Traditional real estate marketing isnt as effective as it used to be. Personal communication is at a premium, and people are more interested in relationship-building than old-school sales tactics. People want to buy and sell homes through agents they trust; agents who are more than just a face on a postcard.

Real estate marketing has evolvedhave your standard operating procedures kept up?

Its All About Your Location On the Web

Many of the most successful Realtors have websites. Not antiquated sites with lots of dancing animations or computer-generated music that plays as soon as the page loadsreal, interactive websites that make users feel comfortable and provide plenty of real estate information. A site thats connected with the MLS and gives users ample opportunity to connect with you is an absolute must if you want to get in front of potential buyers and sellers who dont know you yet.

Establishing Trust and Subject-Matter Expertise

Building relationships with potential clients is the pinnacle of real estate marketingwe all know that. But how can you do that online? The easiest way is through content marketing, and its easier than it sounds. Blogging about the great features your listings have, new neighborhoods youre working in and about market fluctuations (all things that you already know) can show readers that youre really invested in what you do and that youre the only expert they need to work with.

Social Media: Its Not Just for Old Friends

Facebooking, tweeting, pinning its overwhelming! Why should you subject yourself to keeping up with social media? Because thats where your potential clients are. Highlighting your listings, your blog posts and links to conferences youve recently attended can gain you exposure that spreads like wildfire.

Successful agents need to be visible on social media, but dont stretch yourself too thin. Choose two or three social networks and focus on those; leave the rest alone. The National Association of Realtors has a Pinterest page, which isnt a bad idea if you want to feature photos of recent listings; Facebook is ideal for getting personal with clients and other agents; Twitter is the way to go if you like to keep things short and sweet.

With social media marketing, its best to follow the 4-1-1 rule: for every self-serving post you make, re-post a colleagues post and share four posts that feature real estate-related content that promotes knowledge.

As your marketing strategy evolves, your business will have the exposure it needs to growand thats something we can all get behind. If you'd like more information about the benefits of a real estate career with Benchmark Realty, please fill out the form below.