Easy Summer Real Estate Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business
There are two truths about summer and the real estate biz:
#1 It’s busy. And being busy is good for business.
#2 It’s sunny. And when it’s sunny, it’s hard to want to work all the time.
Reaping the rewards of the busy season doesn’t mean you have to give up your summer.
It means you have to work smart. And working smart means adapting your real estate marketing efforts.
Not sure where to focus your real estate marketing efforts this summer? Start with these easy summer real estate marketing ideas to help grow your business.
Mix Up Your Open Houses
There’s nothing worse than giving up a summer afternoon to host an open house that only four people attend.
You can’t avoid hosting open houses in the summer, but you can change how you host them to maximize their effectiveness.
- Consider the timing. There aren’t any hard rules about when open houses take place. Try scheduling open houses for weekday evenings or Saturday mornings, to catch potential buyers before they head to the beach or while their kids are at soccer practice.
- Keep on live streaming. Offering an open house livestream is a great practice that doesn’t have to disappear once the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. Live streaming summertime open houses gives you a chance to reach potential buyers who are out of town and unable to attend in person.
- Turn them into an occasion. Themed open houses aren’t just for real estate reality TV shows. Making an event out of your open house is a great way to get attention and ensure attendance, and summer is the best time to do it. Investing in attractions like a snowcone maker, cocktail bar or face-painting for kids will bring people in (and you never know whether one of them will be your buyer).
- Spread the word early. Plan your open houses with clients as early as possible, so you can start marketing well in advance. Extra notice will help interested buyers plan accordingly (a must during the busy summer months).
Host a Block Party (Or Other Community Event)
People want to be out and about in the summer months. Especially after the isolation and distance brought on by the pandemic.
If current guidelines in your area allow outdoor gatherings of groups, tap into the collective eagerness for social events and host your own community party.
This could be a block party in your neighbourhood, a BBQ at a local park or an entertainment-focused event, such as an outdoor concert or movie night.
Work with local sponsors to keep costs down and focus on maximizing engagement (not advertising) by delivering invitations in-person to local businesses and passersby, and making the rounds during the event itself.
Your goal is to get your name out there and build your network.
Go Door-Knocking With Goodies
Another way to make a strong impression and grow your network over the summer: do a little door-knocking with some summer treats in hand:
- Buy freezies, popsicles or ice-cream sandwiches in bulk.
- On small paper gift bags, scrawl a personal note and drop your business card (or a postcard) inside.
- Pack a large cooler with gift bags pre-loaded with frozen treats, and hit the road.
- Grab a few bags out of the cooler at a time, and start knocking on doors.
The treats are a great way to break the ice (no pun intended), create a warm first impression and keep your conversations short and sweet (before the goods start melting!).
Looking for strategies and advice for how to successfully generate real estate leads by door-knocking? Click here to download our free eBook on tried-and-true door-knocking strategies!
Be a Local Guru
Back to what we were saying about people wanting to be out and about in the summer months. You can further tap into that eagerness by positioning yourself as a local authority on all things summertime.
Create local weekend guides with suggested day trips (including fun tidbits, like where to find the best chip truck). Put together weekly roundups of the best local events. Share neighbourhood tips and picks for the best patios, ice cream cones and happy hours.
How does this translate into real estate business growth for you? By cementing your reputation as a local expert and bringing traffic to your real estate website and/or real estate social media channels.
These guides, roundups and tips can be turned into Instagram content, real estate blog posts, lead magnets and/or landing pages, and then promoted over social media or by email.
What area of your business are you hoping to grow or improve this summer?
