13 Marketing Strategies Real Estate Investors Can Use To Improve Their Business
This article originally appeared on forbes.com
According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, as many as 51% of buyers found the home they purchased on the internet. This staggering stat shows that the power of being present online with your marketing efforts as a real estate
business is key to your success. From digital advertising to social media to just being present and visible in the community, there are several strategies that can make a difference in how quickly
your business grows year to year. Below, 13 members of Forbes Real Estate Council share some of the best
marketing strategies a real estate investor can deploy to improve their business operations.
1. Use Social Media
As an investor, in the past you would have to pay a lot of money for advertising to promote your properties if you were looking to fill your vacant spaces. Now, the
best way is by posting a video or picture of your property on all your social media platforms, and you will get more views and people reaching out to you for more info. LinkedIn works the best for me. – Pamela J. Goodwin, Goodwin Commercial
2. Know Every Customer By Name
Whether looking to invest in single family, apartments or skyscrapers, real estate investors have a huge advantage over other businesses in that they can know every Forbes Real Estate Council pros weigh in. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORBES COUNCILS MEMBERS.
potential seller by name. Leveraging public records to build a database of property owners that fit your criteria is a powerful way to make sure your marketing efforts are perfectly targeted to close more deals. – Sean O’Toole, PropertyRadar
3. Build A Network Of Relationships
The best marketing is organic, and the best growth is through a network of relationships. Ensure that you are investing in the people involved in your real
estate business, and that will ensure your business has a moat built around it.From appraisers, brokers, lenders, attorneys, inspectors to contractors, a strong network will amplify your net worth. – Sohin Shah, InstaLend
4. Focus On Public Relations
PR isn’t just telling the world how you operate and what you’re achieving. If done correctly, it helps maintain a consistent presence with market perception — and consistency is the key to any marketing. Social media is important as a low-cost method for pushing whatever PR placements you get out to the masses. If used correctly, the market begins to understand who you are and when they need you. –
Lee Kiser, Kiser Group
5. Try All You Can Afford To
If I claimed to know the single best marketing tool, you should listen to nothing I say after that. Here is what I can tell you works: marketing. Face to face, knocking on doors, shaking hands and kissing babies. The world is in flux. What works
today doesn’t exist tomorrow. Try all you can afford to. Measure results. However, what will always work is beating the streets. – Mark Bloom, NetWorth Realty
6. Be Original
Stay true to yourself and your particular strategy within the industry. It’s better to be a master of one than a jack of all trades. Also, make sure to cast a wide net and make a lot of noise across various social media channels. – Engelo Rumora, List’n
Sell Realty
7. Use Client Testimonials
Testimonials from happy clients are the best marketing money can’t buy. We would all rather work with people who come recommended to us, and short of knowing a friend in the business, real testimonials work. Let’s focus on solving problems and letting people know how we did it. A true story from a current customer speaks louder than anything else we do. – Beth O’Brien, CoreVest Finance
8. Sign Deals With Local Companies
Reach out to HR teams at local companies and ask if you can offer a deal for their new employees to rent your property. If you have a personal friend who works there, ask them to send out an internal email or bring lunch to their colleagues one day. Over time, your relationship with a company to help advertise properties can be a powerful tool to reduce vacancy and improve quality of tenants. – Chuck
Hattemer, Onerent
9. Invest In Data Analytics
It’s extremely important to understand your audience. Given our extreme focus on both our investment product type and locations, it is easier for us to understand who we want to market to, but the best investment in marketing is data analytics to truly understand who you need and want to market to. – Ridaa Murad,
BREAKFORM | RE
10. Use A Clean And Easy Mobile Design
Mobile first in your online marketing strategies has to be top-of-mind, including a fully responsive website with rich media such as video tour and photo galleries. Giving your target audience a clean and easy website to explore from their mobile
phone will drive revenue, and is the foundation to support social media, SEO and SEM strategies. – Cris Burnam, StorageMart
11. Own Your Digital Footprint
Use social media, SEO, video, online forums and local business listings to make sure your brand is all over the place when people are doing local searches for cash buyers and investors. Everyone digests information in different ways, and making sure your brand is represented online will lead to more discovery of your business and help with trust building. – Kent Clothier, Real Estate Worldwide
12. Use Professional Photography
There is no substitute for professional photography or virtual tours that highlight the best aspects of a property. While the imagery may not sell the property by itself, poor pictures could prevent properties from getting proper consideration. If a potential buyer falls in love with a property from its profile photo, they will be more likely to find it interesting once they get to know it. – Gary Beasley, Roofstock
13. Build A Technology Stack
You must have a CRM system. You must have a website and an email blast system, and never buy anything that doesn’t have an API. Easily, the best tool you can add to your arsenal. – Michael Harris, CREModels
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