For real estate brokers, online marketing may be one of the most difficult aspects of your job. First, you need to develop strategies that will promote your brand while also supporting your listings and your agents. On top of that, your marketing options keep changing as technology and consumer preferences continue to evolve.
The best digital marketing plans are a constant work in progress. Getting the best results, however, requires consistently adhering to these three values:
- Learn. It starts with a thirst for knowledge. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay informed about marketing tactics, and many of them are free. To read about the latest tips and tools in the real estate industry, check out resources like Placester’s Real Estate Marketing Academy, the Geek Estate Blog, and others.
NAR events, such as the REALTORS® Conference & Expo or Broker Summit, are more great ways to hear fresh thoughts on real estate marketing, providing opportunities to exchange insights with other brokers, as well.
- Test. You must be willing to take a few risks and try new things. Maybe it’s video, used for email marketing or live streaming, or perhaps it’s a targeted Facebook ad campaign. Just be sure to measure your results; it’s the only way to decide if a new tactic should be scaled or set aside.
Also, don’t abandon a new marketing technique until you’ve given it your best effort—and enough time to generate results. Blogging, for example, remains one of the best ways to drive traffic to your site if you consistently publish solid content.
- Collaborate. While brokers need to demonstrate leadership in the office, it’s also essential to encourage your agents to ask questions and make suggestions. A culture of collaboration goes a long way toward putting fresh ideas on the table.
It also helps generate buy-in on everything from your branding policies (e.g., logo guidelines) to the best ways to utilize any enterprise solutions you’ve invested in (landing page generators, CRM platforms, etc.).
A Word About Recruitment
Brokers who are committed to the latest online marketing techniques and related technologies put themselves in a much better position to recruit some of the best talent (like-minded agents who will help drive your business forward in the coming years).
On the flip side, make sure new recruits share your enthusiasm to learn, test new ideas and collaborate with the rest of the team. Ask yourself whether the agent will embrace the technology you’re offering and help carry the brokerage forward.
An Offer From REBAC
Our most recent issue of Today’s Buyer’s Rep (the monthly REBAC newsletter) explores online advertising and marketing strategies, with a special emphasis on helping REBAC members improve their lead generation results by thinking beyond what happens after you’ve designed and placed your ads.
We encourage REBAC members to check it out. We also encourage brokers to support the ABR® training and other educational opportunities for your agents. If you’re not a REBAC member, but would like to read this issue, please reach out to us at rebac@realtors.org for a digital copy.
Marc D. Gould is senior vice president, Member Development, for NAR and executive director of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC). A wholly-owned subsidiary of NAR, REBAC is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. With more than 30,000 active members, REBAC awards the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation to REALTORS® who have completed the designation requirements. To learn more, visit REBAC.net.
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