Although it varies from region to region, the current real estate market heavily favors buyers. Sellers are disgruntled by the prospect of possibly selling for a lesser profit, or at a loss entirely, while real estate agents struggle with an abundance of inventory, increased competition, and choosier buyers. The upcoming presidential election has created a climate of political uncertainty, which has exacerbated the existing market slowdown. When buyers have their pick of the litter, real estate agents have to pull out all the stops to close sales. We’re seeing realtors getting creative with their marketing strategies. As digital marketing is a dynamic, ever-changing field, savvy real estate agents are exploring the possibilities for their industry, trying new things, and taking a few calculated risks to get a leg up on their competitors.
Creative marketing strategies to set you apart from the rest
One way that some high profile realty groups are getting creative is by offering free home valuation tools on their websites, oftentimes on a dedicated landing page. A home valuation tool is simple—the user enters various details about their home, and the tool returns a price estimate, or a possible range of prices, adjusting for current market trends and other criteria. Home valuation tools harness the power of big data and artificial intelligence to give accurate estimates to prospective sellers and empower them to make a better-informed decision about selling their home. It also bolsters your brand and shows that you are well versed in the most cutting edge real estate technological tools.
A home valuation tool is a great example of how, to stand out from the crowd, realtors will provide useful services to prospective customers for free. A more involved creative content marketing strategy can boost your company’s profile in various ways. In-depth, high-production informational videos about your company, and about the real estate at the market at large help you establish yourself as an expert in the field. Other realtors get creative with gamification—for instance, by adding a quiz for prospective buyers to the company website.
Without an inch to give, every real estate agent must build a culture that values strong, efficient communication. Some realtors are going the extra mile and optimizing their communication by incorporating Facebook messenger, chatbots, and automated text messaging into their marketing strategy. In doing so, agents increase their response rates and allow for an intimate level of access to all clientele.
Lastly, as real estate agents face stiff competition, especially in crowded urban metropolitan markets, they are also willing to cover some of the auxiliary costs associated with buying a home, to incentivize buyers to pull the trigger on a purchase. Others will provide additional amenities, like household gadgets, or complimentary moving services.
Don’t forget the fundamentals
Getting creative with your real estate marketing strategy is essential, especially with the current state of the housing market. Incentivizing clients with additional amenities, optimizing how you communicate with them, and providing educational tools and content on your website is just a handful of ways that you can do so. However, it’s important to remember that these creative optimizations will only make a difference if you have a solid marketing foundation in place already. So, before you consider integrating these additional methods into your larger strategy, take the time to make sure that you’re doing all the bread-and-butter stuff first, like ensuring that your landing pages are strong, putting out new content frequently, and optimizing your website for mobile access. Success with these creative ideas depends on it.