Between chasing down leads, nurturing client relationships, and the million other things on your calendar, it’s hard to prioritize coming up with novel real estate marketing ideas. But as the industry shifts and agents navigate a tight market, marketing your real estate business has never been more important.
It takes a smart, effective, creative marketing strategy to stand out in the competitive luxury real estate market. We’ll dive into 31 tried-and-tested real estate marketing ideas that are sure to elevate your brand, develop new audiences, and keep your leads engaged.
We’ve broken our top real estate marketing ideas into six primary channels, with a few outside-the-box options as a bonus. Each strategy is adaptable for just about any agent, and best of all, you can start on any one of them today.
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Content marketing ideas for real estate
We’ve all heard that content is king. But what kind of content? How often should you create it? And where should you post it? Here are some solid recommendations to help you work content into your real estate marketing plan.
1. Develop relevant blog posts
Creating blog posts is a great way to attract more potential buyers to your website. But you shouldn’t post just to post—the content you publish should be relevant to your ideal client. Give them valuable content and they’ll trust you as an authority, making you the obvious choice when they want to buy or sell a home.
Think about what your ideal client wants to know. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Investing in a short-term rental property
- How to stage a home for an open house
- Interior design ideas
- Easy tips for curb appeal
- Environmental and sustainability news and trends
- The role of smart-home technology
For more, check out our comprehensive list of blog post ideas. The key is to cover what your specific audience cares about and become the place they go for answers. You can even use AI technology to generate post topics and outlines.
2. Showcase your expertise
Every piece of content you produce should showcase your real estate experience and market knowledge. What can you talk about that reflects your expertise and experience?
Take your expert authority one step further and consider hosting free seminars on a hot topic, such as why some homes sell faster than others. Or team up with local businesses to film a video on the top home improvements to take on before putting a house on the market.
3. Write about your neighborhood and community.
Buyers crave information about the areas where they’re considering moving. As a local business, you’re primed to get them up to speed on the neighborhood. Keep track of local events to share them with your audience. There’s a Charleston agent who sends out a list of what’s happening every month, from high school football games to oyster roasts—she’s so well known for it that people call it Debbie’s Calendar. You can also create helpful neighborhood guides with the details they want to know.
4. Vary your content distribution methods
Creating good content is only half the battle.
For a content marketing strategy to be effective, you need the right people to see it. So don’t just publish your content to your website and call it a day. Share it on your social media channels and send it to your contact list in strategic email marketing campaigns. You could even start a podcast to share your expertise and personality.
Can’t get your head (or your calendar) around content marketing? We can help.
Real estate advertising ideas
Advertising has come a long way from newspaper pullouts. Here are some ways you can use ads to make your marketing budget really work for you.
5. Run strategic Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are an incredibly effective way of capturing attention online. Ad networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google use the thousands of data points they collect about their users to put your ads in front of the right people at the right time. If someone is looking to sell a property, PPC campaigns can get your ad in their social feed or search results—with a strong call to action so they contact you.
6. Retarget leads with ads
Imagine someone visits your site and views a listing or reads a blog post. Then they leave to start making dinner before filling out your lead capture form. Successful retargeting campaigns help you get your brand in front of them again.
They might see your ad pop up in their Facebook feed or on a YouTube banner ad. You can use these ads to remind them how interesting your article was or how much they liked a property—and, most importantly—nudge them to come back and find out more.
7. Create dedicated landing pages
For real estate agents with several target audiences, dedicated landing pages can help segment messaging and craft highly specific calls to action that will populate sales funnels.
A landing page for buyers might be a property search page. Sellers might be tempted by a free home valuation. Either way, the agent offers something of value to the prospective lead and the lead provides their contact information to access it.
8. Integrate geo-targeting
Similarly, you can target PPC ads toward potential clients in a specific geographical area. For example, if you’re focusing on selling townhouses in a neighborhood, Google allows you to zero in on that targeted audience, ensuring your money is being put to the best use.
Looking to hand ads off to the experts? We’d love to talk.
Social media marketing ideas for real estate
Social media is increasingly becoming a bigger part of the real estate sales process, as 68% of agents use social media to promote their listings. Real estate is naturally suited for highly visual social media platforms — here is how you can use it to your advantage.
9. Reveal your authentic self
Social media is a prime opportunity to build a sense of personality around your real estate brand. Showing up authentically as yourself goes a long way to building the “know, like, and trust” factor that often drives purchasing decisions.
No one knows this better than Giorgina Martino, a luxury real estate agent who elevated her reputation through her Instagram efforts. “Instagram has been a really powerful tool for my branding and marketing. My Instagram is a mix of business and lifestyle, so while I’m reminding my audience that I’m their go-to real estate agent, they’re also able to get to know me personally and my interests,” she says. “It allows me to connect with my sphere of influence on another level, and I’ve gotten buyers and listings directly from my Instagram.”
Different target audiences will obviously use different social media platforms, depending on their age and interests. The best way to start is to pick a channel you and your ideal audience already use. Your social media marketing efforts should ladder up to your overall marketing campaigns to ensure consistency across the board.
Follow our favorite Instagram accounts for more inspiration.
10. Use the right hashtags
Hashtags categorize groups of social media posts. The user experience may vary from social network to social network, but in general, clicking on a hashtag will bring you to similar content posted by other users.
Using multiple hashtags on social media helps grab the attention of people looking for posts about #YourArea, #YourProfession, or #YourTopic. But to get the most engagement, you need to choose the correct tags.
11. Engage with your audience
Your social media presence isn’t just about what you post on your grid or in your Stories. You need to be, well, social. The algorithm rewards users who get involved, so comment under other people’s posts, respond to DMs, and keep the conversation flowing.
Engagement drives interest in your brand and gives potential clients an idea of who you are and what you stand for. And in a world where people are inundated with information, engagement is what can set your brand apart.
Join local Facebook groups and answer questions, chime in on Twitter threads, and respond to other people’s posts on Instagram. For example, there’s a Charleston agent who is active on the Facebook history group and he is constantly solidifying his reputation as a local, go-to real estate pro with his engagement, responding to questions, and posting historical anecdotes.
Local real estate marketing ideas
Online marketing and social media posts can bring people to your door, but your local marketing strategies will engender the goodwill and trust of your community. By failing to localize your marketing strategy, you could be putting a lot of effort into building relationships with people who live too far away to benefit from your personal experience.
12. Get involved
This real estate marketing idea could involve contributing financially or investing your time. Consider sponsoring an area sports team, supporting the arts, or volunteering for a mentorship program. Whether a grand gesture or small investment, community engagement is a reliable way to build trust, create brand loyalty, and deliver new leads.
13. Write a local magazine column
Become “that” local real estate agent with a weekly or monthly column. Local magazines have a devoted following and are an excellent source of expert advice and information about upcoming events. Most smaller publications run on shoestring budgets and appreciate local experts reaching out to offer editorial content. Send an email to the editor introducing yourself and pitching a specific idea for an article.
14. Partner with local businesses
Many agents have a list of home mortgage lenders they call on but don’t forget the value of partnering with local vendors for staging, home repairs, and closing gifts. When entering a mutually beneficial business partnership, you are building relationships in your community that could offer consistent referral opportunities.
Marketing ideas that leverage SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is how you help potential clients find you online. If you want to stand out in a sea of search results, these are the marketing ideas you need.
15. Level up your professional website
In this competitive luxury market, you need a website that matches your luxury brand. Your website is your home, the hub for all your online marketing. So it makes sense to spend some time and money getting it right. A few quick tips: regularly update your listings online and include clear directions about how potential buyers or sellers can work with you.
16. Use SEO best practices to drive traffic
An effective SEO strategy enables your website to rank highly for key search terms, which helps your target audience find you online. The best way to drive the right traffic to your site is to consider the information your ideal client would value. Translate this information into the language they would use and incorporate the corresponding keywords into your website content.
17. Dial in your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is important marketing collateral—and you should capitalize on it. At a minimum, make sure the information Google displays about your business is accurate. Also, encouraging happy past clients to leave online reviews is a key marketing strategy, as prospective clients are likely to check those before they even call you.
18. List on Zillow and other top sites
More than 200 million users visitor Zillow each month—that’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your listings and profile. Other top sites to consider include Trulia, Redfin, and realtor.com. Make sure your site is optimized for syndication with all of the major property search sites.
19. Optimize for mobile
According to NAR’s 2023 report, 73% of homebuyers use a mobile device or tablet in their home search. Also, Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search results. For those reasons, it’s extremely important that your website works well and looks great on mobile as well as desktop.
Most website platforms will help you make sure your site is responsive, in that it works on both desktop or mobile. But don’t be afraid to reach out to an expert. Clunky listings that are difficult to read on the phone are unlikely to win you any business—and could even drive potential clients away. Looking for expert help with your SEO strategy? Learn more here.
Offline real estate marketing ideas
Marketing any business effectively without a website, social media account, or email is nearly impossible. However, neglecting the tactics real estate agents have relied on for decades is also a mistake. Ideally, you’ll want to strike a balance. The following offline suggestions can deliver a great return on your investment when paired with digital real estate marketing.
20. Offer branded swag
Swag can be just about anything. The items you select to bear your name and logo act as a silent brand ambassador. Simple products like pens, notepads, and travel mugs are popular with real estate agents because they are inexpensive and genuinely useful.
21. Use call tracking
Call tracking links online customer journeys to an offline phone. When your office receives incoming calls, you’ll know at a glance which marketing activity led to the in-person contact by assigning different numbers to each call to action (or by using tracking software). You can use that information to fine-tune your marketing efforts.
22. Create a killer business card
The font and color of your business cards should coordinate with your other marketing materials. The information should be clear and concise and distinguish your company from the competition. Add a distinctive tagline or slogan to make a lasting impression. This is all part of your larger brand strategy, and we have the ideal, comprehensive resource for those who need a brand refresh.
23. Send real estate mailers
While many house hunters look at property listings online, open-house postcards, flyers, and brochures still attract attention. Paired with other types of marketing, direct mail can help you reach more prospects in your target market. Consider keeping the lines of communication open by running seasonal direct mail campaigns.
24. Give a local care package after closing
Agent care packages are usually the first housewarming gifts homebuyers receive. This gesture often impresses clients, and the physical nature of these gifts may spur them to post an image on social media. They may also be more likely to post a review or testimonial. Finally, everyone benefits when your care package includes items from your local business partners.
Bonus brilliant marketing ideas for real estate
25. Invest in branding and design
Unique branding is one of the best ways to stand out from that crowd of millions of active real estate agents. When homebuyers come across your content, you want them to immediately know it’s yours.
To capture your vision and connect with your ideal client, invest in consistent, quality branding and design across your digital marketing, print ads, leaflets, and marketing packages.
26. Film video walkthroughs to share
Video content is incredibly popular online, and walkthroughs are a great way of sharing properties with a wider audience. You can go all-in and elevate your brand with a professionally produced video, or keep it casual with a self-filmed walkthrough that highlights the home—and your sparkling personality.
27. Use drone photography
According to MLS stats, homes with drone photography as part of their marketing package sold an average of 68% faster. If you’re interested, you can take the time to get your own certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration or bring in the professionals and show potential buyers a bird’s eye view of what’s on offer.
28. Market listings with virtual staging
Want to whet buyers’ appetites? Giving them a virtual tour of your listings can save you time, speed up the home-buying process, and increase your capacity to bring in more leads. By setting up a virtual staging website, you allow prospective buyers to browse at all hours, drawing them in while you have their interest.
29. Cross-promote your open house
Think outside the box and use your personal network of local businesses to create a unique open house experience. Invite a local celebrity chef to do demonstrations in your listing’s kitchen, stage a home with high-end art from a gallery, or host a pet adoption event in your listing’s extensive backyard.
30. Ask for referrals
Past clients are an invaluable source of lead generation, so it’s key to follow up with clients a few weeks after they’ve settled into their new home. You could send them a gift or simply an email asking how they’re settling in and whether they know anyone else looking to buy or sell their home.
31. Create or join a referral network
You can connect with top-producing agents, get more quality referrals, and bring in more business with Luxury Presence’s exclusive real estate networking app.
Real estate marketing + Luxury Presence
With this wealth of real estate marketing ideas in your back pocket, you’ll be set up for success—and an increase in qualified leads. And if you’re looking for a team of highly skilled experts who have handled real estate marketing for some of the top-producing agents in the country, we’d love to talk to you.