This month, Real Estate magazine got to sit down with Rocket Mortgage® Media Manager Kollin Currie to discuss the ins and outs of social media in today’s competitive environment—and what real estate professionals can do to leverage social media to build their business.
Paige Tepping: You’re a media manager at Rocket Mortgage. Describe your career path and how you ended up where you are today.
Kollin Currie: I’ve been with the company for six years, working in social media in a number of different capacities, from community management to client service and building out social ad campaigns. Today, my role involves determining the strategy and spend for our big brand initiatives. In addition to working with our media agency, Universal McCann (UM), I also work directly with contacts at social partners including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat and Pinterest.
PT: As a media manager, what is your primary role?
KC: My primary role is partnering with our agencies and social partners. Even before working with the agencies and partners, however, I collaborate with our internal teams to develop strategies and determine the best partnerships and social platforms to help drive business goals.
Another key part of my role is determining what our plan is from a brand marketing perspective. I get to work across a number of integrations, sponsorships, partnerships and campaigns, since social inherently has a place in all of them.
PT: Why is it important for real estate professionals to have a presence on social media today?
KC: As a real estate professional, having a social media presence is not a new concept by any means. In fact, the National Association of REALTORS® said that 77% of real estate agents are using social media for business. In doing so, they should be consistently posting on their channels while maintaining a unique brand across all their social media handles. They also need to separate their personal and professional channels, making sure they have their personal accounts locked down so they remain fairly private.
Now, more than ever, clients are scoping out these agents’ professional channels to see that they’re consistently selling homes, and for reinforcement that they’re the best agent for them. To that end, real estate professionals should post pictures of their live listings and the ones that sold, so prospective clients can get a feel for how they market properties—and their level of success. Pictures of happy homeowners in front of their new home can be really effective because it adds a human element.
PT: How has the pandemic, and its lingering effects, changed the way in which real estate professionals think about and approach social media?
KC: Virtual showings and tours are much more prevalent now. In fact, I saw a statistic last summer that said 45% of homebuyers made an offer on a home without even seeing it. It’s clear that having quality content online and ways to connect with the consumer through social channels are critical. The virtual mindset of looking at homes isn’t going away—especially given today’s intense market—and people are looking for ways to truly see homes and make a decision without having to physically step inside them. Real estate professionals want to put their best foot forward with their pictures, but clients want to see the nitty-gritty. So, if you can equip prospective buyers with the resources to see those houses and make an educated decision, the better off you’ll be.
PT: What are your best tips for real estate professionals who are looking to leverage social media to build their business?
KC: My biggest tip for real estate professionals is to do something different.
The majority of the 77% of real estate agents who are on social media are primarily on Facebook and LinkedIn, so look at your target audience and who you’re ultimately trying to reach. Then, find competitive ways to get in front of those individuals.
Everyone has a Facebook page now, and everyone is posting their listings, so what is that unique thing that will set you apart?
Looking for ways to create more content around your listings goes a long way. TikTok is a fantastic example of that. The nature of the platform is that it’s going to get in front of the right people, whether that’s locally or people across the country who are interested in real estate.
Social is also moving more toward user-generated content, which doesn’t have to be completely polished or professionally done. Just get out there and be yourself.
PT: As the future unfolds, where do you see social media fitting in?
KC: We’ve seen a shift toward more connectivity around interests, something that Facebook is heavily pushing with its groups. People are no longer interested in seeing posts from friends they haven’t talked to in years and are instead seeking out information that’s tailored more to what they like.
There’s also going to be more openness to tailored ads and content than ever before and more education around that. People are looking for the content that’s interesting to them, so they’re curating their feeds, watching the content they’re interested in and being part of the communities focused on the things they want to learn.
PT: After being at Rocket Mortgage for six years, is there one social media initiative you’ve been a part of that stands out most in your mind?
KC: I’ve been blessed to work on a number of really big campaigns here at Rocket Mortgage, and I would have to say that the most recent Super Bowl campaign was the most memorable. Our two commercials this year placed No. 1 and No. 2 on USA Today’s Ad Meter.
It was also a very cool moment as the team was back in the office together—although socially distanced—for the first time in a year after working on the campaign remotely due to COVID-19. Supporting a Super Bowl ad is a big day that not many marketers get to experience, and I’m blessed to have experienced my fourth one—and to have two spots air in one year!
The above article is sponsored content. For more information, please visit RocketPro.com/RealEstate.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to paige@rismedia.com.
