For real estate agents, marketing is a means to build relationships with potential and existing clients. And thanks to its storytelling capabilities, content marketing is an especially effective tool for agents looking to earn engagement and foster new connections.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is a strategic approach to creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent materials to drive profitable consumer action. Look no further than Rolex’s stunning Instagram imagery or Sotheby’s International Realty’s RESIDE magazine to see examples of great content marketing in action.

Fortunately for real estate agents, luxury homes make for some of the best content out there. If we’re intentional about how and where we share content, it can have a great impact on our business, including by generating new leads.

Your own listings serve as content

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

With their ability to tell a story and appeal to viewers, property listings bring the importance of content to the fore. With a little extra effort, these materials can engage audiences with awe-inspiring images and compelling editorial.

First of all, invite your viewers in. Ensure that your words truly welcome them to the home and convey a sense of being present in the space. That doesn’t mean you have to be verbose — you can still tell a beautiful narrative with bullet points, while also allowing your visuals to speak for the property.

Then, prioritize storytelling in your descriptions. Your audience can see the physical traits of the property in your photographs, but they can’t see the history, or appreciate the finer details, or feel the sense of splendor or serenity the home creates. Go above and beyond to provide that for them. A well-written listings page can be an oasis and can help even recreational viewers to remember you down the line.

Be strategic in your social media

You’re probably already aware of the benefits of bringing an influencer mindset to your social media strategy. But here are four ways to take a more focused, tactical approach to sharing stories on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

The operative word when it comes to content marketing is “consistent.” Hone your unique voice and your visual aesthetic, and keep it the same across stories and channels. Present as a real person that your audience can relate to, while building a more authentic personal brand. If you wouldn’t find yourself saying something in conversation, it probably doesn’t belong in a social media caption. Meal prep your posts. I dedicate Saturday or Sunday to compiling a week’s worth of images I want to share and write the accompanying texts in my Notes app. Posting content then becomes a matter of copying and pasting — but this way, I can also be agile in case there are headlines in the news, or changes in my own network or community, that it would be more appropriate to respond to. Tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Later can help you plan more formally. Luxury brokerages and firms are goldmines of content. Leverage all that elegant, eloquent material that your company is producing — take a screenshot of the latest property listing or a photo of one of your latest marketing material, such as a brochure or presentation booklet, and republish it in a post. It’s already written, it’s branded, and it’s begging to be shared with a wider audience. Respond to comments. When your audience is engaging, it means your efforts are working, but you need to proactively nurture these connections as they emerge.

Show that you’re a thought leader

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

LinkedIn is the platform for professional conversation, and it’s a great piece of the content puzzle for real estate agents. Consider publishing periodic articles to LinkedIn Pulse as part of your content marketing strategy. I post weekly if I can, and I’ve had newspapers, bloggers, and analysts consult me for my professional insights, which in turn puts me on their audiences’ radar.

On LinkedIn, as with any social platform, fact-checking is sacred. When your readers can publicly question anything you write, you want to make sure that your points are all supported by credible information that you can refer to if asked. And I recommend keeping your personal opinions out of your posts. You never want to alienate potential clients by wading into controversial subject matter.

Finally, you don’t have to write exclusively on real estate. My focus has encompassed leadership, women in business, and other topics that I have firsthand knowledge of through my own education and career journey, and that hold personal significance for me. For example, my last email featured my top three favorite shows related to real estate or DIY projects to watch while social distancing, and it resonated really well with my readers. On Facebook, I shared a story that Sotheby’s International Realty had published on the top five virtual museums you could tour, which my contacts readily shared with their families.

It’s no surprise to me that the leads I generate through content marketing are most often interested buyers — social media is the perfect place for the curious window shopper to find something that catches their eye. But whether people are actively looking to list or buy or are just browsing to gain inspiration, content marketing allows you to connect with a broader network. And as a leading agent, you’ll have the services they need as soon as they ask.

Jessica Di Re

Having been recognized for her dynamism, tact, and professionalism, Jessica strives to get the best possible results for her clients when it comes to selling and buying. Her vast experience in the field has been pivotal to ensure quality service across notable sales, primarily with single-family dwellings, executive custom-built homes, and waterfront properties. This has led her to help those in all walks of life, whether it be their first purchase/sale or to acquiring an investment portfolio. Jessica’s knowledge on today’s market and her hands-on approach to home staging and aftercare service has gained the trust and confidence from her clientele. With this, she has built an extensive network of both young professionals and seasoned executives.

About Sotheby’s International Realty

Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby’s auction house. Today, the company’s global footprint spans 990 offices located in 72 countries and territories worldwide, including 43 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby’s International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.

The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby’s International Realty Inc., both fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

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