Once you have your content strategy down, whether it be in the form of articles, infographics and/or curated videos, it is time to determine the top-performing social media platforms, and which of these work best for your business. Facebook, for many years, has been the top dog when it comes to agents having a strong online presence. However, as younger generations make their way into the homebuying demographic, there are other platforms where they spend most of their time—and that is where agents need to be.
The TikTok Revolution
There is no doubt that TikTok has become the fastest growing social media platform over the last two years. Almost every generation and industry has made their way to TikTok in one way or another, from how-to and DIY videos to behind-the-scenes snippets of day-to-day life.
With over 100 million monthly users in the U.S.—many of whom are within the average homebuying age bracket—TikTok offers room to capitalize on connecting with prospective clients and leads. In fact, according to a Statista study, 75.4% of TikTok users in the U.S. are 20 years old and up, and spend upwards of 52 minutes a day on the platform, opening up a whole new world for building your audience and online presence.
Jenn Van Burkleo, director of marketing, events and social media at eXp Realty, plans to expand the brand’s social presence to include TikTok, in addition to the agents who already use the platform and have found great success.
“Let’s look at a few of our agents: Stefanie Kebede, Sean Cochran, Liz Brown, Sierra Yeager and Harley Maxwell. Collectively, they have more than 770k followers on TikTok, and some of their videos receive millions of views,” she says. “That means they are connecting with an entirely new and unique audience and are likely translating current connections to TikTok from other platforms who feel even more engaged on this platform.”
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If you plan to include TikTok in your social media strategy, and especially if you are new to the platform, here are some tips to ensure you get eyes on your profile, your brand and your business:
- Create Real Estate Content. Videos that will educate your followers, such as DIY videos and homebuying tips, are a great place to start. Also, consider adding video home tours to your TikTok feed.
- Hop on TikTok Trends. The key to success on TikTok is staying trendy. From song choice to viral challenges, be sure to give your audience what they want! Just be sure to stay authentic and true to your brand.
- Record in Bulk. Because content on this platform is so short and sweet, you can record multiple videos in a short amount of time. Keep a collection of videos in your back pocket so you always have something to post.
- Promote Your Content. TikTok allows you to share your posts on other platforms, like Facebook and Instagram. Take advantage of this cross-platform promotion, especially if you are new to TikTok, to gain more followers and potential leads.
“As far as TikTok for real estate, even if our industry isn’t listed among the top topics for video trends, which include Entertainment, Fitness, DIY, Beauty, Fashion, Cooking, Life Hacks, Pets and Outdoors, you could easily capitalize on those video trends and use them to position yourself as a real estate expert within that local community,” says Van Burkleo, who shared a few of her own tips and content ideas below:
- If you were a tourist in your city for a day, what would you see?
- Support local business by showing your audience your favorite shops and restaurants.
- Shoot a video on the pros and cons of living in your area.
- Share your top tips for moving to your city or market, and feature your favorite neighborhoods and areas.
- Collaborate with other local businesses to cross-promote (i.e. do a video or go live and have the business share it to their page, too.)
“TikTok is not only powerful because of its ability to get your business in front of new audiences, but also because of the software itself. For real estate agents, it offers a video editing tool that can elevate your content offerings and access to an extended audience beyond your immediate sphere.” -Chelsea Freeman, marketing communications manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Maria Hill, vice president of Marketing and Communications at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada, California and Arizona Properties, encourages her agents to take advantage of this platform, no matter how large or small their following may be. “I love TikTok and our agents do, too,” says Hill. “TikTok allows you to give consumers behind-the-scenes snippets of your business, and makes real estate more fun!”
“Our agents use TikTok to showcase property highlights and videos with trending hashtags that apply to real estate,” Hill says. “Because TikTok uses engagement metrics to determine interest in a video, a new content creator does not need a large following or paid promotion for their video to go viral and reach a broad audience.”
When you think of TikTok, you may think that this platform only caters to a younger generation, however, the generations that currently dominate this platform, Millennials and Gen Z, are those just entering the real estate market. In addition, because this is a new platform with new, modern features, creativity is essentially endless.
Chelsea Freeman, marketing communications manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, believes that TikTok, especially the platform’s user-friendly software, creative features and generational range, is a powerful tool that can truly help real estate agents grow their business and reach a whole new audience of potential leads and clients.
“Many of our network agents are utilizing this platform. It offers a suite of tools that allows them to easily create informative content and reach a wide audience,” says Freeman. “TikTok is not only powerful because of its ability to get your business in front of new audiences, but also because of the software itself. For real estate agents, it offers a video editing tool that can elevate your content offerings and access to an extended audience beyond your immediate sphere.”
Tried and True Social Platforms
Though TikTok is the fastest growing social platform—and every agent should give it a fair shot—it is also vital that you maintain your online presence on platforms that you have already built up. With an array of options, each platform offers its own unique way to engage clients and share both consumer-focused content and business-building information. No matter your audience, demographic or market, these platforms are tried and true for building and growing your social media presence.
Here are the top performing social media platforms for real estate professionals, as well as some helpful tips for maximizing each platform for your real estate business:
- Facebook. This platform remains at the top of the list when it comes to impact. With over 190 million active users, over 70% who are in the homebuying demographic, you can’t afford to miss out on this lead generation opportunity. Anthony Lamacchia, owner of Lamacchia Realty and training program Crush It in Real Estate, offers three building blocks for the framework of your Facebook content: 50% business related posts, 30% personal posts and 20% community posts.
- LinkedIn. If you’re looking for a place to network with other industry professionals, this is the platform to be on. From industry news to tips and tricks for bettering your business, LinkedIn offers a safe and professional environment to connect with the pros and build your skills. Check out this two-part series from the experts at Fathom Realty to optimize and update your profile.
- Instagram. With over 500 million daily users, this platform is a gold mine for building your brand image and generating new leads. Because Instagram is visual and interactive, you can reach your target audience and expand your reach in new ways. Here are some tips to maximize Instagram for your real estate business.
- Twitter. Similar to LinkedIn, this platform is more focused on connecting with industry experts and staying on top of headlines.Twitter is best used for real-time conversations and sharing common interests, both personally and professionally. Some pro tips to keep in mind include: Tweeting multiple times per day, paying attention to trends and timing, making sure you are following and responding to the right people.
- YouTube. With video content consistently rising in popularity, YouTube is a natural fit for real estate professionals looking to build their social presence. Not only can this platform help you with lead generation, but it can expose and promote your brand to over 288 million users worldwide. “Considering 82% of internet content will be video in 2022, I would strongly recommend embracing video, becoming a creator and hosting this content on YouTube,” says Sajja.
- Pinterest. With over 200 million new users in the last two years, this visually stimulating platform belongs in your marketing strategy. According to Hootsuite’s Digital 2021 Global Overview Report, this is the leading social platform for directing traffic to your website. Here are some helpful tips for making the most of this powerful platform.
“For our overall social platform strategy, we pay attention to what the audience wants, what’s resonating and where we have an opportunity to expand via reporting. Through this approach, we have seen an increase in lead generation, audience growth and engagement, adoption of other services and events, and more recognition for the eXp brand and the agents that make eXp Realty what it is.” -Jenn Van Burkleo, director of Marketing, Events and Social Media, eXp Realty
Freeman shares insights on her team’s top-performing platforms, noting that the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand is active on each of the networks listed above. She also highlights some of the top features that her agents use in their social media strategies.
“Social Media is an excellent tool to find a wide audience and reach potential clients,” she says. “Facebook is by far the most popular platform in real estate, followed by LinkedIn and Instagram. One big tip is to utilize Instagram’s Reels feature. Since this is a newer feature on the platform, Instagram is pushing these out on their algorithm more so agents can reach more people.”
“Short-form video content on channels like Instagram Reels and TikTok is especially popular, so real estate agents do well to explore these platforms as part of their overall marketing strategy,” says Freeman.
No matter which social platforms you choose to use for your real estate business, it is critical to know your audience. Do you serve a luxury real estate market? Do you represent a specific niche? Are you dedicated to helping renters over buyers? These are just a few questions you need to ask yourself as you curate your social media strategy and learn exactly what your audience is looking for in a prospective agent and their overall expectations of the homebuying journey.
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For Van Burkleo’s teams at eXp Realty, this rings true across all of the social networks their agents frequent, from Facebook and Instagram to LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok. “For our overall social platform strategy, we pay attention to what the audience wants, what’s resonating and where we have an opportunity to expand via reporting,” she explains. “Through this approach, we have seen an increase in lead generation, audience growth and engagement, adoption of other services and events, and more recognition for the eXp brand and the agents that make eXp Realty what it is.”
