Marketing: A trick or a treat to your potential clients?

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Published Date 10/31/2023

Some real estate agents are masters at marketing. And others? They often use wicked tactics that spook potential clients or simply drive them away, killing their success, according to Realtor Magazine’s Valerie Garcia.

The ghouls and goblins of real estate don’t appear frightening at first glance, however. They often ply their witchy trade hiding behind social media, turning into zombies. How? Garcia says, “The more dynamic the online experience becomes, the more automation makes you look, well, dead.”

She suggests instead of publishing generic auto-created content, try using a consistent content plan. “Devote each day of the week to a theme: Motivation Monday, Homeowner Tip Tuesday, Community Friday, etc. Keeping a consistent plan allows you to curate more meaningful content in advance and makes it easier for you to be authentic and personal.”

Another is ghosting — being abandoned in the dark. “It’s amazing how difficult we make it for people to reach us,” says Garcia. “Studies have shown that if prospects don’t find our contact info within two clicks, they give up and move on. And yet, we still bury our details behind complicated landing pages — or worse, omit them altogether. You’re allowing yourself to get lost deeper and deeper into the abyss we call the internet.”

She says it’s time for an online audit to bring you out of the shadows. “Take a look at your social profiles, your websites, and your ads. Can you easily find at least two ways to contact yourself for more information? If not, rethink your online presentation.”

Being possessed by bad information is tantamount to becoming a fake news source. “Our online presence is a public billboard that constantly advertises who we are,” says Garcia. “These days, there is so much content being created — millions of posts every minute — and it’s easy to be fooled by misleading information.” She notes that we are often too quick to hit the “share” button without taking the time to verify the validity of the content. “Keep in mind that everything you post reflects on you, and no matter your settings, most of what you share can be re-shared or commented on. Take the time to verify the info you are posting, using sites like Snopes or a reliable media source. When in doubt, don’t give out the bad candy.

Real estate professionals often get creative with the visuals but forget to ask for the sale. Garcia calls this “getting stuck in purgatory.” She describes it this way: “We create content and videos, curate visual posts, and work hard to generate a following. And then we forget the most important part: the call to action.” While she says most TV ads end with the close (call to action), it can often feel like high pressure tactics for agents to do so. But you don’t get what you don’t ask for. “We leave people stranded with nowhere to go, publishing listing information without a price, an address, or even a link to contact us. Stop assuming your audience knows what to do after your marketing grabs them.”

And lastly, what good does it do to appear in the best costume ever and then disappear without a trace? Will people believe you were ever really there? “Many of us think the more people we connect with online, the better,” says Garcia. “But when you try to reach everyone instead of targeting a specific audience, you can become invisible.”

She advises avoiding falling into the cauldron of posting stuff that creates lots of noise but very little meaningful conversation. “In internet terms, this is referred to as ‘clickbait’ — sensational or controversial content with no purpose other than getting people to comment. It’s a nightmare for your reputation, and it can drive people to ignore you — as though you vanished into thin air. Focus instead on bringing real value to your audience with content that solves a problem, meets a need, or educates.”

RealtorMag, TBWS

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