allows for a level of interaction that no other media strategy allows for, which will draw people in.
9. Tap Into Micro-Influencers
One of the most relevant real estate marketing ideas is reaching out to micro-influencers. They should be connected to the real estate field and willing to help with your marketing campaign.
If you're not familiar with the term, a micro-influencer is an individual on social media platforms with thousands or even tens of thousands of followers. Ideally, their followers will be engaged with their content and likely to click on collaborative posts.
A good rule of thumb to vetting micro-influencers is asking to see data on their engagement rate. This should include the average number of views and engagement per post. Not just likes, but comments, shares, and retweets too!
Using micro-influencers as part of your real estate marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to get your name out there.
10. Start an Email Campaign
Another great way of actively marketing is to launch an email marketing campaign.
Over time you should have gathered a sizable email list. Don't let it go to waste. Putting your marketing tactics directly into potential buyer's inboxes is one of the best ways to push click-through rates and conversions. Just make sure you're optimizing your emails for the best results.
11. Set Up a Google Business Page
Making sure your business is on Google's local business pages is important to make sure you show up on Google searches.
Focusing on the proper keyword tags for your Google business page is necessary to make sure that it's effective, though. Do a little bit of research and figure out exactly which top keywords for your home builder website you should be using.
Setting up a business page on Google is incredibly easy. It only requires you enter basic information about your business like contact info, address, business hours, and your website.
An added benefit to having a business page on Google is that clients can review your business through Google. The better the ratings, the higher you'll be listed on searches.
12. Create a Facebook Page
Just like Google, Facebook is somewhere that you absolutely want your business to be. With over 2 billion people on Facebook, you're doing yourself a disservice if you're not there as well.
Facebook also allows ads for social media marketing. Once you have your Facebook page for your business set up, you can begin adding content. Share the photos and videos listed above, as well as written updates and any other real estate marketing ideas you have. These can help boost how many people see these posts, which often produce a high return on investment.
13. Snap Photos for Instagram
Instagram is one of the best real estate marketing ideas. It's also one of the most overlooked.
Use Instagram as a marketing tool to connect with micro-influencers and reach a younger demographic. Due to Instagram's algorithm, creating consistent organic growth can be difficult.
However, with regularly posted, high-quality content, you should steadily see your audience grow.
Just like Facebook, Instagram allows you to buy ads. This can also be helpful in boosting your following and ultimately how many eyes see your content.
14. Get Social on Twitter
Another marketing tool that isn't utilized enough in real estate marketing is Twitter. By creating a profile for your business and tweeting relevant content, you can reach people you otherwise may not have.
One of the best ways to make Twitter work for you is by taking advantage of hashtags. Research what hashtags are popular in the real estate world and in your local area. Then use them in what you share and watch your traffic increase.
15. Get on TV and Radio Stations
Another method from this list of real estate marketing ideas is local television and radio stations.
Pitch ideas such as talk sessions where you share your knowledge and opinion on the real estate market. You could also pitch some advertisements like a new showhome or a community event.
This works best by identifying your local stations. These will be most likely to work with you without charging exorbitant amounts of money.
You can reach out to these stations through written letters, video messages, or a simple email. It may not happen with the first station you reach out to. With consistent efforts and the right pitch, though, this can be a good tool.
Don't let your business fall behind the rest because of outdated marketing tactics.
Use these seventeen real estate marketing ideas to up your real estate game and keep up with the competition.
Did we miss a great strategy? What other ideas have you used that worked for you? Leave us a comment below and let us know what your favourite real estate marketings ideas are!
