It's been said before that adopting technology to market yourself online leads to success in real estate. This was certainly the case for Amber Ortega, a shining agent at Coldwell Banker Legacy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with over 14,500 followers on TikTok.

"Social media and technology have been my background since before I even thought about real estate," says Amber. "That's where most of my business is coming from now."

Amber's talent for creating content and using technology to build an online brand isn't just what helped her gain clients for her real estate business, but it's how she found her way to real estate in the first place. 

It all began with her being a stay-at-home mom and starting a "mommy blog." Through this venture, she realized her skill in digital marketing and began getting work making website content. One of her clients happened to be in real estate.

"A REALTOR® hired me to build out his website," she says. "So I built out all the content for that, and then he said, 'Well, I don't really have any more work for you. Can you start making some phone calls for me?' And I thought, 'Well, that's kind of weird, but okay.' I started doing that, and I started realizing that it just flowed naturally for me. And so I said, 'Hey, let's do a little trade-off. I'll work on your website, and you pay for me to get licensed.'"

As soon as she got her real estate license, Amber started using technology to build a brand for herself and connect with clients online. When she began selling real estate, Facebook was the only platform people were using, so she started there. She was then one of the first agents to use platforms like Instagram and TikTok as they gained popularity. 

"When I first started nine years ago, we only had Facebook, and all my business came from Facebook," she recalls. "And then people were scared to jump into TikTok. So, I was one of the early adopters. I got in there. I think that doing those types of things and being ahead of the game and not being scared makes a huge difference."

Marketing That's Authentic

Through Amber's experience, she has identified that the key to making your marketing stand out is being authentic. This is because customers are looking for someone they feel they can trust. 

"It's being authentic," she says. "It's showing that you are knowledgeable, that you're personable, because, like they always say, 'people buy from people that they know and trust.'" 

Amber believes that being herself and someone her followers can count on sets her apart from other agents. 

"I just am myself," she explains. "I try to be as authentic as possible. I see a lot of REALTORS® that are always posting that, 'Hey, look at me. I sold this. Hey, look at me. I sold that.' And not to say that I don't do that, but I try to add value. So, if I get a question from somebody, I'll create content based on that. Sometimes, as I'm just talking to people, I'm making lists of questions that I want to answer in another video or in something to post to Instagram or whatever."

She clarifies that you don't have to share anything personal or do something special to get people to follow you. You just have to speak to them in a way that makes them feel comfortable.

"I've gotten a lot of people, especially in this past year, because I've gotten a lot more business out of my TikTok," she says. "They almost treat me like a celebrity, and they feel like they know me. I don't even share anything personal, but I just talk to them like I'm talking to a friend. I think that if you can just do that, people will just flock to you."

Showing Consistency With Content

Aside from being her authentic self and bringing value to her customers, Amber has grown her following and her client base by consistently posting and sending out content.

"Decide what you want to do and do it consistently," she advises. "If you are terrified of video, that's fine. A lot of people are. Then use images, but be consistent. If you're not consistent, if you post once a month, it's not going to do anything."

Amber understands how overwhelming it can be to keep up with posting on multiple platforms while also tending to the other responsibilities that come with being a real estate agent. That's why she uses Delta Media Group's® automated Social Connector tool to manage some of her pages, such as her Facebook and LinkedIn. This makes life easier for her as she can remain active and consistent on these platforms without thinking about it. 

"I get a little overwhelmed trying to manage all my different platforms," she admits. "I don't utilize my Facebook business page that often, but I like that I can post things to it, and people will like it, but I don't have to think about it. I get things that are relevant, and they get posted daily. So that takes it off my plate that I don't have to think about posting there and on LinkedIn because I forget about LinkedIn, but I'm still getting interaction there, which is nice."

Social Connector isn't the only automated marketing tool in DeltaNET® that Amber uses. Her favorite one is My Customer for Life, Delta's automated newsletter that enables you to regularly deploy relevant content to client segments such as buyers, sellers, and homeowners.

"I feel like my number one favorite thing I use is My Customer for Life," says Amber. "I think it is amazing because I get so tied up, and I get busy with my clients. I had one month where I had eight closings. I was all on my own, and I was completely freaking out, but the My Customer for Life will send them an email. I'm getting responses from people because they think that I'm sending them things, and it's actually relating to what they're looking for, what they care about, so I love that."

Using a Powerful, Feature-Rich Website 

Keeping her website up-to-date is another important part of Amber's marketing strategy. She appreciates many tools and features available through her Delta Media Group website.

One feature that Amber finds most helpful for connecting with clients that is very easy to use is the Market Watch. These reports are consistently updated with new data to inform buyers and sellers about what's currently happening in their real estate market.

"I like the Market Watch so that I don't have to update them, but my buyers and my sellers can take a look and see what's happening, get answers, and then come to me if they have specific questions," she explains.

Amber also loves the fact that she can integrate her reviews from various other websites and platforms onto her real estate website.

"I really like that I can integrate all of my reviews from so many different sites," she says. "I never know where to send people to review. So now, they can review it either on my site, if they found me through Zillow, through realtor.com, through Google, whatever it is, and they're all in one place."

Having the Support of Her Brokerage Behind Her

Even though she is highly proficient with technology and isn't afraid of trying new things, Amber is thankful to have the support of her brokerage behind her at all times. When Coldwell Banker Legacy first switched to Delta Media Group from their previous provider, they did a great deal of training to get everyone started.

"When we did switch to Delta, we had people fly in, and we had training," says Amber. "And so everybody had to come and get together, and we did training from top to bottom on what DeltaNet offered, how to navigate and utilize all of the features. We had multiple training sessions to ensure all brokers were able to attend."

The brokerage also has several staff members on-site who are always willing to help agents with their technology one-on-one.

"We have Julie, who is amazing, and she's here in our office once a week for several hours to meet one-on-one and help with any technology questions we might have," says Amber. "When I was buying a new laptop, I went to Aaron for advice on which to purchase and the pros and cons of switching to a Macbook. It's an incredible resource to have them in the office and an entire department behind the scenes that make sure we have what we need and know how to use it!" 

Taking on a New Video Venture

Since Amber is always using technology and trying new marketing methods, she hired a video editor to help her edit her content and is working on starting a YouTube channel. She has started brainstorming ideas and is looking forward to this new project.

"Recently, I hired a video editor, and I really want to get into YouTube, which I haven't done yet," she explains. "It's longer form, and I'm really more comfortable with up to maybe three minutes. That's really something exciting that I'm working on and trying to come up with whatever it is that I'm going to do that's going to make me stand out compared to all the other YouTubers out there."

Given her discernible skill for creating content that stands out and her natural ability to connect with people from behind the camera, it's probable that, despite her worries, Amber will see excellent results with this new venture. As one of the most authentic agents online, it is no wonder that she has cultivated such a substantial following on social media.

Balancing It All With the Help of Delta Technology

Between being a real estate agent, content creator, and mother, Amber has a lot on her plate. Luckily, with a powerful website and marketing automation technology through Delta Media Group, she can automate much of her business, leaving her more time to do the things she likes most, such as making TikTok videos, spending time with her family, and helping her customers purchase their dream homes.

To learn more about Amber Ortega, contact her at amberortega@gmail.com and follow her on TikTok @ambernmortega and Instagram @ambernmrealtor.