I’m sure, for years, you remember hearing “social media is the future.” And back then, that was true. But now that we’ve had plenty of time to get to know the apps, the future is now, so if you still haven’t mastered using social media in your field, it’s time to start taking a look at some best practices and how you can apply them to your everyday workflow.

Let’s take a look at five things every real estate agent should be doing on social media right now.

1. Customer testimonials

The same way you strive to rack up those positive reviews on your own website, blogs and even public sites like Zillow, you should want to showcase the great things previous customers have to say about working with you. 

According to Agentimage.com, testimonials fall under the concept of “social proof,” which basically means people are more likely to do something if they see that others, who they believe are more informed than them, are already doing. And testimonials are apparently a type of social proof that resonate well with real estate clients. They’re also an easy way for a potential client to picture what it’s like doing business with you. It’s just like word of mouth advertising, but amplified because testimonials are available for all to see online. 

So if you get those positive reviews, try turning them into images – because photos are also a must! – with easy-to-digest text and get to sharing them on your social platforms, like this:

2. Share closings

Much like testimonials, this shows that you get work done. But by sharing images of your closings on your social media, it gives followers a chance to see exactly what kind of work you get done. 

Think about it: You’re someone who’s been contemplating selling your home for awhile now but you just haven’t found the right realtor to market your home just yet. You’re scrolling through your Instagram feed and see images of a home that compares to yours, where it’s located and the closing price. You think to yourself, “Wow, this person really followed through to get their client the best possible deal they could. I’d love to work with them.” 

That’s what can happen when you share some of your work on social media. Again, photos with bullet point-style details in the caption make it easy for followers to digest while leisurely scrolling their feeds.

3. Share more about yourself

One thing that’s really neat about social media, is that it’s broken down the wall between real estate agents and their clients. Many clients are able to keep up with their agents and the work they’re doing long after they close the deal by following them on social media, but they’re also able to keep up with their personal lives, depending on how much you’re willing to share. 

People are people, and as creatures who are constantly searching for human connection – just like we all are – they love to feel they have a personal connection, or a way to relate, to others. Of course, you are a reflection of your brand on social media, so you should always keep your posts professional online. But it’s totally fine – and encouraged actually – to let your clients know a little more about what makes you, you. 

Perhaps you can share one detail about yourself weekly: your Starbucks order, a family vacation, photos of your pet, a new hobby, etc. Any way clients or potential clients can find a way to make a personal connection with you can help you in the long run. 

You can also try posting about places you’ve visited and loved in the community, since you are supposed to be an expert on the area after all! And when you do post about places, tag your location so your posts show up on more feeds of people who are searching about that area online. 

Safety tip: Share about places you’ve been once you’re no longer there to avoid any unwanted encounters. Over-sharing is a possibility. We want you to build your brand in the safest way possible.

4. Don’t just brag about successes, find ways to engage with people

This tip is much like the last one, but let’s take it up a notch. You’ve already found ways to share more about yourself because it’s important not to spend all your time online bragging about your successes, though an impressive track record is important. You want to post details that allow people to make a personal connection with you. But beyond that, you really want to engage with your followers. 

If someone has chosen to follow you on social media, they obviously took interest in your content. But how can you hold on to them? How can you keep earning that spot on their news feed? By engaging with them. 

As much as people love to hear from you, they also love to be heard. Instead of just posting about your favorite drink at Starbucks, try asking your followers what their favorite drink is, and what you should try ordering next. And if you do happen to order one of their suggestions, post about that, too! Engagement is everything. 

In the real estate world, another example of this might look like posting about home trends or decor ideas, like plants. Post about how you use plants to intentionally fill space in your home, then ask others their favorite plant at home, and for suggestions on which ones you should add to your collection next. An example of a post inviting others to engage with you can be found here.

5. Video, video, video

And we’ll say it once more because we can’t stress it enough: video. If you spend any time on social media apps at all, you should know video has taken over. And that goes for the marketing world, too. Don’t believe us? Let’s take a look at some of the data collected from Wyzowl Research and broken down in a recent Hubspot article:

• 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, holding steady from last year.
• 92% of marketers who use video say that it's an important part of their marketing strategy.
• 87% of video marketers reported that video gives them a positive return on investment.

The numbers go on and on to back up why you should be using video on social media, including that, according to the Hubspot blog, 81% of marketers feel that video has a direct, positive impact on sales. With that being said, what are you waiting for?

Check out our highest viewed video, a tour of Downtown Leesburg. This baby has been viewed over 10,000 times on YouTube alone!

Video is also useful in so many other ways, including the fact that it gives marketers the chance to grab users’ attention right away – if done correctly, of course. It also offers marketers valuable data about who is consuming their content, from where and for how long, among other details. As a marketer, you should want to take advantage of any chance to get to better know your audience, and video offers just that. On the other hand, it also offers a unique way for your audience to get to know you beyond just photos and text.

Pro tips: Try experimenting with different kinds of video. Live videos are a great way to drive audience engagement – there’s that word again! And you can do some additional research to find out peak times to host a video for maximum engagement. And speaking of experimenting with different things, try out different social media platforms, but know that not all content will perform the same on every platform. Use your metrics from videos you post to determine what type will do best on which platforms.

Short, digestible videos that run on loops, much like the content you see on TikTok, can be a great way to showcase some of the work you’ve done. And if packaged right, those videos are very shareable. When shared, your content ends up on more and more feeds, which is the goal, right? 

Finally, don’t let your videos run too long. According to Vimeo.com, a video hosting and sharing site, the optimal video length for Facebook is 15 seconds to 3+ minutes. Instagram grid videos should run 60 seconds or less. If your videos run too long, you may lose your followers’ attention and turn them off to future content, so try to find that sweet spot when it comes to timing.

Social media is a must

If we haven’t made it clear by now, we’ll just come right out and say it: Social media is a must these days. It’s one of the best ways to brand and market yourself as an agent and interact with clients in ways other than just trying to make the sale. And as we just discussed, there are social media dos and don’ts, so take what you’ve learned today and see what works best for you and your brand.

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