Can social media replace my estate agent?
IN THE DIGITAL WORLD THAT WE ALL FIND OURSELVES IN, CAN SOCIAL MEDIA REPLACE MY ESTATE AGENT?
Can social media replace my estate agent?
During lockdown I would find myself scrolling through Facebook and couldn’t help notice that people were attempting to market their property themselves in a bid to save on agent fees. This did not work for a number of reasons; generally the valuations were too optimistic, the photos and video tours were substandard and the platform was not being used to its full potential.
Social media plays a significant role in our lives and platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are vital for growing reach and connecting house sellers and buyers. The industry is adapting to changes in consumer behaviour with 2/3 agents planning to use social media to promote listings and capitalise on the amount of interest prospective buyers and vendors spend in the digital environment.
So how does social media enhance the marketing of your property?
• It helps you reach a wider audience
• Allows the agent to target to a certain demographic e.g. age, postcode, income
• Increases traffic to the listing on the online portal
• Increases the level of click through rates on the online portal
• Leads to better quality enquiries and viewings - saving you time
• Ensures you get the best price for your asset.
What role does each platform play?
• Facebook A share on Facebook will give your property an extra boost, if your friends then share and their friends share then you can reach a potentially infinite audience. Buyers are 6.5 times more likely to trust their peers than traditional advertising; therefore, comments on your post can generate serious interest. Facebook will not just provide property details but also additional insight to the local area, community, neighbours and really give the buyer a feel for what it will be like to live in your home. Sellers can also obtain a lot of information about buyers before meeting them face to face which helps build rapport on viewings.
• Instagram 50% of houses pictured on Instagram attract enquiries, agents using the right hashtags can reach up to 1.8 million users.
• You Tube A good video tour is vital in the current market and increases enquiries by up to 400%. It allows the buyer to virtually walk through your property before booking an actual viewing which means only serious buyers walk through the door.
• Linkedin Allows agents to target commuters for vendors with close proximity to transport links and train stations on the commuter belt.
93% of property searches begin online; but not with social media…….yet! The vast majority of house hunters are still using the major online portals such as Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket. Sandersons UK have an awesome marketing team including a top photographer and videographer to show your property in the best possible light. We will not only produce excellent marketing material but will also upload your property to all of these online portals. In addition to this, we will then post your property on all the social media platforms, using the right hashtags, to ensure you are getting maximum exposure online, targeting the correct audience and giving you the best opportunity to get the most money for your property.