Facebook Marketing For Real Estate Agents

Your real estate website is the hub of your business in the online world. This is where people go to find new listings, read testimonials, and learn more about you and your business. But that doesn’t mean it should be the only place you create and publish content, video, or graphics. Leverage the power of Facebook to grow your audience and build your business, ultimately bringing more people to your website.

Reach More People

Show of hands – when was the last time more than 10 percent of your followers saw a post without boosting it or paying for an ad? That’s right, it almost never happens anymore. Creating content directly in Facebook – publishing a “note” as an article about real estate or using Facebook Live to talk to directly to your audience – will reach more people.

Why is this? Because Facebook puts more weight on their own products and systems. They want people to stay on Facebook longer. The reach of one Facebook Live video can exceed the total number of your Facebook followers, especially if they start sharing it on their own news feed. Best of all, the next few things you post after a Facebook Live video will have more views than usual too – not as many as the video, but more than you’re used to. It’s a residual effect of having reached so many people at one time.

Tip: Make the first thing you post after a video or published note something really good or interesting from your own website. More people will see it, so more people will likely click on the link.

Build Trust with the Audience

In order to get someone to click from one platform, like Facebook, to another – like your website – you have to do or be a few things: hilarious, freaky, scary, or so interesting they can’t not look. Let’s face it, even our best content can’t compete with cute puppies or crazy cats. This is where trust comes in. If you can build trust with your audience so they know whatever you’re asking them to click on will be worth it, you stand the chance of more people coming to your website.

Establish that trust by providing good content and information where they are. Take your feel-good story about the single mom with three kids finally buying her first house, and share it on Facebook. Let your weird humor show in your Facebook Live videos so they know what kind of person you are – and can see for themselves you’re someone to follow, read, and, ideally, do business with. By reaching people where they are and sharing really good stories and being yourself, you’ll not only raise awareness of your company, you’ll earn their trust as someone who shares good information and content.

Get Shared More Often

Remember that story about the single mom and her first home? Assuming it’s true (and don’t make up content just to make yourself look good or get a few likes on social media), if you tell it in a way that makes people want to read it, something else happens too. Your content will get shared more often. Tip: This is true for your blog, too, but it’s harder to do because first you have to get people to your website.

All those shares mean you and your business are in front of different people. With shares come follows and likes. This increases the amount of people who see your content, comment, like, and share it themselves. Over time, you’ve got more visitors to your website, more leads, and a growing business all with the help of Facebook.

If you’re convinced that some of your blog posts should go straight to Facebook or that maybe it’s time to hit the “Facebook Live” button and start recording, there are a few things to remember:

• Your content should be good, relatable, and interesting. It should be informative too, but you have to get and keep people’s attention so think about what you want to share, edit your writing, practice what you’ll say, and be prepared – especially for Facebook Live.
• Be consistent. Publishing one note or doing one video doesn’t build a following.
• Be patient. Those first few videos and notes may only be watched or read by your mom, your business partner, and a random guy who will never buy a home from you. Keep at it, and eventually your audience will grow.
• Keep adding blog content, videos, and other content to your website. Remember, this is your online business hub. Just like you wouldn’t neglect your office (at least the part customers and clients can see), don’t neglect your website.

Facebook isn’t for everyone. Some agents do well without it. Some people find great success on other platforms.

If you want to take Facebook to a new level, without spending any more money on ads, try publishing content directly into Facebook. You may be surprised at the response you get and what it will do for your business.