Rocking it In Real Estate! 8 of the Best Advertising Ideas for Realtors

Recently updated on September 29th, 2017 at 07:09 pm

Having written marketing articles for Active Rain for some years now, I can tell you that real estate is a seriously competitive business and to get noticed, you have to work twice as hard at your promotions than the average Joe Realtor. To get ahead of the real estate pack, it’s vital that you try out new real estate advertising ideas and listing concepts to see what works for your customers and what doesn’t. If you’re looking for marketing inspiration, then try out some of these advertising ideas. The only way that you can rock it in the real estate world is if you are bold enough to try new methods and test new strategies.

1. Create a Rockstar Listing Video

Marketing in real estate is a two-way street in which you need to advertise your business while marketing your client’s listings. One of the newest ways to share a listing is via YouTube, Vimeo, and other video outlets. Just five years ago, the listing video was typically a homespun affair with shaky camerawork and amateurish production. But the listing video has dramatically evolved over the last few years to the point where some independent realtor videos rival that of the big Madison Avenue companies.

  

Hollywood Hills from Eric Lavey on Vimeo.

The example above by Beverly Hills agent Eric Lavey shows just how professional some of these videos have gotten! The groovy music and high production values sell a stylish lifestyle as well as selling the home. But if you don’t have the budget for such a Hollywood treatment of your listing, then a lot can be achieved by simply giving thought to the planning and production of your video and creating something that looks clear, professional, and concise. For example, the following video is not a high-budget affair, but has great music, camerawork, and makes the property look very desirable.

In this multimedia age, it’s important to explore every media avenue to connect with clients and customers.

2. Send a Must-Read eNewsletter

When marketing your business, you can’t forget about email, especially if you have a blog, website, social media page, or other online sources to drive traffic to. Email still delivers a huge return on investment when compared to other online marketing strategies and represents one of the best ways to repurpose your listings, blog content, and social media marketing efforts. To get maximum exposure, send a monthly email that covers all your marketing bases. Like in the example below, make it exciting and informative by including interesting articles about the school district, house prices, growth areas, and other related topics.

Original source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/Email-Marketing/8204227

When creating your eNewsletter, write subject lines and headlines that grab the attention of your readers and include plenty of links to your website, blog, social media pages, MLS listings, and other marketing sources.

3. Don’t Forget About Direct Mail

Now get this! Email is good but direct mail offers THE best return on investment of any marketing strategy. This means that every dollar spent on direct mail returns an average of $12.57 in sales. There are so many ways to reach out to clients with just listed, just sold, real estate market reports, and community news. These types of direct mailings are some of the most-used techniques by realtors who want to reach out to the biggest audience possible. And with all the data available today, your direct mailings are more likely to reach the exact demo, geo, and lifestyle targets you require. Plus, there are new budget methods of reaching local clients with USPS’s EDDM mailing service, in which real estate agents on a tight budget can send a blanket promotion to every home and business in a locale.

Original source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/John-Buck-Company-Direct-Mail/2973565

When designing your direct mail, there’s also no reason why you can’t do something clever and eye-catching like the example above. By putting some time, effort, and thought into your mailing pieces, you can start delivering sophisticated and persuasive promotions.

4. Saying Thank You Is Just Good Business

It’s sometimes the little gestures that say the most about you and your business. When dealing with clients it is hugely beneficial for you to spend maybe an hour a month writing and mailing personal notes to clients to ask how they are enjoying the house you sold them 3 months ago, thanking them for their business, or showing your appreciation for their referral. Sending a great-looking thank you card such as the one above that was professionally printed keeps you in the memory and minds of your clients. You’ll be surprised how many referrals and business contacts you can build as a result.

5. Pimp Your Realtor Ride

Real estate agents spend more time in their vehicles than most truck drivers. When you’re out there burning gas, you should consider putting your business details on your car to take advantage of those free advertising moments when you’re looking at a new neighborhood or on the road in your business locale. A window cling or magnetic sign won’t break the bank, and it could get you heaps of new clients. Like in the example above, you don’t have to do anything ostentatious (although big and bold can sometimes work too) but a simple sign that has your name, website, and contact details can make all the difference.

6. If You Have the Talent, Write a Column Take every opportunity to write about your business whether it’s in your own blog, on the Active Rain network or other popular real estate forum, or for the local community newspaper. You might get a regular column out of it if you have the talent. While you probably won’t get paid for it, you will benefit from the exposure and gain the opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise to a captive audience.

7. Roll-the-Dice with Competitions on Social

You should already be using social media for your listings, messages, news, and other communication. What many people overlook is the power of Facebook and Twitter for running competitions and other “sweepstake” style interactions. Competition marketing is particularly fun and effective because it generates a buzz for your listing and creates potential viral campaigns. But more importantly, you get to collect entrants’ emails and build your customer list. Original Source: http://corp.wishpond.com/blog/2013/02/08/5-social-marketing-tactics-how-to-be-a-top-real-estate-agent-in-todays-markets/

People are motivated to enter if they see the reward being worth it. Take the competition above as an example, and you can get a picture of just how tempting you can make these offers. A simple $50 prize to IKEA is great motivation for home buyers who are specifically looking for your services. All contestants have to do to enter is submit their email (you get a truckload of new leads out of the deal.)

8. Give Yourself a Funky, New Image

Real estate branding of the past has been very generic with typical “agent glamour shots” and very ordinary-looking design and promotion. Cool branding is not something that real estate is known for, but things are changing. Just like every other competitive industry, real estate has to adapt to the public’s taste that is becoming more sophisticated and more intuitive to modern and fashionable graphics. Original source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/Real-Estate-Branding-and-UIUX/9853399

The example above by Indian designer Jekin Gala, shows how modern and fashionable a real estate agent rebranding can look. This funky real estate branding is bringing the agent into the new century with a smart new look and using smart new products as promotional giveaways. I’ve said it in blogs before. In an industry where interior style and decoration is so important, you have to create an image that reflects design fashion and style choices.

• For all your direct mail promotions (including both EDDM and traditional direct mail campaigns) , flyers, business cards, window clings, and other promotional items, go to our main page to print cost-effective real estate advertising.