4 Online Marketing Tools That EVERY Real Estate Agent Needs

Marketing your real estate business online requires a toolkit. Some online marketing tools are essential to getting the job done right — the online equivalent of a hammer or measuring tape.

Other tools are nice to have, but aren’t required — like a hand torch.

In this blog post, we’re dishing up an online marketing checklist for REALTORS®.

Below you’ll find the four online marketing essentials that EVERY real estate agent needs for online marketing success.

1. A Website

No surprise here. You need a website. And not just any old website, but one that’s optimized for real estate.

Your real estate website should have…

Built-in IDX.

IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It’s what makes it possible to integrate MLS listings and search functions into your personal real estate website. It replicates the experience of browsing an MLS website and helps you capture leads.

The good news? All myRealPage websites have IDX capabilities. Read more about how IDX can help your website capture leads here.

Your bio.

The About Me page on your website is crucial for building trust with potential clients and convincing them that you’re the right agent for them. Don’t be too brief or cut-and-dry. Show your personality, use an approachable and friendly tone, and provide some evidence of your success.

Follow this template here to write your About Me page in less than 10 minutes.

Testimonials.

Client testimonials serve as “social proof” of your skills. Translation: if people are talking about how good you are, someone else will be convinced to try you out. Make sure your testimonials page is prominently featured on your website and is fleshed out with awesome, detailed recommendations from your past clients.

2. Two or Three Active Social Media Channels

As part of your toolkit, you need to have an active presence on social media. But, you don’t need to be on every social media platform. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again:

It’s much better to have a strong presence on the social media platforms that are the best fit for your marketing strategy and style, rather than a half-hearted showing on every site and app.

Focus your efforts on the two or three social media channels that make the most sense for your business.

If blogging forms a key part of your marketing strategy, Pinterest makes sense for you.

If you want to focus on ad campaigns, Facebook is your best friend.

If you’re all about sharing awesome visuals and engaging captions, Instagram is where it’s at.

Not sure which platforms you should be focusing on and how to put them to use? Here’s our guide to choosing the best social media platform for your real estate business.

3. An Introduction Video

It’s no secret: we think video marketing is super effective for real estate agents. And despite the fact that there are easy ways to create marketing videos, we get that not every agent wants to focus on video marketing.

That’s fine. But there is one particular kind of video that we think all agents need to have as part of their online marketing arsenal: the introduction video.

This video is the next best thing to an in-person introduction. It’s a chance to make a strong first impression.

It should be short and sweet and should cover your name, the areas you serve, your level of experience, your values as a real estate agent and the unique skills or expertise you bring to the table. Keep it laidback and personable, not overly scripted and formal.

This is evergreen content; you can update it every few years but otherwise, it doesn’t expire.

You can keep it permanently posted on your website’s About Me page, pinned to the top of your Facebook and Twitter pages and featured as the default video on your YouTube page.

4. A Newsletter (And Lead Magnet)

Why is a newsletter important? Because it’s essentially a way of collecting potential clients’ email addresses, as well as permission to contact them.

You don’t have to send a newsletter every week. Yours could be bi-weekly, or even monthly. It can include your newest listings, a market update and a recent blog post.

(Not sure what to say? Here are some real estate newsletter ideas.)

But maintaining your newsletter on a consistent basis is important so that you don’t miss out on connecting with new leads.

As for how to grow your newsletter subscriber list, this is where a lead magnet comes in. A valuable lead magnet – something that your potential subscribers will really want – can be a game-changer when it comes to attracting sign-ups.

Examples of lead magnets for real estate agents include contests and giveaways, informational guides and in-person meetings.

What other tools do you consider to be essential to YOUR online marketing strategy?