The Real Deal about Real Estate Marketing

Generating leads is important in any industry. In real estate, especially, getting new clients is the key to success. The question is how do you generate leads? How can you reach potential clients and entice them to do business with you?

The answer lies in innovative marketing techniques and this includes traditional marketing. From direct mail to brochures, traditional marketing still reigns and is important to any real estate marketing campaign. But it’s important to mix the tried-and-true with the totally new and here’s how you can achieve that with Appleton’s full-scale marketing services.

Media Buying – Location, Location, Location

Ad placement near beautiful homes could make your company the link between dream and reality. Begin with thinking about where people have real estate on their minds. You want to be top-of-mind when people see their stunning dream home in real life. Achieve this by placing out-of-home advertisements on billboards and transit. Research shows that out-of home advertising results, on average, in a 180% return-on-investment. Seeing your advertisement will seem like destiny in the midst of their daydream and potential buyers will be inclined to give your company a call.

Tweet: “Research shows that out-of home advertising results, on average, in a 180% return-on-investment.”

Email Marketing – Get Personal

This may seem like common sense, but it’s surprising how many companies don’t do it: personalized emails. Market futurist Faith Popcorn proclaimed that this is the age of Egonomics — everyone wants to be an individual, not a nameless lead. By personalizing emails, your company goes the extra mile to show that you care about your client on an interpersonal level. Use the client’s name, speak in a conversational tone and, if possible, follow up on any events that happened in the client’s life. You are showing the client that they are important to you and that can lead to new business.

Video and Film – Press Record

Seventy-three percent of homeowners say they prefer to work with a real estate company who creates video house reels. Consider creating teaser videos of your for-sale homes. By using teasers in addition to pictures, potential buyers get a full view of the property and our in-house film department can achieve, especially with the use of drones. By providing aerial views of your home in addition to ground footage, potential buyers get that 360-degree perspective. With so much footage, your teaser may appear sterile, but we add special touches to make your video feel homey — kids’ drawings on the fridge, family pictures on the wall, a plate of cookies on the counter, etc. Little things like this help potential buyers envision themselves in the house; in fact, these minor elements make the house seem like a home that is waiting for a family to move in.

Social and Online Marketing – Instagram is Key

Another real estate marketing idea is to have a presence on Instagram. Studies show that users are 58 times more likely to engage with a brand on Instagram over Facebook and 120 times more likely than Twitter. This means increased commenting, liking and sharing of your company, which will lead to higher brand awareness and hopefully, more business. Because most people initially choose to look at houses based on their curb appeal, Instagram is a great way to showcase the homes you offer. Instagram is primarily a visual social media site — photos or videos are a must. Copy can be used to provide further details and hashtags increase reach and awareness.

Public Relations – After-Sale Sponsorship

Real estate lead generation is also possible offline. Sponsoring your client’s housewarming party is an innovative way to market your company. It humanizes your brand by demonstrating that you don’t take the money and run — you care about helping your client settle into their new neighborhood and you care about bringing the neighborhood together. And by sponsoring a housewarming party, you can hand out branded merchandise like water bottles, pens and notepads. You can even have an employee on the ground passing out business cards and connecting with potential clients.

Tweet: “Sponsoring your client’s housewarming party is an innovative way to market your company.”

Traditional Marketing – Howdy Partner

Another real estate marketing idea is to partner with hotels. When people scope out a new city, state or country, they most often stay in hotels. These people, who are on a mission to find the best choice on a limited schedule, are receptive to new information and open to new suggestions. If your real estate advertisements are seen in the hotel, these buyers may investigate your company further.

Bring these innovative real estate marketing techniques to life for your company. Appleton Creative is an award-winning, full-service Orlando advertising agency that works with local, national and international clients to deliver impressive ad campaigns, branding, print, web, public relations, social media and video services—all in house. At Appleton, we want to learn about your business, empower your marketing team and be your creative resource. Your advertising goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or info@appletoncreative.com