Staying updated on the latest trends and best practices is an important component of a successful real estate career. The upcoming real estate marketing trends for 2019 build on practices that have been growing across real estate for the past number of years — but they take them to the next level.
In order to truly succeed at marketing your real estate business in 2019, you need to be creative with technology and the resources available in an increasingly digital and mobile world. At the same time, don’t forget the human touch! Customers want to know you’re a real person who cares about their success.
Real estate marketing trends for 2019
Mastering these real estate marketing trends will help you strike the fine balance between leveraging technology and remaining personal.
1. Automating marketing processes
Automation will be a key real estate marketing trend in 2019. Many real estate agents looking to save time have already begun to automate their processes. Not only does it help you accomplish more — and do it faster — but automation can keep you organized by tracking your leads and following up for you at customized intervals.
There are several ways you can automate your processes to develop your relationship with your clients.
- Develop text message marketing campaigns to engage with leads and move them down the sales funnel.
- Create email drip campaigns that automatically segment your list and send them a series of emails based on their preferences and where they are in the funnel.
- Use chatbots on your website and Facebook page to reach out to visitors and engage them in a conversation and answer helpful questions that can immediately add value.
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2. Add value through your content
Marketing isn’t just about getting your name and face out there anymore. You want to find ways to build trust and establish authority in your space. Looking into 2019, many agents will accomplish this by developing actionable, local content for their communities.
Need help brainstorming some ideas for this type of content? Here’s what we’re talking about:
- Home buying and selling guides that cover the basics of the process but then have additional sections for your specific communities.
- Blog posts that contain hyper-local tips on school, bike paths, transportation — you name it.
- Neighborhood profiles for every community you live in.
- Home financing guides that help buyers understand the pros and cons of local lenders and any federal or state regulations.
3. Video in every way
Video is going to be an incredibly important real estate marketing trend to expect in 2019. Of course, video has already been essential in the last few years, but 2019 will see its importance grow even more. You can find ways to integrate video into your entire marketing strategy.
Here are several real estate marketing trends to look for in 2019 when it comes to video.
- Digital home tours that include 360 video of the entire property.
- Home tours on Instagram Stories. If you aren’t using Instagram Stories to market your properties yet, this is definitely an easy and important way to connect with potential clients.
- Facebook videos that are under 1:30 and can teach your viewers something important about the home buying or selling process in your location.
- Live video on either Instagram or Facebook where you can answer questions from your followers in real time as they comment on your stream.
4. Using social media to build trust
If you’re using social media to build a brand identity but failing to create a trustful connection between you and your clients then you’re missing the mark. Heading into 2019 the importance of trust in the consumer relationship is more important than ever. How do you build trust as a real estate agent? Here are some ideas:
- Never lie or exaggerate information — especially online where your statistics can be easily fact-checked.
- Professionally photograph all your listings and use the photos to promote your work on social media.
- Use social media to show clients the process — if you’re doing home renovations, give clients insight into that. If you’re holding an open house, use your Instagram Stories to give clients an idea of how to prepare for any open houses they might be part of. Any little pieces of information that give background into how you do what you do will help create a sense of trust in the process.
- Position yourself as an expert. Don’t worry about puffing yourself up with false claims, but do showcase your expertise in your niche. If you know a lot about the local community, share that information on social media with your followers. If you’re very familiar with the financial burdens of buying and selling real estate, use your social media to help dispel myths for others. Whatever it is that you’re good at, share that information with your followers to establish trust and expertise.
Set marketing goals for 2019
Research shows that agents who closely track their marketing ROI have more successful careers longterm than those who don’t. If you want to earn more money as a real estate agent, a big part of the process is staying on top of marketing trends and using metrics to establish if your strategies are working or costing you. Set marketing goals now and check them throughout the quarter to know where you should focus throughout the rest of the year.
