We’ve scoured the social media guides, tracked down the experts and sifted through the flashy add-ons to bring you the top 10 hidden Facebook features, tips and tricks every real estate agent should know in 2018.
Without further ado, we’ll get right into it — because let’s face it (no pun intended), we’re all a little short on time.
Photo by Rahul Chakraborty on Unsplash
1. Schedule future Facebook messages
Speaking of time, in real estate, timing is everything, and it can be the difference between landing a client or losing one.
Stay in touch with your sphere, and reach out to clients with Sendible. This clever tool allows you to schedule Facebook messages to your friends ahead of time; think birthdays, anniversaries, quarterly follow-ups, etc.
If you’re looking for a simple way to ramp up your social media game, this is the tool.
2. Check your ‘Message Requests’ inbox
Aside from making sure you don’t miss leads by setting up a chatbot and pixel and using Messenger to communicate with “friends,” you can also keep track of messages and requests from your non-friends within the Messenger app.
If you’re familiar with Facebook Messenger, then you’ll recognize the lightning bolt icon. When you click it, the icon automatically defaults to the “Recent” tab of your inbox, but take a closer look, and you’ll notice a “Message Requests” tab.
This is where the messages from people you’re not currently friends with live.
Whether it be an old pal or perspective client, best to go in and have a look. There is also a “See filtered requests” link located directly below that will show you outlier messages from strangers, scammers and everything between.
Browse with caution!
3. Transfer files, send money and share maps via Messenger
Facebook Messenger allows you to do so much more than send messages. In fact, you can send images from your mobile device, share a mapped location and even transfer money at the click of a button. Here’s how.
Open the Facebook Messenger window and look for the small icons along the bottom bar. These icons are powerful tools that allow you to upload and send files from your device, share a map of any location or send money from a debit card or PayPal account.
Splitting the bill with a co-worker to share your open house has never been easier!
Chonlachai / Shutterstock
4. Take advantage of Facebook Notes
Longtime Facebook users know you can make the most of a milestone or share a client story by highlighting it in Facebook Notes.
According to PCMag, Facebook Notes is basically “a personal blog post that lives inside the Facebook ecosystem.”
Click on Facebook Notes to share entire paragraphs of text and images just like a regular Facebook post, or save it and come back to work on it later. You’ll be able to publish whenever you’re ready.
Here’s a great “how-to” on using Facebook Notes.
5. Save news feed posts for later
If you never noticed it before, today is your lucky day! Facebook has a “Save for Later” function that allows you to save posts and read later when you have more time — basically Facebook’s way of taking on content savers such as Pinterest.
Click the ellipsis in the top-right of any post, which will pull up a number of options including the Save button. This will send the link to your “Saved” folder, which doesn’t exist until you, in fact, save something.
Next, look for the “Saved” ribbon in the left-hand side of your explore bar, and let the daily catch-up begin.
6. Wow clients with 360-degree pics and vids
Have you noticed those “360-degree” photos and videos popping up all over your Facebook feed? The “360” feature allows Facebook users to pivot and look at all angles and directions. The same goes for users on a desktop.
With “360,” you can give your clients and followers a truly immersive experience – whether broadcasting a listing to an international audience, promoting an open house, or simply showcasing what you see in your day-to-day.
Get started with this Facebok360 tutorial to learn the ins and outs of 360 media.
7. Create a fundraiser that resonates
Most real estate agents are big on giving back, and Facebook makes it even easier to show you care.
Scroll the left-side of your explore bar until you find the “Fundraiser” icon (a little coin with a heart in the middle). Here, you can start a charity, use the power of your sphere and crowdsource funds via donations for your cause.
There are, however, policies and sometimes fees associated with Facebook fundraisers and charitable donations. TechCrunch recently reported changes to Facebook’s policy which includes dropping the fee for certain donations and matching up to $50 million a year!
8. Up your security game
Security should be top priority for every Facebook user. The main threat? People can try to get into your account to steal personal information.
PCMag suggests these top three tips to protect yourself, which you can access via Settings > Security and Login > Setting Up Extra Security; this includes two-factor authentication, enabled alerts for unrecognized logins and trusted contacts for when you get locked out.
Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock
9. Keep an eye out for Facebook’s city-specific feature
According to AdEspresso by Hootsuite, Facebook is testing a new area of its app called “Today In,” a mix of city-specific events, announcements and local news.
This will make it easier for users to stay in-the-know about their communities and could be a valuable marketing tool for agents once officially rolled out.
Currently, only a few chosen cities are testing it: New Orleans, Louisiana; Olympia, Washington; Billings, Montana; Binghamton, New York; Peoria, Illinois; and Little Rock, Arkansas.
10. Biggest change to Facebook’s news feed algorithm
Perhaps the most talked about update of 2018 includes Facebook’s decision to prioritize news from family and friends at the expense of public content, news publishers and marketers.
This isn’t all that bad for agents looking to foster meaningful connections in their sphere.
AdEspresso by Hootsuite details Mark Zuckerburg’s reasoning behind the decision and dives deeper into how Facebook’s 2018 updates affect marketers and users of the platform.
You can also check out Katie Lance’s take on the update, “What the Facebook news feed change means for real estate pros.”
Now that you know about these highly underutilized Facebook tricks, you can go forth and become the Facebook power user/real estate marketer you were born to be.
Do you use other hidden Facebook features? Please share in the comments section below.
Amy Puchaty is the owner and principal writer at Amy Puchaty Communicationsin Boulder, Colorado. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
