7 Best Real Estate Marketing Ideas To Attract New Prospects And Scale Revenue

Akshay Chakrapani -

The Real estate industry is one of the globally-rated markets in the world, offering both challenges and lucrative opportunities. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 86% of buyers recently purchased their homes through a real estate agent or broker. 

Interestingly, 71% of buyers interviewed only one real estate agent during their home search, emphasizing the need to build awareness and connect with potential clients swiftly.

In this guide, we’ll explore unique real estate marketing ideas that top agents use to promote their businesses. Moreover, we’ll share some insightful case studies that have utilized these ideas and tested them. 

7 Unique real estate marketing ideas

Now that we understand the importance of marketing in the real estate industry and the shift toward digital marketing. Let's explore some unique realtor marketing ideas to help you stand out from the competition:

1. Use social media 

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer excellent opportunities for real estate professionals to connect with potential clients and showcase their listings. Here are some tips for utilizing social media for real estate marketing:

  • Create engaging and visually appealing content: Share high-quality photos and videos of your listings to attract attention and generate interest.
  • Use social media advertising: Take advantage of the targeting capabilities of social media platforms to reach your ideal audience. Set up targeted ad campaigns to reach potential buyers or sellers in specific locations or with specific interests.
  • Engage with your audience: Respond to comments, answer questions, and engage with your followers to build relationships and establish trust.

2. Host interactive virtual tours

Virtual tours are becoming trendier by the minute. Realtors have utilized the benefits of technology, making them one of the best real estate marketing ideas to date. 

Hosting quality virtual tours helps home buyers explore multiple properties from the comfort of their homes. 

Here's how you can make the most of virtual tours:

  • Use 360-degree technology: Invest in high-quality cameras or hire professionals to create immersive virtual tours that provide a realistic experience for potential buyers.
  • Add interactive elements: Incorporate interactive elements into your virtual tours, such as floor plans, clickable hotspots, and the ability to measure spaces.
  • Promote virtual tours on your website and social media: Make sure to showcase them on your website and share them on social media platforms to reach a wider audience.

3. Create a real estate blog

Content marketing is a powerful strategy for establishing yourself as a trusted authority in the real estate industry. Creating valuable and informative content can attract potential clients and build credibility. 

Let’s look at a few amazing tips to create a successful real estate blog:

  • Identify your target audience: Determine your ideal clients and tailor your content to their needs and interests.
  • Provide valuable information: Offer insights, tips, and advice on buying or selling a property, home staging, or neighborhood guides.
  • Optimize your blog for SEO: Research and use relevant keywords to improve your blog's visibility in search engine results.
  • Promote your blog: Share your blog posts on social media and encourage readers to subscribe for regular updates.

4. Optimize your listings

Listings with insufficient data won’t act in your favor as it may lose sellers and potential buyers. Buyers are more inclined towards informative and eye-catching listings. 

Here are some suggestions for crafting high-quality listings:

  • Incorporate detailed descriptions: Often, listings provide minimal details or overlook a few elements. This can be time-consuming for both buyer and realtor, proving to be a disadvantage. As a solution, you can describe the property in detail, ensuring qualified buyers’ interest. 
  • Capture high-quality photos: High-quality photos are a good real estate marketing idea if you want buyers hooked on your property. Connect with a professional photographer with the skills to make the property stand out. 
  • Include a map: Realtors can showcase nearby attractions with a neighborhood map, helping increase buyers' interest. This is also an ideal place to embed a local guide or blog post you have created.

5. Ask for testimonials

Your current clients can become your partners in finding new clients with their value-driven testimonials. Connect with them and see if you can get a good testimonial that can act as a portfolio. 

Displaying these testimonials on your real estate website can attract new clients and have a positive outcome. Collecting reviews from as many people as possible will also increase your company's visibility and credibility. 

6. Optimize mobile-friendly web pages 

According to Hitwise recent study, mobile searches elevate the user experience to 48% (6) in the real estate market. In short, half of your potential customers are on their smartphones while searching for their dream home. 

A mobile-optimized website will help you get noticed as a realtor and streamline your sales funnel. If you haven’t optimized a mobile-friendly website, do it quickly, as this will be one of your best real estate marketing ideas. 

7. Choose your real estate marketing niche

Unsurprisingly, choosing a niche for your real estate marketing activities is very important. Let’s look at some of the best niches around here: 

  • Geographic niches

Real estate agents dig deeper into this space and find a location that may suit their requirements. Generally, they look into insights that have attracted their clients better. 

  • Demographic niches

When tailoring your real estate marketing efforts, focus on specific client demographics. By targeting groups such as empty nesters, divorcing couples, military families, or newlyweds, you can use language that resonates with their personal experiences. 

  • Lifestyle niches

Are they a busy socialite or a family of four trying to make ends meet? Tailor your marketing efforts to align with your personal brand. Understanding where buyers are in their current life stage will help your real estate clients focus on what matters most. It could be proximity to nightlife, excellent schools, convenient shopping, or access to public transportation.

Importance of marketing in the real estate industry

Generating leads through real estate marketing helps realtors reach their target audience and build brand awareness. However, staying relevant in a crowded marketplace and attracting potential buyers and sellers can be challenging without effective marketing strategies.

1. Visibility 

Creating visibility is one of the reasons real estate marketing is so prominent. With a strong online presence, realtors can leverage effective marketing strategies to ensure their listings and services are noticeable. 

2. Trust and credibility

Trust and credibility become as important as gaining visibility in real estate marketing. Clients are on the hunt for realtors who offer personalized services. You can establish yourself as a trusted authority by showcasing your experience and expertise at scale. 

3. Become competitive

Real estate professionals are becoming competitive as technology keeps changing as we speak. With many realtors looking to onboard new customers, finding unique ways to stand out is crucial. Highlighting your unique selling points will help you surpass competitors using effective real estate marketing strategies. 

Real estate marketing tactics 

When marketing for real estate agents, various tactics can be used to attract and generate leads. From traditional methods to innovative strategies, here are 9 offline real estate marketing ideas to consider:

  • Showcase your expertise by hosting a local community event and connecting with clients offline and online. 
  • Reach a wider audience by cross-promoting your partner’s services. 
  • Leveraging direct mail campaigns can help you target specific neighborhoods and reach homeowners. 
  • Expand your reach by joining local networking groups.
  • Host an open house event to showcase a property and attract interested buyers.
  • Create personalized marketing materials like brochures and flyers to highlight your listings and services.
  • Utilize yard signs and billboards to promote properties and attract potential buyers driving by.
  • Participate in local real estate fairs and expos to showcase your listings and network with other industry professionals.
  • Collaborate with interior designers or home staging professionals to enhance the appeal of your properties and attract more buyers.

Real estate marketing statistics

To truly understand the impact of marketing in the real estate industry, let's look at some compelling statistics:

  • According to the National Association of Realtors, 97% of homebuyers start searching online, highlighting the importance of a strong online presence. (1) 
  • The same report also states that 44% of homebuyers looked online for properties as the first step in their home-buying process. (2) 
  • Social media has become a powerful marketing tool for real estate professionals. 47% of real estate businesses report that social media generates the highest quality leads compared to other sources. (3) 
  • Video content is highly effective in real estate marketing. Properties with video tours receive 403% more inquiries than those without videos. (4)
  • Email marketing remains a valuable strategy in the real estate industry. According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 87% of real estate agents use email marketing to communicate with their clients. (5) 

These statistics highlight the importance of leveraging digital marketing channels and using innovative strategies to attract potential clients in the real estate industry. 

Real estate marketing case studies 

In this section, we’ll look at prominent realtors who transformed their businesses into wonderful real estate marketing strategies. 

1. Local Life Realty, Austin, Texas 

After only eleven months, Local Life Realty, a rising star in the real estate sector, made a big difference by growing into Austin, Dallas, and Orlando. Co-founders Justin and Kel Pistorius designed this expansion to combine top-notch services with a small-town atmosphere.

In addition to redesigning its primary website in partnership with Luxury Presence, Local Life also introduced agent-specific subdomains and various marketing tools. 

This collaboration was essential to Local Life's goal of offering upmarket services alongside local expertise. It created a unified brand experience and helped attract and retain elite real estate brokers.

The strategy 

  • Personalized brokerage website - Luxurious Presence created a custom website and landing pages highlighting their luxury service and local knowledge, perfectly capturing the spirit of Local Life.
  • Agent subdomains - Each agent has a subdomain created by Luxury Presence that works similarly to a tiny website. By strengthening the agents' personal brands and online presence within the context of Local Life's overall identity, this strategy brought the brokerage's brand experience together and provided them with significant benefits.
  • Marketing services - Luxury Presence's marketing services were employed by Local Life to achieve extensive and impactful awareness. Organic traffic and keyword ranking increased steadily due to a combination of neighborhood guides, Google Business articles, and blog content with an SEO focus. 

Results 

  • Online visibility —The total ranking keywords increased by 32% from 351 to 465, proving that online visibility is very important. 
  • Improved rankings - The client witnessed an increase of 22 high-priority keywords for notable gains like “houses for sale Houston Heights TX.”
  • 21 agent sites were created, enhancing both agent and team brands. 

2. Front Gate Real Estate, US 

Renowned figures in the luxury real estate industry, Jeff Biebuyck and Dana Olmes are dedicated to growing their top-notch staff at Frontgate Real Estate and providing their clients with the best possible service and ongoing innovation. A recent $6 million transaction demonstrates their successful combination of cutting-edge marketing, technology, and team building.

Results

  • Sophisticated online presence: Frontgate and Luxury Presence worked together to create an online presence that radiates elegance and highlights the upscale appeal of their business.
  • Improved lead generation: Frontgate achieved an amazing cost per lead of $32 by successfully capturing 43 high-quality leads from a "How much is my home worth" search ad with a targeted $1,400 Lead Gen Ads campaign.
  • Brand representation - One important aspect of maintaining Frontgate's high standards for premium service was the AI's human-like interactions.
  • Selective team expansion: Frontgate concentrates on hiring top-performing agents who share its commitment to client-centricity and tech-forward mindset.

3. Landmark Sotheby’s International Realty, Coastal Carolina

Landmark Sotheby's International Realty leads the premium real estate market in Coastal Carolina. It is renowned for its in-depth knowledge, meticulous attention to detail, and creative marketing. 

They were eager to use Luxury Presence's agent subdomain sites to strengthen their competitive edge in luring and keeping top talent. Thanks to these individual agent websites, their staff has been empowered, lead engagement has increased, and the Landmark Sotheby's International Realty brand has been strengthened.

Solution

The Landmark Sotheby's International Realty team's agents can quickly and simply create stunning, unique websites with agent subdomain sites. 

Using the product has the following advantages:

  • Creating a friendly environment

Landmark Sotheby's International Realty demonstrates its commitment to its agents' success and progress by giving each team member a customized website that enables them to engage more leads.

  • Attracting and retaining talent

By supporting agents' achievements, Landmark Sotheby's International Realty shows prospective recruits and current staff that it's a terrific workplace.

  • Enhancing brand identity

The Landmark Sotheby's International Realty name appears in the URL of each individual agent's website, reminding site visitors of the brand!

  • Engaging more leads

Agent subdomain sites, which combine improved IDX search experiences, focused digital marketing, and instantly imported and synced MLS listings, increase lead creation and engagement.

Results

  • Creating agent subdomain sites exemplifies how technology adoption can transform the real estate recruiting process. 
  • By effectively utilizing the product, Landmark Sotheby's International Realty has improved agent interest, retention, and brand recognition.

4. Carolwood Estates, California, United States 

Carolwood Estates is a boutique brokerage company based in Beverly Hills, California. The realtor was looking for a high-performing, sophisticated, and search-engine optimized, that highlighted their luxury listings; they found Luxury Presence to be their partner. 

Goal

  • Carolwood Estates aimed to develop an advanced, functional, search-engine-optimized website that would showcase its luxury properties, exceptional knowledge, and steadfast dedication to quality and privacy. 
  • When drew fenton and his partners opened their boutique agency, they aimed to create a strong internet presence as prominent personalities in the real estate industry.

Let’s share insights into what the client achieved. 

Results

  • Carolwood Estates created a quick, safe, and optimized website for search engines to increase visibility in search engine results. Full-screen, high-resolution photos were used throughout the website to draw visitors in and highlight Carolwood's opulent properties with a custom homepage slideshow function.
  • Added a unique Instagram feature to the website that showcases new listings and sends users to Carolwood's social media pages to boost interaction. Monitoring user behavior through website analytics, site design, and content can be continuously improved based on real engagement data. 
  • The website strengthened Carolwood's brand messages and helped establish the company as a leading boutique brokerage in the cutthroat real estate sector.

Conclusion

Effective real estate marketing ideas are essential for success in today's highly competitive market. By leveraging the power of social media, hosting interactive virtual tours, and creating valuable content, you can differentiate yourself from the competition and attract more potential buyers and sellers.

Remember always to prioritize the needs and interests of your target audience, stay up to date with the latest trends and statistics, and measure the success of your marketing efforts. 

By continuously refining your strategies and adapting to the evolving real estate landscape, you can take your real estate marketing to new heights and achieve your business goals.

Get ready to implement these innovative realtor marketing ideas and watch your business soar!