Carrie J. Little is one of the brokers at CarMarc Realty Group and regards content creation as one of her primary responsibilities. In this blog post she offers some key social media tips.
When it comes to mastering social media in real estate, there are plenty of sites and apps that provide advice, content creation and outsourcing services for agents. On the other hand, brokers may find themselves unclear as to how they should approach their channels: should they focus on agent recruitment messages, buyer and seller content or listing highlights and company appreciation events?
Although many brokers remain uncertain how best to leverage social media, CarMarc Realty Group’s designated managing broker Carrie J. Little has an actionable plan. At the 2021 REALTOR(r) Broker Summit on June 30th, Little presented seven proven social media strategies brokerages can use when building or rebuilding their presences online.
1. Produce Content for Agents.
Little suggested that brokers could leverage social media more effectively if they created content tailored towards what was most interesting or engaging for agents in their office, and not simply themselves. One method might include producing visual market snapshots containing local data that might interest and excite both agents and customers they serve.
As well as data, brokerages can also feature agents with exclusive and personalized content that spotlights them individually. “Agents enjoy being acknowledged,” according to Little. They need content they can share to build their reputations – which is why CarMarc Realty Group creates new listing graphics specifically tailored for agents, posting them on its brokerage page so agents can share them directly on social media with clients or share on their personal pages for their own listing of sales activities. It provides them with content they can use with customers as proof they’re hard at work while showing they’re conducting transactions from start to finish!
2. Produce professional and organic content. Little advised brokers to post professional-quality images and videos online as the foundation of their online image, which should include high-resolution photographs of everything from listings and agents/brokers to staging, gardening or landscaping posts and posts about staging etc.. What matters more is quality over quantity when it comes to photos taken, she advised, adding that they should consider hiring a professional photographer as soon as possible for optimal results.
Professional imagery doesn’t need to be stuffy content; Little encourages brokers to produce organic, less-filtered material about how their business life operates. From series on how it was like to build their business from scratch to behind-the-scenes glimpses at what it means to comply with the REALTOR(r) Code of Ethics or tips on helping buyers navigate the market, Little believes it’s essential that real estate professionals tell honest stories of real estate careers through video. Video provides an entryway into creating this kind of “real life” content creation!
3. Collaborate with Industry Partners. Finally, Little suggests that brokerages work with loan officers, inspectors and attorneys as industry partners for unique perspectives and content that cannot be found anywhere else. Why not interview one about why prequalification should instead become preapproval or full underwriting.
Little suggests brokers conduct interviews with home inspectors about what they’re noticing in today’s homes, or real estate attorneys about what transpires during an escrow transaction. Facebook or Instagram should be used as the medium for conducting such interviews.
4. Utilize hashtags and locations.
According to Little, hashtag and location-based marketing is when end users can easily find you using these two tactics; she provides this example: If someone searching for agents in a broker’s city used hashtags or location tagging correctly in their posts, consumers would have an easier time locating them more easily.
Consumers searching for local content will be more likely to stumble across brokerage posts if they are properly tagged and hashtagged with location information, whether posting images of city concert series, new cafe opening or other local attractions. Doing this allows users to discover your content quickly on their own terms.
Little warns brokers not to go too far with hashtags when posting, Little says. Each platform has a maximum limit for hashtags; on some, such as LinkedIn, overusing them may actually hinder an individual’s efforts by altering its algorithm and leading to overcrowded feeds.
5. Engage on Social Media. According to Little, engagement on social media involves having a dialogue with followers – just as important as in person meetings.” She advises brokers and their employees responding to posts with at least five-word responses for better authenticity and communication; in addition, many social media platforms favor longer responses at the top of their pages, giving more exposure.
6. Create video content.
Video doesn’t need to be complex or take long; according to Little, “you can build a 60-second story on Instagram or TikTok and just get going.” The key is getting going!
Accessibility of videos is also of vital importance, according to Little. She recalls when her son suggested adding captions so he could watch them during class; although she didn’t encourage this behavior, it did demonstrate the value of captions and accessibility when it comes to gaining more viewers from those with low or no volume settings – captions make it easier to access the message of the content without needing to turn up the volume every time someone watches it.
7. Social Recruiting. Instead of conducting traditional broker outreach by messaging agents about their production and asking if they’d consider moving companies, Little suggests offering something of value directly to agents as this allows agents to start recruiting on their own.
Little recognizes that agents may feel overwhelmed by continuing education classes but still want to gain new tactics or business tips, so she has created educational content through Instagram videos (link is external). Her goal is to show potential recruits that she is an approachable, digitally minded broker who wants nothing more than seeing agents thrive; should any agents reach out, she stands ready to join either her brokerage or connect them with brokers in their local markets.
Little stressed that these seven strategies would put any broker-owner, designated managing broker, or digital marketing person on a path towards building a stronger social media presence. She encouraged newcomers to pick one strategy at a time instead of trying to implement all at once: “Don’t make this hard,” she told audience members at the conference, and start today!
