Real Estate Marketing

Quick — what's the most powerful form of marketing for real estate agents?

These days, the first thing that comes to mind might be something like social media. And it's true that of all the professionals active on Instagram, Facebook, and the rest, real estate pros have the best shot at transforming all that time spent scrolling their feed into real business value.

Next, you might think of email marketing. And it is the best in at least one way: Experts estimate it has the highest ROI of any digital marketing technique. After all, it only costs a few cents to send emails all month long. And each one could help you close a transaction valued at $50,000 or more.

But neither of these is the best option.

In fact, there isn't one.

Over the last few years, digital marketing has made a big impact on the world of real estate. Millennials are stepping up as the biggest group of homebuyers, and Generation Z is just one step behind them. In both cases, these younger buyers look to the internet when it's time to launch a home search.

It's crucial to be where they are since they might be deep into that search before they reach out to local real estate agents. But, despite all of the techniques that can reach your audience, there isn't a surefire approach that definitely will. It's crucial to have a variety of methods at your disposal.

"Doing It All" Versus Doing a Few Things Well

Whether online or off, effective real estate marketing helps you do two things:

• Build and deepen relationships with prospective customers before they contact you directly
• Turn those prospects into leads who are engaged with your brand and prepared to call you

Both these functions are crucial to growing your real estate practice. Buyers of any age or background can take weeks or even months before they decide to enter the market – with marketing, you can be sure they're on your radar. As you communicate with them, they're more likely to choose you.

Likewise, you can motivate and inspire prospects to become leads who are ready to take action. Yes, you can't get someone to buy a house when they aren't ready, but you don't have to. Education is the key — as a real estate expert, you can highlight when it might be the right time for them to make their move.

The question then becomes, "How do you do it?"

There are dozens of different marketing tactics that can help your business grow. The challenge is to apply a variety of skills but practice them consistently. Inconsistent marketing usually fails to make a difference. At the same time, it leads to frustration and disappointment.

Getting reliable ROI from marketing also has a few easily identified planks:

• Choosing an approach you can make part of your routine, hone, refine, and improve over time
• Using digital marketing automation technology to save time and accelerate the value you'll get
• Once automation is working, moving on to and setting up another digital marketing technique

An AI-driven center of excellence for marketing is the secret behind some of today's fastest-growing real estate agencies and brokerages. Using an all-in-one real estate solution like DeltaNET®6, you can ensure that you are in constant contact with leads through a full range of digital channels — while spending minutes a week.

What should your marketing toolbox look like?

These are some of the most potent marketing moves around:

• Social Media
  Facebook and Instagram are second to none when it comes to getting the word out about your listings. Many people surf "aspirational" properties on Instagram because its visual nature is ideal for real estate photos. LinkedIn can be an effective way to connect with motivated luxury buyers.
  
  
• Email Marketing
  Email marketing helps you share your expertise and position yourself as a trusted expert who'll be there when your subscribers need you. Beyond listings, agents should also publish articles that answer burning questions and help solve problems your ideal customers are having on their real estate journey.
  
  
• Open Houses
  Face-to-face open houses are becoming popular again. At the same time, digital tours aren't going away — used correctly, they can attract would-be buyers from a much larger radius. Brush up on your staging skills and make sure both forms of open house are in your marketing quiver.
  
  
• Real Estate Website
  Your real estate website is where it all begins, tying your digital brand together. A good website is fast, easy to navigate, and provides visitors with useful information. The more blogs, videos, and other content you share on your site, the more likely you are to appear in relevant online searches.

Contact us to learn more about marketing automation for real estate professionals and teams.

Marketing is vital to the success of any real estate business, from individual agents and the smallest boutique firms to the largest national brands. But is your marketing sending the message that you intend? Just as importantly, is it differentiating your services from the competition in a meaningful way? Now is the perfect time to take a fresh look at your marketing and make sure that it says exactly what you want it to say about you.

Consistency Is Key

In the rush to grab the attention of your audience, it can be easy to forget that one of the most important goals of marketing is simply to get them to remember you. Not just your logo, but your business, what it has to offer, and how you can help them. When someone from your target audience in your target markets sees your marketing materials in any setting, you want them to associate it with your brand right away.

That's why it's so important to ensure that your marketing materials, from digital ads to postcards, have a consistent, seamless feel and appearance. Your logo is part of that consistency, but so are the color schemes that you use, images, fonts, and messaging. It's much easier to have your marketing say what you want it to when your audience immediately associates it with your brand.

How Are You Adding Value?

From blog posts on your real estate website to your latest updates on social media, it's important to always keep one question in mind: How are you adding value for your audience? Your audience encounters marketing constantly, whether browsing on their favorite device or seeing billboards when they drive down the highway. If a piece of marketing doesn't add value for them, then they know how to tune it out quickly.

In real estate, your knowledge of market trends and the communities where you do business both create dependable opportunities to add value to your marketing. From email drip campaigns to AI-driven newsletters and content, there are endless opportunities to add value by informing your audience. Integrating information on topics that matter to your audience into your marketing will help you keep their attention, and provide insight into the type of local knowledge they can expect when they choose your services.

Unlock the Possibilities of Localized Content

The content that you create is one of the most effective, reliable tools for adding value and differentiating your brand from the competition. Don't just give your audience the Census facts about a neighborhood. Take them on a video tour of the neighborhood, or create a blog post on the best places in the neighborhood for a meal. Don't just tell parents that a neighborhood is great for kids. Give them a rundown on some of the best local attractions for kids, or highlight annual events geared toward families.

The same basic idea applies to any real estate audience that you're aiming to reach. Consider the needs of that type of client, the benefits of the communities where you do business, and the way that those things intersect. It's not just about the cost of a home, or the quality of a school district. It's about the lifestyle that they can expect to enjoy when they live there.

Building Connections Requires More Than Branding

Especially for individual agents, one of the easiest mistakes to make with digital marketing is to only focus on what you can do. In competitive markets, your audience is likely to receive marketing materials from multiple agents, each one highlighting statistics about the successes of that agent. While this can certainly be useful information, it's shared so commonly that none of the ads really set themselves apart.

One way to stand out and be more memorable, especially with social media marketing, is to share a little bit more about the person behind the image of the agent. Do you love cats, long walks at local parks, spending time with your kids, or volunteering at a local non-profit? Do you have special experiences in the markets where you do business or a unique perspective from living in many different places? All of these things can help you stick in the memories of your audience in a way that statistics or generic marketing statements can't match.

It's Time to Make Your Marketing Work for You

Your marketing can do so much for your brand, but it works best when you invest conscious effort into making sure that it says exactly what you want it to say about you. Remember, too, that where your marketing is seen plays a role in what it says. If you want to appeal to a modern real estate audience, then it's critical to invest in modern marketing tools and tactics.

Generational marketing is more important to real estate agents than ever.

In generational marketing, you segment and focus your marketing based on techniques and messaging relevant to an age group. For instance, Baby Boomers often respond to mailers, but Millennials require a technology-forward approach.

There are four generations in today's housing market, each with its own concerns and challenges. Generational marketing crafts customer touch-points to improve their experience and meets them where they are in terms of their unique expectations.

Let's take a closer look at the generations and how they differ.

Understanding the Different Generations in Today's Marketing Environment

Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers are aged between 57 and 75 years old today. They are the generation that built many of America's modern institutions, benefiting from the post-World War II boom and an environment where many of the country's main competitors were focused on recovering from conflict.

From a marketing perspective, Baby Boomers require a personal touch. They are not as comfortable with digital marketing, but "guerilla marketing" tactics still work well for them. Many will buy their last home in the coming years, though an increasingly large portion has already done so.

Generation X

Aged 42 to 57 today, Generation X was once known as "the MTV Generation." Most came of age in the "me first" environment of the 1980s, representing a break from their parents' views. Many are now in the prime of their careers, with high disposable income paired with an eye toward retirement.

Over the years, Generation X has tended to prioritize saving over spending, but that doesn't make them spendthrifts. You can reach Generation X with a variety of tactics. Email and social media are mainstays, but traditional mailers and brochures can still be effective.

Millennials

Aged 26 to 41, Millennials are currently the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. The eldest of this cohort were among the last people to grow up without the internet. Since their teen and college years, "always on" connectivity has become ubiquitous through a panoply of mobile devices.

Living through multiple economic meltdowns, Millennials have usually been wary of large financial institutions and the idea of a home as an asset. That said, they are buying in greater numbers than before. They will make up the majority of both buyers and sellers for the foreseeable future.

Millennials focus more than others on doing their own research online long before they reach out to a real estate agent. As such, they demand an omnichannel digital marketing experience that meets their needs all through the buyer journey. Email marketing is essential to building a relationship with them.

Generation Z

Believe it or not, Generation Z is already making its mark in the housing market. If younger Millennials were the first "digital natives," then Generation Z makes up the first "mobile natives," some of whom had their first iPad or other tablet computer as early as kindergarten.

This naturally shapes the Generation Z predisposition toward digital marketing. With the oldest now 25, fresh waves of Gen Z college graduates will be coming each year. They will be starting careers and even families. In general, they have a very high opinion of the value of a home as an asset.

Many in Generation Z are sanguine about buying a home and even wish to do it before they turn 30. One striking aspect of the recent seller's market is the unexpectedly robust activity of Generation Z. From a marketing viewpoint, they are much like Millennials, seeking authenticity and alignment with their values.

Building a Generational Marketing Strategy that Works

• Determine the Generational Focus of Your Ideal Customers
  Generation goes hand in hand with life stage. You no doubt already have a general idea of your usual customer's generation: First-time homebuyers have very different needs than Empty Nesters, after all. A generational profile gives you a strong idea about what kinds of problems customers need to solve.
  
  
• Adjust Your Marketing Mix Appropriately
  Older customers usually respond well to mailers, brochures, and face-to-face events. If you are working with Baby Boomers or Generation X, make certain your marketing reflects that. Since they also tend to enjoy voice calls more than younger customers, ensure it is easy to contact you by phone, too.
  
  
• Use Automation for Consistent, Value-Added Activity
  Aside from Baby Boomers, virtually all your prospective customers respond well to social media and email marketing. Email marketing in particular is essential to building a long-term relationship with prospects who may take weeks or months to enter the market after their first contact with you.

Generational marketing may sound complex, but it is worthwhile, even if you work with many different categories of customers. Contact us today to discover how marketing automation can save thousands of hours of work while giving you compelling, helpful, and effective generational marketing.

Successful real estate agents build trust as experts in their local area. To attract the right customers to your practice, your marketing needs to make a human connection before you meet for the first time.

That may seem like a challenge — and it does take some getting used to — but it is the key to lasting real estate success. When you master it, you make the shift from "chasing down leads" to enjoying a steady flow of lead generation through your marketing.

Many real estate agents and brokers find marketing a challenge.

There are three big difficulties real estate pros can have with marketing:

• They find it hard to summon up the confidence to be the answer to their clients' problems.
• They are worried about appearing "pushy" or insincere in their networking and meetings.
• They don't quite know how their current skills translate to today's digital marketing realities.

These are understandable worries to have. Often, an agent or broker never says, "I don't want to do marketing and won't do it." Instead, they find other priorities to occupy their day. Weeks and even months go by without ever getting around to those marketing tasks they find intimidating.

Getting through this starts with busting a big myth about real estate marketing.

Your marketing CAN be approachable — and it can reflect your values and personality.

Step into the Age of Real Estate Digital Marketing

Real estate thrives on relationships. Throughout those relationships, there'll be plenty of times when you need to influence the other person to take the right step – whether that means signing up as a customer or doing what they need to do to move their transaction forward.

Nobody wants to be "that guy," the pushy salesman only out to make a sale.

Luckily, you don't have to be. There's been a big pivot in marketing — not only in real estate but in many other spheres — to make it more friendly and accommodating to the potential customer. It starts with sincere respect for the other person's time, attention, and intelligence.

It wasn't long ago when businesses of all kinds were making hundreds of calls a day to look for potential clients. Those days are over. Customers now have all the information they need at their fingertips, and they're less likely to take unsolicited calls.

As a result, real estate experts are shifting their focus to digital marketing.

The heart of good digital marketing is to solve problems and respond to questions your ideal customer already has. Marketing technology doesn't replace the human element but enhances it, ensuring you can consistently deliver valuable communications to clients and leads based on their own interests.

That fosters the all-important trust that enables leads to become customers. And only digital marketing ensures you're there every step of the way, even if takes weeks or months for the customer to dive in.

Let's look at some great ways to make your marketing more humane and approachable:

• Use Instant Messaging
  Seconds count when a prospect contacts you for the first time. Today's digital natives are increasingly comfortable with instant messaging, which sends a message directly from your website to your phone using an app like Facebook. Responsiveness can make the difference!
  
  
• Follow Up for Reviews
  "Following up" is the name of the game in real estate, but it doesn't stop when someone becomes a customer. You can already tell who's pleased with your services — translate that into something more tangible by directly asking for a review on Facebook, Yelp, or Google.
  
  
• Share Visual Content with Instagram
  Instagram is the most popular social media platform for real estate agents because it is built from the ground up for visual content. This is a terrific way to share breathtaking real estate photography. Many Instagram users look at it for inspiration for months before they finally decide to enter the market.
  
  
• Implement a Chatbot on Your Website
  You can't be at your desk 24 hours a day, and you probably don't have a big help desk staff to do it for you. An AI chatbot is the next best thing. It makes your website interactive by empowering visitors to ask questions in "natural language," which the bot then responds to with the appropriate content.
  
  
• Stay in Touch with Email Marketing
  Email marketing is more personal and intimate, giving all your communications a "one on one" flair no matter how many people you're talking to. This keeps you top of mind as buyers and sellers alike weigh their options. You can easily share new listings and content, too. DeltaNET®6 ties together your email, blog, and other marketing so that they can be managed in just a few clicks.

Contact us to learn more about digital marketing in real estate.

Marketing is often a challenge for real estate agents. It's notoriously difficult to be an impartial judge of your own marketing. That's true not only here in real estate but in virtually all industries. It's a problem faced by companies of all sizes, from solo entrepreneurs to Fortune 50 enterprises.

The crux of the matter is that marketing is subjective. You can develop a blog post, a video, or even ads that excite you, but have you stepped into the customer's shoes? Sometimes, even the best efforts can go awry. And that may lead to missing out on the value of a substantial part of your marketing budget.

Luckily, digital marketing can make the whole matter much easier to deal with.

There'll always be an element of "art" to marketing, but digital marketing is more scientific than ever. That's science in the literal sense: You make a prediction, test it, and gather data. There's more data available about the bottom-line impact of your marketing now than there has ever been before.

That has two powerful effects on marketing strategy:

• You no longer have to "guess" what works, as you'll receive data within just a few days
• You can continuously improve your marketing by focusing on what has proven results

Using Technology to Your Advantage in Real Estate Marketing

Real estate changed more than virtually any other industry at the outset of the pandemic. Professionals from all across the nation had to work together to develop new ways of thinking about and doing their work. It was crucial to protect both their customers and themselves.

At the same time, the way buyers and sellers approach transactions have also changed forever.

It was once unthinkable for someone to buy a home without setting foot in it. Now, these transactions take place routinely, especially when someone is planning a big move from out of state. A fast-growing population of younger buyers and sellers means more people are managing their home search online.

That has huge ramifications for your marketing.

Many of the trends unleashed by the pandemic will never be reversed. Instead, agents and brokers will be expected to adapt and incorporate new technologies in new ways. Technology is a key driver of your marketing success since you can see its results almost right away. By comparison, ad placements and conventional local media often provide no insight into whether or not you're getting ROI.

Let's look at some concrete ways you can boost your marketing results:

• Balance Open Houses with Virtual Tours
  In the "before times," open houses had the potential to surface several qualified buyers for each event. Open houses are returning as an important part of your marketing mix, but virtual tours are sought by nearly every buyer. Also known as "3D walkthroughs," these tours typically use a panorama of photos to create a robust digital experience. Buyers thousands of miles away can now see a home up close.
  
  
• Capture Data from Listings, CRM, and Website
  Each digital platform offers its own "analytics data" you can use to understand how people find you and what they do once they have. For example, the average amount of time people spend on a listing grants clues about which ones are most effective. By gathering and consulting your data regularly, you can be certain you're spending your marketing time and resources on the things that truly resonate.
  
  
• Automate Digital Marketing for Better Consistency
  To be successful, digital marketing needs to be consistent. Yet, manually setting up and managing an email marketing list, your social media feed, and more can take hours. Reliable, AI-driven solutions, including DeltaNET®6, can make the process easier. For instance, hands-free social media updates can be issued to your feed several times a day based on changes in listings.
  
  
• Keep Your Real Estate Website Up to Date
  Your real estate website is a powerful "digital-first impression" where most of your future customers meet you. Before they reach out, they're likely to check out everything on your site, so make it worthwhile. That means helpful, informative content that empowers them to solve problems and resolve questions. In today's smartphone-driven culture, it also means a responsive layout that's great for mobile users.
  
  
• Create a Seamless "First Contact" Experience
  Once you've signed an agreement with a customer, it's crucial to set the right boundaries. No answering calls at two in the morning! If a website visitor reaches out, however, seconds count. You have the best odds of getting a new customer if you respond within five minutes. Make sure it's easy to contact you, providing options for phone, email, social media, and even texting for real estate.

Contact us to find out more about digital marketing today. We look forward to helping you soon.

The National Association of REALTORS® reports that 75 percent of buyers say that they would recommend their agent to others. But even though they may have been very happy with the service you provided, their willingness to refer often fades as they move from buying a home into the next phase of their life. That's why it's so important to maintain that connection with past clients over time. Here are some tips to help you maintain relationships with past clients using real estate technology and generate reliable sources of new business in the process.

Staying Connected Starts with Your Real Estate CRM

The right real estate CRM isn't just a great option for generating and nurturing leads. It also provides valuable resources and tools for staying in touch with past clients. All of the information you gather over time can provide insights that make it easier to stay in touch with clients in a personalized way and give them reasons to refer you to others. Your CRM is also where you should find automated tools for staying connected and keeping past clients informed.

Keep Past Clients Informed with Email Newsletters and Content

Few tools are better than email for connecting with past clients. It's something that your clients check multiple times a day, it's unobtrusive, it can be automated, and it's an easy way for you to reach out at any time. There are so many different types of content that you can send via email, whether you're keeping past clients informed or simply finding excuses to say "hello."

For a client who has just purchased a home, you can send content that can help them transition to their new neighborhood and advice that helps them make the most of their new home. Home improvement tips and recommendations for local service providers can help them enjoy their new home. Neighborhood guides, advice on local attractions, schedules for local events, and information on the latest neighborhood happenings can all help them build deeper connections with their community.

By having a plan in advance for how you want to keep in touch with different types of clients, you can automate much of the email outreach process through your real estate CRM. On occasions where automation isn't the perfect fit, email templates make it simple to send personalized, meaningful messages.

Remember Their Special Days

Whether it's a client's birthday, kid's birthday, graduation, anniversary, or "house-aversary," remembering the special days of your clients goes a long way toward maintaining trust and showing them that you care. Your real estate CRM should provide tools for sending customized eCards and flyers, which you can use to celebrate any occasion. Of course, your CRM should also be where information on those special days is stored in the first place, so that you always have an easy way to remember the days that matter most to your clients.

Use Social Media to Build and Maintain Relationships

Social media isn't just for blasting out the latest info on all of your best new listings. It's also a great tool for staying connected with past clients and reminding them why you're the right choice when they're referring an agent to others. As you get to know a client, always look for common ground and keep a record of those commonalities in your CRM. Anything that can provide a starting point for conversation is valuable, whether it's a shared love of a local sports team, involvement in a community organization, or shared excitement about an annual local event. Investing some time each week in staying connected with past clients through social media goes a long way toward earning their referrals.

Remember That a Personal Touch Goes a Long Way

While technology is the main tool for staying in touch with past clients, sometimes a good, old-fashioned personal touch can make a big difference. A hand-written note certainly stands out in this digital age and shows that you have invested time in reaching out to a past client. A small, personalized gift can also be a great reminder for past clients, as long as it fits within ethical guidelines.

Connecting with Past Clients Is Easier with the Right Tools

Staying connected with past clients is important, but that doesn't mean that it has to take too much time from your busy day. The right real estate all-in-one solution, like DeltaNET®6, makes it easy to automate key marketing tasks, keep past clients informed, and remind them why you're the right choice for their (or their friends'!) real estate needs in the future. Mix in modern technology with old-fashioned touches like the occasional hand-written note, and you have a recipe for staying top-of-mind with all of your past clients.

Let's face it — not everyone loves marketing!

If you're someone who'd rather spend time on other priorities, the idea that you need to "do a little bit of everything" to find what works for you might be demoralizing. Even those who enjoy marketing can get worn down every now and again.

Luckily, you can achieve more by doing less.

The idea you need to put your brand everywhere and anywhere to succeed is based on a misunderstanding. In other industries, it may take anywhere from eight to 15 mentions of a brand for a prospective customer to even remember what it is. Real estate is different.

If you are marketing where your ideal customers are found, they don't need to see you fifteen times. On the contrary, they may reach out the first time they hear about you — assuming they're interested in getting into the market.

No matter how great your marketing is, you can't get someone to buy or sell a home unless they are committed. So, there's no need to plaster your name all over town. Instead, zoom in on the most targeted and effective approaches for you.

Streamlining is the path to a real return on investment — and that's what marketing is all about.

Here's how to make it happen:

• Start by Understanding Your Ideal Customer
  Which customers do you most enjoy working with? Who energizes you... and helps you move toward your business goals? All marketing materials are written for someone, so be sure you pinpoint precisely who you want to appeal to. What are their biggest problems? Why are you the perfect fit to help them?
  
  
• Make Open Houses a Cornerstone of Marketing
  Open houses have been through a lot in the COVID years, but they remain one of the most powerful ways to connect with qualified buyers quickly. To extend your reach and improve safety all around, a tool like Properties in Motion helps you use video storytelling for your virtual open houses.
  
  
• Host a Free Housewarming Party
  If old-fashioned business networking makes your skin crawl, tune into this idea: A housewarming party for your newly closed homeowners. This will not only ensure they remember your name for years to come — it also gives you the opportunity to meet and greet with their friends and family who may become clients.
  
  
• Take the Busy Work Out of Digital Marketing
  The vast majority of your future customers will find you online, so digital marketing is an indispensable part of your mix. Help your digital marketing strategy bear fruit with less time wasted by using social media automation to send event-based updates to your followers ... just click and "done."
  
  
• Make It Easier to Monitor Your Relationships
  It can be tough to figure out everyone you know — contacts, leads, and current customers – and what they're all doing at a given moment. A dedicated real estate CRM can use artificial intelligence and machine learning to maintain total visibility and follow up at just the right moment.
  
  
• Understand Your Priorities for Each Day
  Not everyone flourishes when they try to plan their day down to the minute. Still, you can get most of the benefits of scheduling by defining your priorities for the next day every evening. Once you know what is most important, always try to put it first. Focused blocks of uninterrupted work make it easier.
  
  
• Keep Track of Your Marketing Results
  Free data analytics tools such as Google Analytics can clarify which digital platforms are yielding results — including your social media, real estate website, and content you've published on other forums. This data further empowers your CRM so you spend less time on what's not working for you.
  
  
• Build Extra Time into Your Schedule
  Real estate has a reputation for top producers working day and night. Now, however, we know this is a recipe for burnout. "Work-life balance" is the new watchword. That means leaving time in your schedule for when things, including marketing events, run long – and giving yourself plenty of time to rest, too.
  
  
• Follow Up with Satisfied Customers
  Even when they have a satisfying experience, most people don't end up returning to the same real estate agent in the future. The bottom line? They simply forget. Stay in touch with your satisfied customers and ask for referral business — it's the fastest and least expensive customer acquisition.
  
  
• Have a Single, Overarching Goal for Each Quarter
  In the world of marketing, a month often isn't enough to know whether a tactic is working. You need a few months of data to compare outcomes over time. With this in mind, define a core marketing goal for each quarter, then break it down into weekly action steps and monthly check-ins.

Contact us today to discover easier, more effective marketing through automation.

Over the last few years, consumer preferences across all industries have been changing. These days, customers want to have the opportunity to do their own research online and figure out what they need to know before they ever speak to a sales professional.

With the vast amount of information available to them, the whole buyer journey can be enacted online:

• Awareness: The customer is aware they have a problem and needs to learn more about it
• Consideration: The customer develops a shortlist of potential solutions to the problem
• Decision: The customer compares the possible options and selects the best one for them

In the online era, just about any purchase can fit into this framework. Only the simplest buys — like "fast-moving consumer goods" — don't go through these three steps. Any time someone needs the help of a specialized expert, such as a real estate agent, you can be sure this is the process they follow.

At first, this can seem like a real downer for real estate agents.

You can't be sure when or where someone will first encounter your brand, or what other alternatives they might be reviewing at the same time. Prospects control the tempo of the relationship, and it's up to them whether or not they make themselves known to you and become leads.

So, exactly what can you do?

The key is inbound marketing — an all-new way to make marketing faster and more effective.

Inbound Versus Outbound Marketing for Real Estate Agents

Inbound marketing refers to any form of digital marketing that draws qualified leads to your website and helps them through the process of becoming customers. Because inbound techniques are connected to your digital properties, they can work for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Most inbound marketing techniques are involved in raising your online visibility. By ensuring you can be discovered online through relevant online searches, it becomes much easier for prospects to find their way to your real estate website. From there, you simply need to be set up to convert that traffic into business.

The core philosophy behind inbound marketing is the idea of respect for the customer's time. No one wants to have their day interrupted so they can be steered into a conversation they're not interested in having. Such interruptive methods are known collectively as outbound marketing.

For real estate agents, outbound marketing continues to hold some potential. Although most people are not amenable to a cold call from a real estate agent, for example, there is nothing wrong with attending a networking party or sponsoring a charitable event in the community where you may meet clients.

That said, inbound marketing does the majority of the work.

Some 98% of the people you meet on a given day will not be ready to jump into the market, either as a buyer or seller. Outbound marketing relies on the idea that they will remember you in the future some way, somehow. Inbound marketing caters to future clients at the very moment they need you.

Because they are interested in what you have to say at that moment, they may act quickly.

Even so, it is a wise idea to have real estate email marketing in place. Email is an inbound technique that allows you to cultivate a relationship over weeks and even months. As long as you continue to add value, you will position yourself as a trusted advisor who could be chosen over any other local agent.

The Secret Key to Inbound Marketing for Real Estate

Inbound marketing pivots on the concept of publishing helpful, informative online content that aligns with the needs of your ideal clients. Regular publishing gets the attention of search engines, and more information amplified through social media marketing will bring ready leads into your funnel.

Blogging, email, and social media are all functions that can be planned in advance and accelerated with the right real estate CRM. DeltaNET®6 incorporates all of these features and many more into an "all in one" AI-driven center of excellence for your entire marketing operation.

You can automatically share event-based updates for all of your listings, generate high-quality virtual tours, and launch and monitor local showings all in just a few clicks. With a wide variety of templates and presets, you save thousands of hours a year without sacrificing the quality you want.

Once inbound marketing has been properly set up, it continues to yield dividends throughout the whole life of your business. The sooner you begin, the sooner you'll see competitive advantages others can't reproduce. When you use DeltaNET®6, you can get off to a running start in a matter of just a few days rather than weeks or months.

Contact us today to discover more about inbound marketing.

It's easy to feel a little bit overwhelmed when you look at all of the marketing options for real estate agents, but becoming a marketing whiz is easier than you might think. All it takes is the integration of the right tools, the right tactics, and a dash of customization to make your marketing fit with your unique brand. There are even tools to automate some of the most important marketing tasks and free up more time without compromising on results. Get started with these tips to help you maximize your real estate marketing.

How to Use Social Media for Real Estate Marketing

Creating an active real estate social media presence is an excellent way to develop trust, share your expertise, connect with clients, and build valuable relationships. Social media is the perfect place to reach your target audience where they already work, play, and research businesses.

• Share Your Latest Real Estate Content, Listings, and More
  Every social media website is designed for sharing, whether you're blasting out your latest blog post on Facebook, sharing your most stunning listing photos on Instagram, or sharing relevant, timely home improvement tips on Pinterest. Integrate your social accounts with your real estate website to ensure that your audience can always easily find your latest content.
  
  
• Drive Traffic to Your Real Estate Website with Ads, Content, and Conversation
  All of that sharing isn't just for show. By sharing content, creating conversations, and using targeted, pay-per-click advertising, you can consistently drive more traffic to your real estate website. More traffic to your website ultimately means more leads, and a strong social presence helps ensure that the quality of those leads is high.
  
  
• Build Your Reputation While You Build Relationships
  Of course, social media is about more than just great content and smart advertising. It's also a natural place for building connections by answering questions, getting involved in the conversations that your content creates, and showing people first-hand why you're the right choice for their real estate needs. Engagement on social media is a must because it boosts your marketing in so many different ways.

Turn Your Email Marketing into a Valuable Asset

Email marketing is one of the best ways to keep in touch with clients, get them the latest real estate news, and nurture leads until they become clients. Automated email marketing tools make it easier than ever to stay top of mind with clients.

• Make Life Easier with AI-Driven Email Newsletters
  When a client is buying or selling a home, they're typically very focused on the process. AI-driven newsletters make it easy to keep them up to date on all of the latest happenings in their market, update them on real estate trends, and help them make informed decisions. Send relevant, high-quality emails to large groups of clients without taking much time from your busy day.
  
  
• Automated Drip Campaigns for Easy, Reliable Marketing
  Automated drip email campaigns are great for keeping in touch with clients over the long term, and nurturing leads. Provide all of the key information they need at just the right time. Get all of the benefits of robust email marketing, with an automated process that makes your life easier.
  
  
• Customizable Templates for Dependable Results
  Some email marketing can be automated, but sometimes you will want to send customized messages, as well. Using customizable templates is a great way to cut down on the time it takes to send custom emails and get the right information in front of your clients when they need it.

Creating Content for Your Real Estate Business

Whether you're sending bulk emails, creating your real estate blog, or developing content that's ideal for sharing on social media, your real estate content is at the heart of your marketing efforts. Creative, innovative content makes it easy to share your expertise, highlight the markets where you sell homes, and provide valuable information to your clients.

You can invest time in creating your own unique content, take advantage of our custom content creation, or try a mix of both. And it's not just about the written word! Video content is more popular than ever because it's convenient for clients and the tools to create it are more widely available than ever before. Experiment with creating different types of content and discover what works best for your real estate business.

Ready to take your marketing to the next level? With so many people shopping for homes and searching for real estate agents online, now is the perfect time. Whether you're brand new to real estate marketing or an experienced pro looking to expand your reach, our team at Delta Media Group has the tools and expertise to help your business thrive.

Social media marketing is one of the most reliable, effective ways to drive traffic to your listings, profile, and real estate website, but growing your social presence organically takes time. While it's still well worth investing some time into growing your presence organically, we're guessing that you don't want to wait around to start reaping the benefits of social media marketing.

So why not up your marketing game, and get the best of both worlds? With the right targeted social media advertising, you can grow your presence more quickly, reach more people from your target demographics, and set yourself up for long-term social media success.

Why Social Media Marketing Is So Powerful for Promoting Your Real Estate Business

Social media is already a place where your potential clients work, play, and consume content on the topics that matter most to them. Whether they're looking for a dependable real estate agent who can help them accomplish their goals or simply searching for homes in the markets where you do business, you want them to find your name first. And when they find you on their favorite social site, you want to build trust with a social presence that shows them exactly why you're the right choice for their real estate needs.

Social media integration is also a natural way to boost traffic and engagement for your profile, listings, and real estate website. On top of that, the social proof – like reviews and testimonials – that you generate by providing great service to current clients is one of your best assets for attracting new clients. Add it all up, and it's easy to see why it's so worthwhile to invest in building a strong presence on social media.

The Benefits of Paid Advertising on Social Media

Ultimately, any investment you make into your social media presence is going toward the generation of new business and the growth of your customer base. With paid advertising on the most popular social sites like Facebook and Instagram, you have so much more control over who you reach and how you reach them. Organic growth takes time and there is such intense competition for attention on social media. That's why it's important to take advantage of the additional tools available, like paid advertising, to help you achieve your social media goals as efficiently and effectively as possible while maximizing the reach of your social presence.

How Delta's Ad Wizard Can Help Your Social Presence Thrive

Now, after hearing all about the benefits of paid social media advertising, you may be wondering... how exactly to I develop a powerful social media ad campaign that reaches the right people? Our Ad Wizard™, which you can find in the DeltaNet, makes it fast and easy to create social ad campaigns by providing all of the tools that you need in one convenient package.

• Easily Manage Ad Campaigns
  Rely on an intuitive, easy-to-use interface to manage your ad campaigns, track your budget, and analyze results. Save time by managing all of your marketing in one place within the DeltaNet, getting your ad campaigns up and running with a few clicks, and not having to worry about learning a new interface for each social site.

• Customize Ads to Suit Your Brand
  You want your ads to stand out for the right reasons and to fit within your overall marketing plan for your brand. Ad Wizard™ allows you to customize your layout for each ad, upload photos, use images from an extensive stock library, and choose from a variety of templates to create just the right advertisement.

• Access the Most Important Ad Types for Your Brand
  Diversify your campaigns and target each ad to reach the right prospects by choosing from various ad types that can be customized to fit your needs. Ad Wizard™ offers ad types like Just Listed, What's Your Home Worth, Open Houses, Branded Ads, and many more. Easily plan campaigns to reach buyers, sellers, or specific demographics.

• Track Campaigns to Easily Analyze Results
  Keep track of your results with automated reports that you can easily access within DeltaNet, and use what you learn to help you plan future ad campaigns to maximize your ROI.

With the right tools and the right plan, it's easier than ever before to grow your real estate business with social media marketing. And your social media advertising is about so much more than helping you accomplish important, short-term goals. In the long run, a robust, engaging social presence can help you generate new business, earn referrals, drive website traffic, build trust, and grow your brand in the places where it matters most. All it takes to get started is a few clicks and the right tools for the job.