In the dynamic world of real estate, where properties rise and fall in value and trends shift like the wind, there’s one constant that determines the success of an agency: effective marketing. Imagine two agencies, both with equally impressive property portfolios, but one consistently outperforms the other. The secret? It’s not just about the properties they sell; it’s about how they promote themselves. We will uncover the subtle yet powerful marketing strategies that distinguish the industry’s leaders from the rest.
Like a lot of things in life, success comes down to a series of small, important things done well and consistently. The same applies to businesses as well. Unfortunately, when it comes to real estate marketing, we see a lot of ordinary, run-of-the-mill businesses that are too busy to get themselves organised.
From a marketing perspective, we can clearly see what separates the winning real estate businesses from the others.
To help you start the new year on the right foot, here’s a checklist of traits of highly successful Real Estate firms. We’ve also contrasted their traits with those of typical ‘muddling’ firms, so you know what not to do.
| What SUCCESSFUL Real Estate Agencies Do | What MUDDLING Real Estate Agencies Do | |
| 1 | They invest in their marketing. | They don’t invest in marketing. |
| 2 | They learn about modern marketing. | They don’t bother learning about marketing. |
| 3 | They delegate marketing activities. | They abdicate marketing activities by hiring someone to “handle it” and then absolve themselves of all involvement. |
| 4 | They understand business strategy. | They don’t understand business strategy. |
| 5 | They articulate a clear, focused strategy. | They have no clear strategy, only objectives they think constitute a strategy. |
| 6 | They invest in design. Their branding is great. | They don’t invest in design, and so they look amateurish and out-of-date. |
| 7 | They’re great at executing their plans. | They’re lousy at executing their plans and then blame others for a lack of “time” or money or a mysterious ailment they call F.T.I. (Failure To Implement). |
| 8 | They have the courage to focus and to specialise. | They try to be all things to all people. |
| 9 | They have a modern, mobile-responsive website with a great brand message. | They have an old-school, out-of-date website with dry, boring content. |
| 10 | They have a strong social media presence. | They don’t use social media, or dabbled in it and then stopped using it (which is even worse). |
| 11 | They consistently publish content to their blog-at least monthly, often weekly. | They don’t even have a blog. |
| 12 | They consistently send out email newsletters. | They send the occasional email newsletter, if at all. And when they do, it’s boring. |
| 13 | They understand the importance of creating great articles and content. | They don’t understand that ‘content is king’ in modern marketing. |
| 14 | They have a documented Content Plan with their planned articles, events and campaigns for the coming year. | They don’t plan their marketing content, events or campaigns. |
| 15 | They measure and track their marketing metrics. | They don’t even know what marketing metrics are. |
| 16 | They love technology and innovation. | They see technology and change as a burden. |
| 17 | They ooze enthusiasm and conviction. | They’re low on energy, dull, and frazzled. |
| 18 | They know their strengths. | They think they’re good at everything. |
| 19 | They stick to their core competencies and outsource the rest to specialist providers. | They try to do everything in-house and ‘on the cheap’. |
| 20 | They see themselves as teachers, both to their team and their clients. | They see themselves as technicians. |
| 21 | They love marketing and see it as one of their competitive advantages. | They loathe marketing and see it as an expense. |
| 22 | They have a clear vision for the type of business they want to build. | They lack vision and clarity. |
Real Estate Marketing
So how did you go? How many of the 22 items put you in the MODERN column?
And how many put you in the MUDDLING column?
No matter where your firm’s marketing is, there’s always room for improvement. For growth. And you can have a clearer strategy. Better content. Stronger branding. A more modern website. More effective social media. More consistent blog posts and email newsletters. Smarter marketing technology working for you, including marketing automation. Real Estate marketing success usually comes down to a consistent effort to do the right things.
These are what set the winning real estate businesses apart with their marketing. And they’re the things we love to help firms implement.
To put a winning plan and an outsourced marketing support team in place for the coming year, make time to have a chat with us. We can identify what you are currently doing well, and areas that can be improved, and from there we can scope and price marketing activities that will help you join the winning ranks of the remarkable, fast-growth Real Estate businesses.
Action Steps that you can do today.
- Digital Audit: Review your current website and social media profiles. Ensure they’re up-to-date, mobile-responsive, and user-friendly.
- Content Calendar: Develop a monthly content calendar. Schedule regular posts, articles, and updates to maintain engagement.
- Engage on Social Media: Dedicate at least 15 minutes daily to engage with followers, respond to comments, and share relevant content.
- Training Sessions: Organize monthly in-house training on the latest digital marketing trends and tools.
- Feedback Mechanism: Implement a system to collect client feedback on your marketing efforts and services.
- SEO Check: Ensure your website is optimized for search engines. If unsure, consider hiring an SEO expert for an audit.
- Email Marketing: Start a monthly newsletter. Share market insights, agency news, and featured properties.
- Networking: Attend at least one industry event or webinar each month to stay connected and informed.
- Tech Integration: Explore and integrate real estate-specific marketing tools and software to streamline operations.
- Branding Consistency: Ensure your branding is consistent across all platforms, from business cards to social media profiles.
- Client Testimonials: Actively seek and showcase testimonials and success stories on your website and social media.
- Collaborative Campaigns: Partner with local businesses for joint marketing initiatives or events.
- Performance Metrics: Set clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for your marketing efforts and review them bi-monthly.
- Budget Review: Allocate a specific budget for marketing and review expenditure vs. ROI every quarter.
- Stay Curious: Dedicate time to explore and experiment with one new marketing strategy or tool every quarter.
Implementing these steps can provide a structured approach to enhancing and modernising your real estate agency’s marketing efforts.
Of course, we would be happy to assist you with the pieces that you don’t want to do. Reach out to the team at Exposure by Design today
