In March’s Marketing and Branding Month, we’ll go deep on agent branding and best practices for spending with Zillow, Realtor.com and more. Top CMOs of leading firms drop by to share their newest tactics, too. And to top off this theme month, Inman is debuting a brand new set of awards for branding and marketing leaders in the industry called Marketing All-Stars.
Agents are familiar with the concept of digital marketing — email newsletters, social media posts and websites — but there are other aspects of digital marketing that are underutilized across the industry.
Over the past decade, new technology has affected virtually every sector, but for real estate, in particular, an industry that has struggled to evolve and adapt, these advancements have upended the sector entirely.
Tools of the trade
Tech tools, such as social listening and customer relationship management (CRM) software, allow agents to use data in real-time to make informed decisions about both marketing and sales of properties.
By coupling this modern approach with traditional methods, agents can not only build their brands but also significantly increase leads, ultimately boosting sales.
One of the most helpful tools available, and one that is widely underutilized, is a social listening campaign, which can monitor and analyze online conversations about brands, a specific neighborhood, the real estate industry or even a competitor.
It works by pulling mentions of predetermined keywords and providing insights, such as the number of mentions in a given amount of time and the demographics of those partaking in these online conversations.
For example, these campaigns and tools can allow you to target the users searching real estate terms such as “moving,” “neighborhood” and “apartments with views.” Social listening provides data that can help create a better understanding of a property’s buyers and their needs and wants, which agents can then utilize across their sales and marketing strategies.
All about the leads
Social listening can also support successful lead generation efforts — the process of attracting a prospect while gradually guiding them through the pipeline to becoming a sale. In addition to generating leads, it’s equally important to nurture them.
Lead nurturing is the process of developing and reinforcing relationships with potential buyers as you work with them on their homebuying or selling needs. A variety of customer relationship management software exists that can assist in tracking and optimizing communications with leads at every stage of the sales funnel.
For example, one tactic in a lead nurture strategy can include sending personalized emails to each prospect, specific to their wants and needs, whether it be location-driven or building-specific.
Utilizing CRM software can automate this process, sending a reminder to draft the message as well as scheduling the email to go out at the appropriate time. Personalized touches like this, made more efficient through technology, can lead to increased engagement from your prospects.
Not only can you employ these various marketing strategies to tailor interactions with potential buyers, but the data collected can also be utilized to optimize future campaigns to fit buyer needs and shifting trends.
Implementing personalized campaigns assists in developing trust and building credibility, which in turn, will elevate agents’ personal brands.
What’s next?
Ongoing advancements in technology will continue to influence the way we market and sell real estate, especially as consumer demands evolve and become more complex.
An integrated digital marketing campaign allows agents to connect with buyers intelligently through the use of data, which can also provide a more comprehensive understanding of buyer demands.
By actively implementing digital tools, agents can more effectively source, identify and nurture prospective buyers and sellers, leading to an increase in sales conversion.
Alyssa Soto Brody, a first-generation Cuban-American, is a broker, lawyer and entrepreneur. Connect with her and her team on Linkedin and Instagram.
