New Year’s Resolution! Real Estate Marketing Habits to DROP in 2017

Good ol’ marketing tactics. For those without major marketing experience, the tricks and tools of the trade can get more than a little confusing.

To blog or not to blog? Do you really need a Facebook page? How much money is TOO much when it comes to setting a marketing budget?

The questions are endless (and the answers never seem consistent across the board either). But the fact remains: a marketing plan is an essential element to growing any real estate business, and when rolled out the right way, can be incredibly beneficial.

With 2017 coming up right around the bend, it’s time to take stock of the marketing habits you’ve already developed to find out what’s truly working and what just… isn’t.

Here are a few hints on which habits are worth dumping ASAP.

1. Wasting Your Website

What’s the first thing you do when someone shares a link to their site? You check the thing out!

So, as a realtor, it’s not enough to just buy a domain name and settle on an aesthetically pleasing theme – your realtor website can and should be a giant part of your sales pitch.

Get rid of the outdated listings and lazy blog posts; they’re not doing your business any favours (in fact, they’re doing the exact opposite). If you build it, they will come, which means it’s imperative that you build out that site the right way.

2. Making the “Brand” Your Focus

Of course it’s important to establish your brand, but ultimately, real estate is about sales.

Spending too much time on branding tactics and not enough on securing listings and selling houses is a recipe for disaster. Focus on getting those numbers up first and then work on promoting all your great results.

Best part? A great sales record already speaks for itself (and gets a ton of word of mouth too), which sounds very close to the words “free marketing.” Win.  

3. Ineffective Yard Signage

The oldest trick in the real estate marketing playbook has got to be the classic yard sign, but these days many realtors forget the all important call-to-action.

Too much clutter on one hanging sign is just that, so keep things clear with a phone number, “For Sale” messaging and your name.

Throwing your URL at the bottom isn’t a bad idea either. The point is to make it simple for someone walking or driving by to figure out that this house is on the market and you’re the person to contact for more information.

4. Forgetting Social Media

If you think you can create a modern marketing plan without the use of social media, you’re wrong. Beyond a business website, people want to see that you’ve got a healthy presence online, and there’s no better proof than securing yourself a few social media handles.

Not sure where to start? Facebook is perfect for connecting with a community. Instagram and YouTube were practically made for showing off listings. And Twitter is the almighty when it comes to networking with others in the industry and answering tweets or questions from potential buyers or sellers.

What bad real estate marketing habits are you planning to drop for 2017?