There’s no magic formula, but there are plenty of simple ways to push yourself forward in the uber-competitive homes market.
As an independent estate agent, you may not have all the bells and whistles of the national chains behind you, but there are still lots of ways to build business for free.
Some concentrated groundwork will establish the basics, that’s the hard bit, but once you have the nuts and bolts in place, it’s down to you to keep the ball rolling and gathering pace. It will take a bit of time, but it’s a case of no pain, no gain, and you’ll reap the rewards.
Blog-busters!
Regular blogging is a relatively simple way to get you and your business out there. A blog needs to be concise and immediately engaging, giving you the scope to turn the spotlight on a variety of relevant topics with the added benefit of a boost in SEO.
Offer an interesting and engaging range of advice and guidance for potential buyers and sellers – market trends, analysis and comparisons, mortgage tips, location facts, a focus on beautiful or noteworthy homes, home-staging tips, your best buying and selling comparisons with case studies from happy customers, property app reviews, busting the estate agent myths, the list is endless. Write blogs packed with reliable, useful, interesting, and shareable content and you won’t just drive traffic to your website, you’ll become the go-to expert and referrals will naturally follow.
Get sociable
Okay, let’s make no bones about it, social media takes time and effort but it’s essential, and the rewards are great, enhancing your reputation and promoting loyalty to your brand. Formulate an effective social media strategy and commit to it, posting relevant and useful content regularly. It will keep you at the top of people’s minds so that when they’re looking to buy or sell their homes, you are the first person they turn to.
There are several different platforms you should consider focusing on, such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But you don’t have to do all of them at once – you can branch out as your confidence grows. If you need a leg-up, consider investing in a social media training course. There are loads of online courses, or you can opt to go one-to-one with a trainer who can identify your specific needs and formulate a targeted strategy. Maybe mention using a social media management platform such as hootsuite.
It’s true there’s a lot goes into social media, such as posting at the appropriate time and regularly, ensuring your content is relevant and engaging, and responding to messages. Remember, this is key to your marketing and, frankly, it’s worth the effort.
Get on the move with video
With more than 70% of sellers preferring to instruct an agent who uses video, this is an important aspect of your marketing.
Independent agents relying on their smartphones can use them to capture useful, engaging video – property trailers, case studies and testimonials, ‘meet the agent’ videos, question and answer sessions, and webinar tutorials. As your confidence and skills increases, you’ll find yourself coming up with loads more useful ways to use video to boost your business.
