There was a time when social media was more of choice than a necessity in real estate. Now, it’s crystal clear that it’s critical to sourcing leads, engaging clients and building or maintaining your brand.
From Facebook and LinkedIn to YouTube and Instagram, the list of social media platforms continues to grow. Agents across different generations have embraced social media as another tool, but how they employ their digital platforms differs across the board.
Here is an idea of how real estate agents are using social media in their marketing strategies.
A quick note about Facebook: It’s hard to beat a classic, and Facebook certainly falls into that category as most generations have grown accustomed to using the platform to post about listings and other content.
Millennials and Generation Z (18 – 39 Years Old and Younger)
– According to the National Association of REALTORS®, agents 18 to 39 account for 17% of agents in 2020.
– People from Generation Z (10-23 years old) were born with social media and iPhones. They access Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube daily as they gravitate toward video content, according to Business Insider research.
– Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are the three most popular social media platforms for millennials (24-39 years old), according to the Pew Research Center.
Agents who are a Millennial or Generation Z entered the market with an extensive understanding of tech and social media—-they grew up with it after all. Even as new apps like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat have entered the mix, they’ve found ways to incorporate them into their marketing strategies. While agents from these generations post about listings and share educational information on their platforms, Millennials also embraced social media as content creators, engaging with clients through video, live streaming and virtual tours of properties.
Generation X (40 – 55 Years Old)
– For Generation X, Facebook is the app of choice both as users and for marketing. The group reportedly uses social media more habitually than millennials, although in a different capacity.
Gen X agents use their Facebook profiles—-business profiles, usually—-to promote their listings, posting pictures with informative captions. They also share content they find online, including tips, data and other information that can help their following.
Baby Boomers and Beyond (56 – 74 Years Old)
– Facebook and YouTube continue to be the platforms of choice that Baby Boomers have gravitated toward, while Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn have also piqued their interest based on Statista reports.
Much like the clientele in the same generation, Baby Boomer agents have gravitated toward Facebook as a platform of choice when it comes to marketing to clients. Agents in this generation have embraced the use of social media as a means to post about their listings and closings while also sharing content (articles, data, etc.) that they find helpful or interesting to their followers and users.
Jordan Grice is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email him your real estate news ideas at jgrice@rismedia.com.
