Real estate is a competitive industry, and only getting more so. According to the New York Times, while other industries have faltered in recent years, real estate has grown consistently. Notably, more than 156,000 people entered the real estate industry in 2021 and 2020 combined—nearly 60 percent more than the two years prior.
Today, real estate professionals need to work harder than ever to stand out—which is why the right real estate marketing materials are so important.
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What are real estate marketing materials?
Marketing materials are physical and digital assets that present your brand and offerings to the world (and ideally reach your target audience).
As The Close put it, “Second only to your time and emotional energy, your marketing materials are your most precious assets. Think of them as the vehicle that delivers your personal brand to the world.”
Of course, not every marketing material is a good fit for every real estate agent. So, which are worth the investment and which can you skip? Here’s the scoop on 19 of the best marketing materials for real estate agents.
Business cards
Business cards have long been a great way to make a polished first impression. They’re a physical representation of your brand and something tangible that potential clients can take with them so you stay top of mind.
In addition to handing them out directly, many real estate agents like to place a handful of business cards in the lobbies or common areas of small businesses within their referral network. This is a great way to reach new eyes and grow your brand.
Real estate business cards should, of course, always include your name, contact information, and any other information your state requires. They should align with your brand identity and include your logo. Here are a few other elements to consider:
- A professional, current headshot. Your photo can act as a first impression, so choose one that lets your personality shine through, while still remaining professional. You want to look like you, so dress in something that you’d typically wear to meet a client (and maybe don’t try out a brand new hairstyle that day!).
- A well-chosen quote. Quotes allow you to show off your unique value proposition to prospective clients. As always, keep it professional while staying in line with your brand and personality.
- A QR code. This is a smart way to drive people right to your website without them having to type in your URL.
Blog posts
Blog posts are a terrific way to show off your knowledge of the real estate industry and establish yourself as a local market expert. They’re great for building a library of content on your website and are a smart resource to share in email newsletters.
And, of course, blog posts are a key way to increase your visibility. By SEO optimizing your posts, you can outrank your competition on Google and drive more high-quality traffic to your website.
What should you cover in blog posts? First, you want to make sure the content you’re posting is relevant and valuable to your audience. Here are some topics to consider:
- Tips and guidance on buying or selling a home
- Home design trends
- Market trends
- Local news and community events
- Resources for those looking to buy or sell
For more ideas, consider using ChatGPT for content inspiration and these 100 real estate blog ideas.
Listing presentations
Listing presentations are often overlooked in marketing toolkits, but they can be an important part of showcasing your experience and talent. Essentially, they are no-obligation presentations that show a prospective client how you would market and sell their home. These can take many forms—some agents choose to create PowerPoint slides, while others design and print booklets for potential sellers to keep.
To impress sellers and increase your close rates, you want your listing presentations to be professional, on-brand, and demonstrate what you can do. Here’s what they should include:
- A suggested list price
- Statistics that support why you are suggesting that price
- Suggestions for upgrades, home repairs, or staging
- A marketing outreach plan
- Mockups of the listing on your website
- Details about how you would handle offer negotiation
Door hangers
Door hangers are an underutilized tool that can make a big impact. They can be used to advertise a specific property or just to get your name out in your community. Many real estate agents choose to go door-to-door in particular neighborhoods and put door hangers on the doors of houses they’d be interested in listing. These real estate marketing materials are a staple of the industry for a reason—they’re hard to miss!
And, of course, like many of the best real estate marketing materials, your door hangers should be on-brand and represent your business well.
YouTube videos
According to a 2021 study, YouTube is used by the majority of Americans, And since it’s owned by Google, creators who use the platform also enjoy major SEO advantages, allowing them to dominate search engine rankings without needing to rely on expensive pay-per-click ads.
There are a number of ways for real estate agents to use YouTube in their marketing efforts. YouTube is a great channel for posting house tours, or for showing off especially impressive exteriors and features of your current and upcoming listings.
You can also use YouTube videos to build your personal brand. Videos about what inspires you as a real estate agent, vlogs with a day in the life of a real estate agent, or inspirational messages that show clients why you’re so great to work with all make for great content that can help get you in front of more prospective clients and referral partners.
For more, check out this step-by-step guide on how to start a YouTube channel for real estate agents.
Newsletters
Regularly sharing content is a great way to get your name in front of more potential clients, position yourself as a thought leader in the industry, and stay top of mind with your existing contacts.
When it comes to the best marketing materials for real estate agents, don’t underestimate the value of old-fashioned print marketing. While some claim that print media has been overtaken by digital tools, in the real estate industry, there’s always room for both. Print newsletters are great to hand out at networking events or open houses, while email newsletters are extremely cost-effective and easy to send in bulk. There are a ton of topics you can cover, from educational information for new homebuyers to local guides to state-of-the-industry recaps.
Check out this post for more information on how to craft a real estate newsletter.
Social media content
Cultivating a thriving social media presence is one of the best ways to grow your real estate business. It’s not enough to just have a Facebook page—you also have to regularly post engaging content if you want to attract new leads, grow your client base, and position yourself as an industry expert and thought leader.
In addition to posting frequently, make sure you’re engaging with people who like or comment on your posts. This shows that you are an active member of the community and are readily available to help them with their needs.
Here are a few ideas for what to post:
- Testimonials from happy clients
- Open house and event announcements
- Listing updates that include prime selling points of the property
- Market trends
- Updates about the real estate industry
- Referral posts from your network to spotlight other local businesses
For more tips on boosting your business through social media, check out this article on proven real estate social media marketing strategies.
Facebook cover images
Even if you put a lot of effort and time into curating great social media posts, you might be overlooking one important piece: your Facebook cover photo. This is the first image that most people will see when they navigate to your Facebook page—and as the largest image on the page, it demands a lot of attention.
Since this photo is much bigger than the images used in posts or in your profile picture, make sure the image you select is high-quality and doesn’t appear blurry. And double-check that the formatting on your cover photo is correct. Facebook cover photos require specific dimensions, and you don’t want any important information on the image to get cut off. A fuzzy, poorly-cropped cover photo can leave a bad first impression, so don’t underestimate the importance of yours!
As for what to use for your photo, it’s best to select something that speaks to your personal brand, such as a great quote, an image of an impressive property that you’ve sold, or a professional photo of yourself.
LinkedIn posts
We’ve already discussed other popular social media platforms, but LinkedIn deserves its own mention. Don’t overlook the business-focused platform—with over 900 million users worldwide, it’s an excellent place to connect with professionals and reach specific target audiences. LinkedIn is especially valuable when building a referral network to get your name and services in front of more people. Plus, the platform’s messaging feature makes it easy for potential clients to reach out after seeing your posts.
Window displays
Window displays are a fantastic way to showcase your business and its offerings. From promoting open houses to highlighting properties to featuring specific services you offer, these eye-catching signs can have a big impact in getting your name out there and building brand recognition. They’re also relatively easy to create, and can be distributed throughout your referral network of local businesses.
Real estate brochures
These versatile marketing materials are a great way to promote your business and showcase multiple properties at once. Many agents will leave a stack of brochures with local businesses, in addition to distributing them at open houses and other networking events. To make yours effective, ensure your contact information is prominent, you’ve included great photos, and your brochure is, of course, well-formatted and on-brand.
Open house flyers
Open house collateral is another staple real estate agent marketing material. It can be distributed in a ton of places, including local businesses that are part of your referral network, as well as dropped in the mail to neighborhood homeowners. Even if someone isn’t interested in that particular property or can’t make the open house, they’ll have your contact information for when the time is right.
Your open house flier should include all the basics—information about the featured listing and the address, date, and time—as well as any additional incentives you’re offering, such as snacks or raffles.
Open house signs
Similarly, open house signs are an eye-catching way to pique the interest of prospective buyers. You should be strategically placing them in and around the areas of town where your ideal client is likely to be.
If you can, use on-brand text, images, and colors to create consistency across your marketing materials. If you don’t have time to design your own sign, there are plenty of options for pre-made signs. Either way, include your contact information and make sure the sign can be easily read from a few feet away.
Engaging MLS listings
Stand-out MLS listings should be a key part of your marketing plan—they can be just the thing that turns a window shopper into a client. From high-quality images to dynamic storytelling that appeals to your target audience, there’s a lot that goes into creating an effective listing. For specific tips on creating engaging property descriptions, check out this article.
High-definition photos
It should go without saying, but we still have to say it: make sure you’re using high-quality, high-definition photos in all of your real estate marketing materials. While it might be tempting to quickly snap photos on your phone and immediately upload them to your page, don’t. (Unless you are a gifted photographer who understands the ins and outs of real estate photography.)
For many agents, it makes sense to outsource photography to a professional. While some balk at the cost of the investment, the client engagement and brand-building it drives will likely more than pay for the cost.
Paid ads
Paid ads are a powerful addition to your marketing toolkit, driving high-quality traffic to your website when done well. They allow you to target the exact audience you want to reach, build brand awareness, and so much more. One caveat: many real estate professionals spend hours learning how to use a new ad platform, only to end up with disappointing results. Building and targeting high-performing ads can be tricky, so it often makes sense to partner with an expert who stays up-to-date with the nuances of the industry and knows how to drive results.
An SEO-optimized website
Real estate is all about location—and that includes SEO. Getting in front of prospects in your local market is imperative, and SEO is the key to getting you there.
To get your website ranked at the top of the Google search results, try these tips:
- Do keyword research. Real estate keywords refer to the specific words that your target audience is searching online. Knowing these keywords and how to use them is imperative if you want to get in front of these potential clients.
- Consistently post high-quality content. To improve your website’s search engine rankings, you should be creating relevant, high-quality content that targets the right keywords. Make sure it’s informative and engaging, providing value to your website visitors.
- Mobile optimize your website. Sixty percent of searches happen on phones, so making your site mobile-friendly is non-negotiable. It should also be a top requirement because Google prioritizes the mobile version of your site.
For more tips on maximizing your real estate SEO, check out this article.
Email marketing
Real estate is a profession that relies on relationships, which means email is an ideal marketing channel. It keeps you top of mind, helps you nurture leads, allows you to share valuable content, and grows your network.
Just make sure you’re segmenting your client list, so you can control who gets what email. For example, you wouldn’t want to send a recent buyer an email about selling their house or send a referral email to someone who hasn’t yet become an active client.
Here are some examples of the types of emails you might want to send to your list:
- New property listing announcements
- Open house invites
- Referral requests
- Market trend opinion pieces
- Neighborhood guides
- Blog posts
- Success stories or testimonials
Postcards
Real estate mailers are one of the all-time best real estate agent marketing materials. They’re a great way to bring in new leads, build awareness about your brand, and drive sales. Plus, they’re short and sweet and relatively inexpensive to create and mail. Check out this article to learn about the most effective types of real estate mailers and get resources for customizing postcard templates.
How to decide which real estate marketing materials are best for you
Again, not every marketing item is a natural fit for every real estate agent—and you don’t need to spend money on something that doesn’t make sense for your real estate business. To narrow down what to focus on, think about who you’re trying to reach, your budget, and the amount of time you have to devote to building marketing materials. More doesn’t always mean better, and that holds true when building your real estate marketing toolkit.
Work with real estate marketing experts at Luxury Presence
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with the right real estate marketing materials, Luxury Presence can help. Get in touch today to learn how we can help you build your brand, elevate your presence, and grow your business.
