After more than 15 years of working in property management, Sonia Taska got her real estate license and, in 2020, joined Adams Cameron & Co. REALTORS as a sales agent. 

When Sonia began her journey selling real estate, one thing she quickly discovered was that there was much more work involved in real estate marketing than she had ever imagined. 

"I had no idea what I was doing when it came to marketing," she says. "I honestly thought I could just send out some flyers or postcards and the calls would come rolling in — boy, was I wrong!"

She soon learned that for marketing to convert to new business, a multi-faceted approach that incorporates various systems and digital strategies is required.

"Over time, I realized that it's important to leave your digital footprint in multiple areas to reach different types of people," she mentions. "I quickly learned that marketing is so much more layered — social media, newsletters, blogs, vlogs, and CRMs."

By following this marketing approach, using a variety of DeltaNET® tools, and leaning on her experience in property management, Sonia became one of the Daytona-based brokerage's top-producing agents within her first few years. 

Connecting With Customers Through the CRM

A few months after joining Adams Cameron & Co., Sonia started building her customer base in DeltaNET. She also began customizing her own integrated real estate website.

She recalls her broker emphasizing the importance of getting contacts into DeltaNET's CRM and using the available marketing tools in the system. Taking his advice, she discovered that taking the time to learn the platform truly paid off. 

"Let me tell you, the time I spent learning the platform and customizing my website has absolutely paid off," she says. "I've gained so much business from clients who were quietly browsing listings I'd set them up with — sometimes months or even years later, they pop back up, ready to buy or sell. It's incredible."

Sonia appreciated that she could customize her website however she wanted. Also, she can easily make updates and changes anytime, and while it's pretty simple to do, the Delta Media Group® support team is there to help whenever she needs it.

"Within about four months, I had a website I was proud of," she says. "I love that I can truly make it my own. I can change it whenever I want, add as much content as I'd like, include external links, and even customize the colors to match my brand. The support team has also been fantastic whenever I need help."

One of her favorite features in the CRM is the ability to create personalized newsletters. Not only does she create her own branded newsletters on the platform, but she even embeds her YouTube vlogs into them for greater engagement.

"I enjoy creating my own newsletters and embedding my YouTube vlogs into them," she says. "It's a great way to guide my clients to different platforms and keep them engaged. Not everyone is on Facebook or Instagram — I have clients who only engage with me through newsletters."

Her most-liked website feature is the saved search, where customers can save specific searches to continue receiving updates on new listings in a specific area that meet their desired criteria. 

"The saved search feature is the easiest thing; it's the one item that I put everybody on," she says. "It's easy, and it keeps the customers engaged."

She's also thrilled with how simple it is to connect her social media accounts to her website, directing traffic back and capturing new leads.

"I love how easy it is to connect my Facebook and Instagram posts back to my website," she says. "That helps me capture new leads and redirect traffic to my site, which builds more familiarity with my brand."

Leveraging AI to Enhance SEO

Sonia recognizes how important a marketing strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is, seeing as it does wonders for driving web traffic.

"At the beginning, I didn't even know what SEO meant," she admits. "Now, I'm utilizing it in all of my marketing, from YouTube to Google My Business to my blog posts and web pages; it's made a difference in just driving in that traffic on the backend."

Something she has recently been doing to enhance her content's SEO is using AI platforms like ChatGPT to generate better-optimized words and phrases in order to stand out in her local search results.

"I'm utilizing AI to create my blogs and vlogs better," she explains. "I'm using it to identify and plug in SEO words. It's something that wasn't there before that helps me drive in that traffic easier."

Defining Her Social Media Strategy

Despite having several other strategies for marketing her business, Sonia recognizes that there is an entire audience she could be ignoring if she didn't connect with them through social media. 

A strategy Sonia embraced early on that made her social media content much more effective online was creating video content for her listings.

"One thing I've really embraced is using video to showcase listings," she says. "I'm naturally shy, so getting in front of the camera hasn't been easy for me. But with time, I've become more comfortable. I truly believe that when agents take the time to speak on camera and walk through a home, it creates a personal connection with the audience."

She will even approach local builders for permission to showcase homes still under construction.

"Something else I love doing is visiting local builders," she says. "If you ask for permission, many are more than happy to let you record a short video showcasing one of their homes or communities — and they appreciate the exposure."

Sonia has additionally found reviews and client testimonials to be important to share as they help instill buyers' and sellers' trust. 

"Client testimonials are essential," she explains. "These days, most people are going to look you up online before ever reaching out. If they don't see reviews — or have a personal referral — they may hesitate to work with you, especially buyers, since they often need to sign a Buyer's Broker Agreement before even viewing a property."

She notes how this trust has translated into more — and faster — transactions.

"Recently, I had a buyer reach out and sign a Buyer's Broker Agreement without ever meeting me in person," says Sonia. "She'd seen so much of my content online that she felt comfortable enough to move forward. We closed on her home in less than three weeks!"

She shares some advice for agents wanting to grow and connect with their audience on social media: "Whatever you post on Instagram, make sure you're sharing it on Facebook too. Use Reels, regular posts, and stories. Don't forget hashtags, and always try to include a link to your website when you post stories. It may sound like a lot, but it's really not that hard once you get into the rhythm."

A Strong Foundation For Success

Sonia acknowledges that all this technology, training, and support she receives at no cost is a major reason why she became successful so soon after starting her career with Adams Cameron & Co.

She explains, "Many brokerages charge a desk fee, or you have to pay for your own CRM and website. With Adams Cameron & Co., they offer everything that you need to start. So when I came in, they had their own training that they provided you that you had to go through. At that time, it was like two weeks or so that you had to go through their course, which is really helpful because you feel like, for somebody inexperienced, it really takes you step by step on what you need to do as a new agent."

In addition, she feels that her background in property management provided her valuable knowledge and the ability to provide first-hand guidance to customers looking for investment properties. 

"When I speak to home buyers now or people who are trying to invest in real estate, I know what I'm talking about," she explains. "So it gives me that upper hand of being able to tell them from my own experience of managing, this is what you can do or this we can expect. If people are trying to buy into a homeowner or condo association, I can also tell them what to expect. I feel that being so well versed in the different aspects of real estate helps me better help my customers."

The Tools She Needs to Reach Her Goal

Sonia isn't letting current headwinds hold her back from reaching her sales goals. Although she came up a bit short on her goal for last year, she remains focused on meeting it in 2025. 

"Last year, I didn't reach my goal; it was a slow year for everybody," she remarks. "I kept my same goal for this year. The last quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year have been very, very busy. I'm just going to stay focused on continuing to push forward, keeping the same goal no matter what."

Given her work ethic, motivation, and the digital tools she has through Delta Media Group, she is optimistic she will eventually reach her goal.

"I know the business is out there, and as long as I continue to put in the work, making the effort, following up with customers, and using the tools at my disposal, I will continue to reach new milestones each year," she says.

Sonia's commitment to learning new digital tools and her background in property management have given her a unique edge in reaching prospects and guiding clients. Despite industry challenges, we're certain that her hard work will continue to pay off, and she will soon reach the next level in her journey.

To learn more about Sonia Taska, visit her website soniataska.adamscameron.com, and follow her on Instagram @soniataskarealtor, YouTube, and Facebook.