You’ve heard it hundreds of times before: The key to driving growth in the real estate industry is building a strong online presence. With the majority of home buyers and sellers turning to the internet to find the right real estate agent for their needs, you must foster a positive online reputation for real estate lead generation. Yet while the why is self-explanatory, the how is often far more obscure.
Understanding how to create the optimal online luxury real estate agent presence and build your client base using exclusive online tools turbocharges your business growth. It can also unlock previously unattainable opportunities that bring your business to new heights in the real estate industry.
Here’s how you can build your online presence and client database through real estate lead generation.
Find It Fast
Make a stellar first impression by building a polished website
Any luxury real estate agent worth their salt understands the importance of a memorable first impression. A well-dressed, well-spoken real estate agent is far more likely to grab the attention of luxury property buyers and sellers. The same goes for a great website. According to the 2022 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 80% of all buyers found the home they purchased on the internet or through a real estate agent. In both cases, each buyer’s first impression of the agent they went on to work with was likely online.
Today a positive first impression nearly always correlates with a modern, well-thought-out website and impactful online presence. However, that’s not the entire equation. A professional-looking real estate agent may capture potential clients’ attention, but whether or not the relationship lasts and becomes profitable depends on how quickly that agent can prove their industry knowledge and value.
An impressive website doesn’t only need to look appealing. It has to also offer potential clients value, demonstrate a real estate agent’s knowledge of the market and industry, and embody the most integral aspects of their brand.
Fortunately, there are actionable steps you can take toward building a website that makes a lasting impression. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Align your website with your brand and image
Undoubtedly, the first thing that attracts any visitor to your website will be its design. As a luxury real estate agent, your website should reflect your brand and use a modern, sleek layout that provides an appealing, seamless user experience. Instead of solely focusing on how your website looks, make it easily navigable, mobile-friendly, and interactive.
Place the spotlight on the aspects of your business and service offerings of which you’re most proud. Whether it’s virtual tours, raving testimonials, your podcast, or success garnered through a unique approach to selling homes, broadcast what sets you apart.
When potential clients view your website, they should see something memorable that embodies your brand and sets you apart from other agents. A website perfectly aligned with your luxury brand, your business, and how you approach client relationships projects the best first impression online.
Demonstrate authority by offering useful information
Establishing your online authority as a real estate agent requires balancing where you rank in search results with offering helpful information catered directly to your ideal clients. Drift to either extreme, and you risk being overlooked or appearing redundant.
Building your online credibility and expertise starts with offering your ideal clients valuable information. Beyond neighborhood guides and local real estate statistics, this information may come in the form of the answers to your clients’ questions, content that makes their lives easier, or explanations of real estate trends they may want to take advantage of.
A blog or resource page with helpful information demonstrating your understanding of the industry and pain points your clients may experience conveys your expertise as a real estate agent and the attention to detail and level of support you can offer.
Form strategic referral partnerships
Real estate is, first and foremost, a people business, and forging strong partnerships with other successful agents and industry leaders is a powerful growth and opportunity driver. Although it can feel awkward at first, putting focused energy into building a broad referral partnership network can pay dividends in the long run, and not just through partnerships with other real estate agents. One of the easiest ways to expand your range of professional relationships is by taking advantage of online referral networks.
LinkedIn is a common choice among real estate professionals looking to network and broaden the scope of their potential business opportunities. However, approaching the right professionals, drawing their interest, and developing real relationships using a general platform like LinkedIn can make the process arduous and prone to much trial and error.
A dedicated platform, like Luxury Presence’s Referral Network, gives you access to top-producing real estate agents to build a quality referral network. Some benefits of a referral network include:
- Generating warm leads – Clients referred by other real estate agents or industry professionals will already have built-in trust and confidence in your expertise.
- Saving on marketing – Building a quid pro quo professional relationship that promotes high-quality real estate lead generation can help you save on marketing. Not only are referral partnerships free, but any marketing your partners do could indirectly benefit you.
Connect with potential leads on their home turf
A great website and strong referral network draw potential clients to you. However, connecting with potential clients on their home turf can unlock a world of untapped opportunities. And no online platform hits closer to home than social media. According to the 2022 NAR Member Profile, 74% of realtors are active on Facebook while 10% of NAR members get 6-10% of their business from social media.
Building a solid social media presence and persona allows you to engage and interact with your ideal client outside of the more rigid, impersonal confines of a contact form or automatic response email address listed on your website.
Here are a few ways you can build a positive, approachable social media marketing strategy:
Integrate social proof in your social media marketing strategy
Positive testimonials and client reviews are powerful tools to attract new leads and unlock business opportunities. However, people often overlook the testimonial section of many real estate agent websites. Making past client experiences the highlight of regular social media posts can put the spotlight on the stellar service you provide and your overall success within the industry.
People naturally trust the services and businesses others recommend. By asking past clients for testimonials and leveraging them on social media, you can attract new clients that already trust you and your work to some extent.
Post engaging content that fosters client interaction
Post and share engaging, helpful information on social media to encourage more interaction with your ideal clients. On top of that, geo-targeting your ideal potential market by using location filters on platforms like Facebook and Instagram allows you to build an audience of potential client leads.
Boost online lead generation by running paid ads
Even the best SEO strategy sometimes falls short of expectations. When you’re creating quality content and following proven marketing strategies, falling short on the number of people exposed to your efforts becomes discouraging. Paid ads then become incredibly useful.
By running paid ads on social media platforms, you maximize the number of potential clients that see and interact with your content. Incorporate paid ads into your marketing plan to get your services, ideas, and business in front of the right audience. Back them up with quality content that converts readers or viewers into happy clients.
Outsource to marketing masters and become a real estate influencer
Effective social media marketing strategies go much deeper than simply creating content for a specific audience. Outsourcing the job of growing your following and online presence can take your social presence and persona to new heights. You can develop your status as a real estate influencer, drawing clients to you instead of chasing potential leads online.
Luxury Presence’s Social Media Management services cover all the most significant platforms real estate agents leverage to grow their network and discover new opportunities, including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Join in-person events that translate into online presence growth
It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to grow your online presence and boost lead generation is through good old in-person networking and events. Whether it’s an open house, a charity event, or an HOA meeting, an in-person event offers an unbeatable opportunity to scale your business and boost your online credibility.
Here are a few steps you can take to translate real-world events into potential clients and online growth.
Target your ideal client
Hosting events that attract the type of client you prefer working with is the first step to successfully converting real-world connections into new leads and opportunities. Most luxury property owners and buyers contribute to philanthropic causes and engage in community involvement they hold dear to their hearts.
Whether you volunteer with an environmental organization, join a country club, make your rounds with old clients, or host an open house or mixer, think of how your real-world activities will allow you to connect with your ideal client.
Prioritize collecting contact information
Although it might feel a little forced at first, try to collect the contact information of the people you meet during these in-person events. Avoid solely handing out business cards or brochures, as it feels impersonal and rarely converts into quality leads. Instead, strike up a conversation, take an interest in the conversation, and then organically recommend your services or ask to exchange contact details.
Grow your client database
After every exchange of contact information, add the new contacts to your client database. Whether you add them to your mailing list, approach them directly through SMS real estate marketing, or ask them to sign up for your newsletter, maintaining a personal connection with each potential client or lead will cultivate professional relationships and conversions.
A comprehensive approach to growing your online presence
Fostering a positive, powerful online presence presents a variety of priceless benefits for real estate lead generation, networking, and uncovering new opportunities. Incorporate the strategies and tips mentioned above to grow your online credibility while attracting new potential clients to your website and business.
Luxury Presence’s social media management, website design, and exclusive referral platform can simplify achieving your online growth goals.
