Monthly Archives: February 2016

Spring is in the air, which means the spring real estate market will shed its winter fur and start moving again.  With spring around the corner, now is the time to kick your real estate marketing into high gear in order to take full advantage of the influx of buyers and sellers.

Use these 5 tips to spring clean your marketing strategies and tools, so you’re ready to hit the ground running.

1. Declutter Your Home Page

Take a look at your home page. How does it look? Is it cluttered? Outdated? Many real estate websites have too much happening on their home page which distracts buyers and sellers.

What items can you remove? What do you want buyers and sellers to see first and experience when they visit your site?  Here are some ideas of how you can simplify your home page:

• Make sure your pictures are clear and not distorted
• Make sure your contact information is easy to spot
• Check that your social media links are still working and front and centre

2. Revamp Your About Page

Your about page is one of the most visited pages on your website, because people want to connect with you before they hire you. Many times, the about page is one of the most poorly written pages, because people feel awkward talking about themselves.

When you spend the time to do it right, you’ll benefit and better connect with your target audience. Here are ways you can revamp your about page:

• Speak to the pain point of your audience and draw them in, in the first few sentences before you start talking about your credentials and experience.
• Be yourself. Let your unique skills and brand voice shine through. Don’t copy another agent’s about page or write about things you think other people want to hear about.
• Write in first person (I/me, us/ we) as opposed to third person (he/she, they/them). First person voice is more personal and feels more natural than third person.
• Write conversationally, so your readers feel like they are talking to you in person.
• Try to stand out and set yourself apart, so you’re not forgotten in the sea of agents.

3. Polish Your Social Media Profiles

We sign up for social media and often times leave our profile bios half-finished or we’ve left the same information on there since we opened up the account. Take a look at each of your social media profiles and make sure they’re current. If they need polished, shine them up a bit.

Here are some ways you can spruce up your social media information:

• Facebook—Look at your business and personal page. Does your header photo adequately reflect you and your brand? Can people clearly see that you’re a real estate agent without being bombarded by listings and pictures of homes for sale? Are you actually using your Facebook business page or do you just have one to have one? Make sure you have updated activity on your business page and include the link to your website.
• Twitter—Do you have a link in your profile to your website? Is your bio fresh and updated? Is your cover photo up-to-date and consistent with your brand? Have a look at your Twitter profile and liven it up if it’s been sitting with dated information.
• Instagram—Does your bio clearly and concisely tell viewers exactly what you do and what they can expect from you? Do you have a link to your website in your profile? How does the quality of your images look? Have a look at the top few photos on your Instagram account and see if you notice anything that you could improve.
• LinkedIn—Is all of your information current? If you don’t have recommendations from coworkers or past clients, could you ask them to add some to your profile?

Check out the following blog posts for even more helpful tips about polishing your social media marketing:

• How to Customise Your Bio for Each Social Platform
• 21 Social Media Tips for Successful Real Estate Agents

4. Switch Out Your Agent Photo

It’s a good rule of thumb to get your photo updated every year or at least every two years. Nothing is worse than showcasing a picture of you from 10 years ago when you may look much different now. Clients will expect you to look like the person they see in your marketing materials and online profiles, so make sure you don’t throw them for a loop.

You can also read our article about 8 important profile picture rules for even more helpful tips.

5. Spruce Up Your Email Signature

You likely send a lot of emails every day, and your email signature is an excellent way to drive leads to your real estate business. Here are some ideas on what to include in your email signature in order to drive traffic to your website and capture leads.

• Link to your website or landing page
• Social media links
• Link to your latest blog post or a link to a subscription form with a free downloadable eBook
• Your professional photo

Make sure your marketing materials and online profiles are a true reflection of who you are now and what you have to offer. Freshen up and polish your real estate marketing tools with a good spring cleaning. Your clients will thank you! Plus, encouraging your clients to check out all of your changes and provide feedback is a great way to connect with clients and drive traffic to your website, blog, or profiles.

For more helpful real estate tips and information like this, check out our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook.

At iProperty, we provide leading online property management and real estate software,  responsive websites, and more.

If you missed part one in this series, you can read it by clicking here. In part one of this series, we established that in order to get started with real estate video, you first have to develop a video content strategy, commit to high quality video, and hire a professional videographer (which can be done at a cost-effective price).

Part Two: Steps 3 and 4

Now that we’ve established  video content is an even hotter trend in online marketing in 2016, and that you should create high quality video content, let’s talk about what you need to do after you’ve created your video content.

So, what do you do after you’ve created your video?

3. Select the Right Platform to Host Your Videos

The next step is to choose the right platform to host your videos. Likely, when we mentioned a video platform, you immediately thought of YouTube, so our next piece of advice will probably shock you.

Don’t use YouTube as your primary platform to host your real estate video content.

YouTube sells ads, which means the longer you use YouTube, the more ads it will display. The more ads it displays, the more revenue it generates.

Here are a couple of points to note about YouTube:

• You have no control over which ads YouTube displays on your videos, which could be a bad thing. Think about your brand image and reputation.
• Ads will pull a viewer’s attention away from your content.
• A 2016 study by Shareaholic shows that YouTube does a very poor job of referring traffic back to your website. On average, YouTube refers approximately 0.4% of people back to the publisher’s website. This means that if your content is on YouTube, it’s really not driving traffic to your website, which means it’s not a very good lead generation tool.

We’re not saying to ignore YouTube, but you should choose to use a business-level video hosting platform that sets your website or domain as the publisher of the content.

This will ensure search engine traffic is directed back to your website and generating leads for you.

If all of this sounds confusing, here’s a quick way to know if your video will drive traffic to your website. If you’ve placed it on a platform, click the share button on your video. If the share link includes your domain, it’s directing people to your website. If not, it’s directing them to another platform.

If the goal of your video content is to drive traffic to your website and increase your lead generation, then you need to make sure your video platform is actually doing that for you.

4. Promote and Distribute Your Videos

At this stage in the process, you’ve developed your strategy, you’ve had high quality videos made, and you’ve loaded them on a platform, so they can be easily viewed.

Now, you need to generate a substantial amount of views from a real estate audience. Getting viewership is the distribution part of your strategy. How do you do that?

First, make sure that your videos are embedded throughout your site, not just on one page. Put brand videos on your home page, about page, property pages, service pages, etc.

Make sure your videos are also on a prime and easily seen place on your website. It really is all about location, location, location.

Once you’ve done this, search engines will recognise your website and domain as the publisher of the content and you’ll get the SEO benefits from organic searches on Google and other search engines.

Second, drive additional viewership by including click-to-play images in your real estate email marketing newsletters. According to Get Response, emails with videos receive 96 percent higher click rates than emails that don’t contain video content.

Third, promote on media platforms beyond Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+. While these platforms will get you easy traffic, these sites are not necessarily where buyers and sellers are actively looking for real estate agents. Get your videos onto business-level, qualified sites where consumers are. These might include online property magazines, third party real estate search sites, luxury estate sites, etc.

And, there you go—four simple steps on how to get started with real estate video. To recap:

• Develop your video content strategy
• Commit to high quality videos and hire a videographer
• Choose the right video hosting platform
• Distribute and promote your videos on sites and platforms where intentional buyers and sellers are

For more helpful real estate tips and information like this, check out our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook.

At iProperty, we provide leading online property management and real estate software, responsive websites, and more.

Part One: Steps 1 and 2

You’ve likely heard that video content is the latest trend for 2016 and is rapidly increasing in popularity and effectiveness. It’s becoming one of the most effective tools for businesses and brands, because it resonates with people on a personal and emotional level.

Video creates greater site engagement, increases the effectiveness of email marketing, and drastically improves lead generation. Search engines reward video content and viewers love it. Video is important for every real estate agent.

The statistics are great, but many people are uncertain where to begin. Some think that using pictures to create a slideshow and adding music constitutes video content. Others think using their iPhone while walking through a house and then uploading that video to YouTube constitutes good video content.

With so many on opposite ends of the spectrum, it’s important to know where to begin and how to create high quality real estate video content that connects with your audience beyond just real estate. Here are some simple steps to get you started.

1. Determine Your Video Content Strategy

It’s true that bad video kills a brand’s image, good video isn’t really memorable, but great video content is worth its weight in gold. That’s where the engagement and effectiveness starts to multiple.

So, the first thing you need to do when determining your strategy is to commit to creating high quality video content. Quality should be your first goal. If you don’t invest in quality video content, you’re not going to reap the benefits. Video is the only type of content that truly allows someone to emotionally content with your message. Your viewers pick up on the nonverbal ques and emotions, and experience the moment with you.

Now, the thought of filming every real estate listing you have seems overwhelming and, to be honest, not all listings are going to be profitable if you do this. So, where do you start? Here are a few options.

Choose to film videos that have a longer shelf-life. Coined “evergreen,” these videos can be used in marketing materials and online communication for months, even years. You can film:

• Branding Videos: Branding videos give your audience a sense of who you are and what your values are. They give sellers insight into your business, but they can also stick in buyers’ minds, and be used as recruiting videos for potential new agents.
• Agent Bios: Bio videos allow viewers to meet your real estate agents and get a sense of their personalities. Potential buyers and sellers will be able to see what it’s like to work with certain agents and connect with them on a greater level prior to hiring them.
• Neighbourhood Tours: 86% of home buyers watch neighbourhood videos to learn more about a community, according to a 2013 Google/NAR study. These videos will allow your agency to exert itself as area experts and become the go-to for community information and statistics.

2. Hire a Professional Filmmaker or Videographer

Once you’ve established what types of videos you want to create, now you need to find someone to help you create them. Before you contact potential filmmakers, however, you need to determine what you want your final product to look like.

• Determine who your target audience is and what message you want to convey. What tone will you use in your video?
• Do you want a more lifestyle vibe or will you be featured on camera?
• Do you want voiceovers or music?
• Do you want time lapses, aerial footage, or both?
• Do you want to interview multiple people or other businesses?

The more you can flesh out what you want in your final product, the easier the process will be. Your filmmaker will have a clearer understanding of your expectations and be able to determine if your budget is reasonable based on those expectations.

You might be thinking that professional videos are too expensive, especially if you want to produce listing videos for anything other than a luxury property, but you can actually have some high quality, reasonably priced videos produced. You just need to do your research.

When you do speak to filmmakers, request to see their reel or other videos they’ve created. This will show you each filmmaker’s style, and you’ll be able to see if it meshes well with what you’re looking for.

Click here to read Part 2 of our series, where we’ll discuss steps 3 and 4, which are how to choose the right hosting platform and how to distribute your videos.

For more helpful real estate tips and information like this, check out our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook.

At iProperty, we provide leading online property management and real estate software,  responsive websites, and more.

In the ever-changing real estate market and world of online marketing, showing customers your worth and value is critical to your business. No one wants to feel the pressure of having to prove themselves, but let’s look at it from a different perspective. Rather than directly stating how much value you provide and risk coming off as forceful or arrogant, you can show your customers your value and worth in a way that resonates with them.

You provide invaluable help to your clients—you know that and so do your past and current clients. Now all you need to do is gracefully package that value, so it’s helpful and relevant to other potential clients and leads.

So, how do you create value in person, on your blog, and in your newsletters that resonates with clients in a world that’s bombarded with information, content, and hype? Here are four helpful ways to secure value, so people see your worth as a real estate agent:

1. Share Honest and Helpful Information

People connect with honest information and a personal brand voice. When that honest information is incredibly helpful and relevant, they connect even more. They remember you.

Instead of trying to “sell” your clients, position yourself to educate and inform them. You’re in the know about your areas and the real estate market, so share that information through fresh and fun content across platforms. If you read about changes in the local real estate market, share that with your audience. When you share helpful, relevant information with your potential clients, they will see your value and worth as a real estate agent.

2. Celebrate Simplicity

Don’t bombard your potential clients with overcomplicated messages, dramatic headlines, or flashy marketing materials. Simplify your message, so it’s clear, concise, and connected. Draw your potential clients in rather than drive them towards you. You can drive traffic to your site or business in a simple yet compelling way. Make your message stand out because of its simplicity and you’ll be sure not to get lost in the noise.

It may seem counterintuitive, but when you tone it down, people often tune in. You have to listen closely to hear a whisper, but you don’t have to be listening at all to hear someone shout.

3. Be Authentic

Don’t be pressured to mimic other successful real estate agents. While you can learn from them, be authentic to who you are. You don’t need to be how others perceive a successful real estate agent to be. Develop a powerful personal brand and brand strategy that’s authentic to you. Time and time again real estate agents and business professionals say that their biggest successes came when they embraced their unique self and didn’t try to be a fit for—or please—everyone.

4. Give Clients a Sense of Trust

Be a real estate agent your clients and potential clients can trust. The greatest thing you can give them is a strong sense of trust. Let them know you truly have their best interests at heart and they can come to you for any and all questions, long beyond the closing of their transaction. Make it a point to elevate yourself as a trustworthy real estate agent not because you’re trying to win them over, but because you’re truly there to help them.

For more helpful real estate tips and information like this, check out our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook.

At iProperty, we provide leading online property management and real estate software,  responsive websites, and more.

Content marketing has been on the rise the last few years and the trend isn’t going to change any time soon. In fact, in 2016 content marketing will be an even bigger factor that contributes to the success of online businesses.

If you’re ready to ramp up your digital marketing strategy, here are four things you need to know (or do) about content marketing in 2016.

1. Document Your Content Marketing Strategy

Your primary goal will be to document your content marketing strategy. Nearly all online businesses now recognize the importance of having a blog, but merely publishing content at random intervals is not going to have the same positive effect as following a strategy.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 53% of successful business-to-business content marketers document their strategy. Having a strategy will be what differentiates you from the rest of the crowd.

Here are some things to define and include in your content marketing strategy:

• Your content goals and their role in achieving your business goals
• Your target audience
• Your competition
• Content format (video, blogposts, images, etc.)
• Distribution channels for your content
• Measure your content performance goals and refine them

2. Focus on Visual Content

Visual content has achieved a lot of success and resonates with readers, and it’s only going to increase in popularity in 2016.

Video content is a huge online marketing trend for 2016, but blog posts and text-based content with the right images receive 94% more traffic than mere text-only content. Focus your efforts on visual content, whether it’s video, infographics, or blog posts with high quality images.

3. SEO and Content Marketing Will Be Intertwined

SEO and content marketing do not work independently of one another. They have to be integrated for maximum effectiveness. Included in the ranking algorithm for SEO will be whether or not your site consistently has new and updated content. Your SEO team will need to be constantly in touch with your content team, and if you don’t have separate teams, you’ll need to be thinking about SEO and content in the same breath.

4. Move Away from Shallow Content and Provide Deeper, More Helpful Info

With the influx of bloggers and the amount of information circulating, you will need to do something different with your content in order to stand out. In 2016, successful companies and the smartest brands will publish less content, but more highly quality content on a consistent basis. It might be easy to write a short blog post about a trending topic, but it’s better to write longer pieces that provide excellent insight and shake up your industry.

Use these tips to begin formulating a content marketing strategy that will propel you to reach your online and offline goals in 2016. Do you need more help getting started with your content marketing strategy? Read our step-by-step content marketing strategy guide by clicking here.

For more helpful real estate tips and information like this, check out our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook.

At iProperty, we provide leading online property management and real estate software,  responsive websites, and more.