25 Crucial Social Media Rules & Tips for Realtors
To help realtors and investors grow their business via social media marketing, the Real Estate Bees editorial team conducted a survey of over 50,000 active and successful real estate agents and investors throughout the country.
The professionals shared social media tips for real estate agents and investors based on their first-hand experience.
Read on to learn the social media rules for realtors and investors and the best practices to follow.
Which social media networks do you use to grow your real estate business?
How do you use social media to grow your real estate business?
Create Professional and Optimized Profiles
Create professional profiles on major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Use high-quality profiles and cover photos, and write compelling, keyword-rich bios.
Use relevant real estate and local hashtags to increase your content’s discoverability.
Ensure your social media profiles have accurate information, professional photos, and contact details. An incomplete profile can appear unprofessional.
You MUST have a good bio that includes a call to action. Your photo should be a close up of you, not a faraway photo. Use hashtags that are relevant.
Complete your profile to the fullest and give people the information they need in your bio. Always keep it professional.
As Leslie Burns points out, your photo is an important element of your profile. Learn how to get the best headshot from our articles on this topic:
- 5 Professional Real Estate Headshot Ideas
- How to Take Real Estate Headshots
- 16 Creative Ideas for Outdoor Real Estate Headshots
- Real Estate Headshots Pricing
- 11 Best Ideas for Female Real Estate Headshots
- 11 Best Ideas for Male Real Estate Headshots
- Ideas for Modern Real Estate Team Headshots
Also, learn other steps on how to introduce yourself as a real estate agent on social media to effectively capture your target clientele.
Maintain Consistent Branding
Maintain consistent branding across all your profiles, including logos, colors, and messaging, to create a cohesive online presence. Inconsistencies can confuse your audience.
Create a theme or a brand. Branding is so important!
Show Your Personality
If you have an interesting real estate fact to share, share it! Otherwise, share something else that people will connect with.
My go-to is always my cats! People ask me about them all the time because they’ve seen them on Facebook! Almost every conversation starts with “how are those cats?!” (I have 4!).
Posting non-real estate topics is important. Post about your family, a trip you just took, or a restaurant you like.
It’s important that you show the human, personal side of yourself, not just non-stop real estate info.
Don’t just post listings and closings and talk about how great they are.
People want to feel like they know you, so let them get to know you and your dog and your house and what you like to cook, eat, read, etc.
Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your work, your real estate team, and personal aspects of your life. This can make your brand more personable and relatable.
Don’t be afraid to mix personal and professional! People want to know the real you as an agent! You are your brand, so showcase it. Share your family, pets, kids, life, etc.
Don’t post all business all the time. Hearing about real estate only over and over is not going to keep the audience engaged. Diversify your content.
Don’t make it all business. Mix in some personal things as well. When making videos, you don’t have to be perfect — just be human.
Do not make your social media all real estate-related. Split it between 70% personal and 30% real estate-related.
BE REAL! Don’t just post “Just Listed”/”Just Sold”. Mix it up with your real life.
Real estate is a visual industry, so post high-resolution photos and videos of your listings. Use professional real estate photographers and home stagers to showcase properties effectively.
Share informative content relevant to your audience, such as market updates, homebuying/selling tips, and local area insights. This creates an image of a knowledgeable expert.
Create and share informative videos, webinars, or articles that educate your audience on the real estate process, market trends, and other related topics.
Post impactful content and have the audience connect with you. Those are really important in a time where there are TONS of noise.
Posting valid content can help. Liking someone else’s post doesn’t. Creating a video helps. Watching a video doesn’t.
Stay focused on the purpose of social media for you — to close deals. Remember that.
Video is huge and under-utilized! Don’t be afraid to get in front of the camera and share tips, advice, a day in the life, etc.
Stay consistent but not overbearing. Also, keeping it simple. People who are looking to buy or list may get overwhelmed with information! Keep it simple!
Provide informative and locally-relevant content to establish expertise and build trust.
Post relevant material. Pictures are nice, but the details are important.
Post consistently with quality content.
To get the most of your talents in creating high quality content, think of what you are most well-versed in: text, images, videos?
Various platforms’ posting functionalities are better optimized for certain content types. Learn about the best social media platforms for real estate agents to choose your priority social media network.
Showcase Your Expertise
Document, don’t create. Post about things you’re already doing in your business. Take your followers on a tour behind the scenes and show them the work you put into every one of your clients.
Build credibility that you are confident and capable in your field of expertise. Find a niche if possible and show that you are the best at it.
You must come across as knowledgeable and not arrogant.
Agents must be posting their listings, deals, and current real estate news.
Leverage Social Media App Features
Use Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, or similar features to provide quick, time-sensitive updates and share your day-to-day experiences.
Consider using paid advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to target potential clients in your local area.
Interact with Your Audience
Answer comments and messages promptly and be active in engaging with your audience. Show that you’re attentive and responsive to client inquiries.
Host live video tours of your listings. This allows for real-time engagement and interaction with potential buyers.
Encourage social media followers to sign up for your email newsletter to stay in touch beyond social platforms.
Show up and stay relevant. Respond to questions posed. Show that you are genuine and let them know that real estate is not all that you do.
Interact. Comment and like other people’s posts and post interesting things that people want to see, not just listings and closings.
Don’t simply post a closed picture when your clients buy or you sell a house. Tell your clients stories. It engages people and helps them understand the buying/selling process.
Be present at all times, be consistent, be helpful, and come from a place of contribution.
Celebrate Your Wins
Share client success stories and testimonials to build trust and demonstrate your track record.
Give stats on homes sold.
Collaborate with Other Professionals
Connect with other real estate professionals and potential clients on LinkedIn to expand your professional network.
Partner with local businesses to cross-promote one another, expanding your reach and reinforcing your local presence.
Be engaged with your community! Follow and regularly engage with small businesses in your area, other entrepreneurial accounts, and your go-to vendors (e.g., home inspectors, contractors, etc).
Have your pulse on all things happening in your city. Post about business openings, take selfies or menu pictures when you eat local, highlight local music, or entertainment venues.
Highlight neighborhoods and new construction.
Share your involvement in community events and causes. It shows your commitment to the local area.
Have a Consistent Posting Schedule
Stick to a regular posting schedule and use scheduling tools to ensure your content is distributed optimally.
Be consistent with posting reviews and real estate activity, i.e., new property listings, under contract, solds, helpful tips, etc.
I believe the must-do things on social media for a real estate agent is to stay active, advertise, and communicate!
Be consistent, grow your audience daily, keep it light, and engage the audience.
Keep consistency in posting. Make it relevant. Find your voice/niche.
Track Your Efforts
Regularly review the analytics of your real estate social media posts to understand what content performs best and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Comply with Legal Practices Online
Ensure all social media practices adhere to legal and ethical guidelines, including fair housing regulations.
Stay Informed
Stay up to date with social media trends and platform updates, as these can impact your strategy.
Sharing Inappropriate or False Content
Avoid any language, images, or practices that may imply a preference for or against a particular group of people.
Avoid sharing offensive, controversial, or inappropriate content. This includes political, religious, or controversial subjects that could alienate potential clients.
Do not post misleading information about properties, pricing, or market conditions. Providing accurate, up-to-date information is crucial for building trust.
I personally don’t post about politics. I don’t post anything I deem unprofessional. I don’t use foul language.
They should not also post their personal problems.
Don’t be too mechanical. Don’t curse.
I would try not to post anything too controversial or negative in any form.
A real estate agent must avoid giving the wrong impression on social media. A real estate agent is typically an independent contractor, so he or she will definitely want to keep a good reputation.
Don’t post if you don’t have anything genuine to say.
This is obvious, but posting inappropriate things can deter potential clients from working with you.
Don’t hide facts and issues. The buyer/investor will find them anyway through inspections.
Avoid “hot topics”.
Violating Laws
Never post content that could be seen as discriminatory or violating fair housing laws.
They should not post or comment anything that would be a violation of their license law or anti-trust.
Don’t violate any laws or give advice in areas you’re not qualified to speak on.
Don’t post content without following statewide guidelines.
Disregarding Platform Guidelines
Different social media platforms have their guidelines and rules. Ensure you know and adhere to these guidelines to avoid any penalties or account restrictions.
Getting into Online Arguments
Avoid engaging in online arguments or confrontations, especially with clients, competitors, or trolls. Maintain professionalism in all interactions.
While sharing your personality is essential, be careful to express strong opinions on controversial topics, as it can alienate potential clients.
Avoid being critical of others and being argumentative. Don’t show any biases or selfishness.
Don’t get personal, or engage in negative behavior. Keep it professional.
Avoid responding negatively to bad reviews.
Speaking Badly About Other Agents or Properties
Don’t talk about others and give nonfactual information.
Avoid negative messaging and gossiping about other brokers.
Avoid bashing other agents.
Don’t give a bad review on any property.
Ignoring Comments and Messages
Being unresponsive on social media can give the impression that you’re not engaged or attentive. Always respond to comments and messages in a timely and professional manner.
Avoid automatic or generic replies to client inquiries or comments. Make your interactions genuine and personalized to create authentic relationships.
DON’T post and ghost! Meaning, don’t post once in a while but fail to respond to comments or to engage with other accounts.
Overpromotion
Stay humble. Certainly share your goals and your accomplishments. Just make sure to thank those clients and people who continue to refer you.
We always try to make our clients the hero in our stories because without them we wouldn’t get to run a referral-based business or even have business. This is especially true in a shifting market.
Avoid overpromotion while you want to showcase your listings and services. A constant stream of property listings can be off-putting to your followers.
Instead, balance promotional posts with valuable content.
Avoid asking people to use you as a realtor to buy or sell their home. People don’t like the used car salesperson approach.
When you build relationships with people, you don’t need to constantly remind people you are a realtor.
An agent should never overpromote themselves. When that happens, they give off a bad vibe akin to a slimy, used car salesman.
You must avoid posting without context and you absolutely MUST avoid posting “just listed” and “just sold” because your followers think you’re bragging about your income.
Don’t draw attention to yourself in a way that does not support your brand or your broker’s brand.
They shouldn’t overpromote themselves or their listing.
Don’t overwhelm people with self-promotion.
Posting Low-Quality Content
Don’t throw out over-excessive information! Buyers or sellers may get overwhelmed with so much information and get scared about the process.
Leave the information for in-person meetings so that you can answer those concerns immediately instead of letting them linger!
Poor-quality images or videos can give a wrong impression of your listings and professionalism. Invest in good photography and ensure content is well-presented.
Boring, monotonous content won’t get clicks. Open-house walkthroughs don’t get clicks and all look the same.
Know what your audience is looking for. If you cater to real estate investors, it’s important to post off-market deals:
Avoid posting something that is already in the MLS.
Not Giving Credit
If you’re using content, images, or ideas created by others, be sure to give proper credit and respect copyright laws.
Sharing Personal Information
Be cautious about sharing too much personal information, such as home addresses or vacation plans. This information can be misused.
Ensure your privacy settings are appropriately configured to protect personal information. Be careful when accepting friend requests from people you don’t know.
Don’t share confidential information.
Spamming
Avoid spamming your followers with excessive posts or using automated bots for engagement. It can damage your reputation and engagement rates.
Too many hashtags can make your content look spammy and reduce its visibility. Only include hashtags that are relevant to your content.
Don’t spam people’s inboxes.
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