Real estate agents agree that one of the biggest challenges they face is generating new leads. With more than three-quarters of new business coming from referrals, it can feel like the entire real estate industry is competing for a smaller and smaller part of the pie.

But with the right real estate marketing strategies, it’s possible to increase your number of referrals and capture the attention of homeowners looking to sell or rent their properties.

Putting together a top-notch real estate marketing campaign will help boost lead generation, increase conversion rates, and form long-term partnerships with home sellers. The best marketing for real estate also builds your real estate brand awareness and improves your overall reputation.

Thankfully, real estate professionals have abundant tools at their disposal for finding leads, turning them into clients, and closing deals. Below, we’ll cover examples of some successful real estate marketing strategies and share some of the unique real estate marketing ideas used by top agents around the country.

Why a real estate marketing campaign is so important 

For realtors, time is money. Every minute taken up by administrative tasks or in meetings could have been spent on sales. They might have been looking for homeowners looking to put their property on the market or holding open houses where they could connect with home buyers. 

But a well-thought-out real estate marketing campaign makes an agent’s job so much easier. It helps you define your strategy, outline your goals, and target your audience. Done the right way, it can bring in more leads and boost conversion rates.

Marketing for real estate agents includes many of the traditional techniques that have been around for years, such as email marketing campaigns. But today, it also means tech-enable features like 3D virtual tours. You need both if you’re going to reach prospective clients.

Matt Grander, owner of the real estate business Grander and Associates, said he wants to make sure his listings stand out from those of the competition. That’s why he turned to Matterport, one of the most highly regarded real estate marketing tools available today. Its 3D tours — also referred to as “digital twins” — are used for every category of home in the residential real estate market.

“I’m going to use the best technology in the marketplace to present your home and people want to hear that, they want to hear what you are doing differently,” said Grander. “Matterport absolutely makes me different.” 

How to build a real estate marketing campaign

According to a poll conducted by the National Association of Realtors, more than half of all homebuyers start the process online. They begin by conducting a Google search for phrases like “how to sell my house,” “prices for homes in my area,” and “how to find a realtor.”

In today’s market, prospective buyers are looking for more than someone to list their home. They are looking for an expert who can walk them through the entire home-buying process. They want a realtor who knows their neighborhood, understands the market, and has the experience to sell their home at the best price.

That’s why marketing and personal branding for real estate agents have to take a comprehensive approach. Top-notch real estate broker marketing has to show off your skills and experience in all aspects of the job. Here are five key steps to keep in mind while you plan how to best get the word out about you and your agency.

Define your target audience

Your target audience is the people who are most likely to want to buy or sell the types of homes in your company’s portfolio. These are the potential buyers and sellers that you should be targeting.

You’ll want to narrow down the field a bit. If you and your team don’t have expertise in a certain part of the market, such as first-time home buyers, there’s no point in reaching out to them. Pinpoint the client demographics that you can best serve since these are the ones who are most likely to give you that all-important referral.

How do you start defining your target market? Research what buyers or renters in your area are looking for in terms of location, amenities, and square footage. Find out what their priorities are in terms of commute time or proximity to shopping. Get to know what they need in a new home. 

Identify communication channels

From conducting the most effective email marketing campaigns to establishing the right social media accounts, real estate companies have abundant resources at their fingertips for connecting with potential clients.

Take a close look at the content marketing channels you already use and weigh whether they are an effective part of your real estate marketing plan. For example, you should know that you don’t spend more on video marketing efforts than it brings in.

Consider expanding in areas where you’re seeing a positive ROI. If you’re getting referrals through social media platforms, consider adding more content that shows you’re an expert. Create SEO-optimized articles to help make sure you appear in more search engine results. Purchase targeted advertisements through Facebook Ads or invest in Google AdWords. In some markets, LinkedIn and Yelp can also be big traffic drivers. 

Of course, list your properties on real estate websites like Zillow and StreetEasy. The best way to stand out on these platforms is to ensure you offer great photography at a good cost and an embedded 3D tour. Use Matterport cameras and digital twin features to create unique and eye-catching experiences for renters and buyers.

Get the right marketing tools

When designing a marketing campaign, think about what tools will best serve your clients. Prioritize tools that help them visualize your properties in detail, such as digital twins and virtual tours. These will help your property listings reach more people, hold their attention longer, and keep your properties top of mind. 

Most real estate agents prefer software that can take care of all their needs in terms of photography, video walkthroughs, and 3D virtual walkthroughs. A favorite of real estate professionals, Matterport is a powerful tool that offers a range of photography, intro videos, schematic floor plans, and, of course, 3D walkthroughs.

Calculate your marketing budget

You’ll probably have plenty of real estate advertising ideas, but a limited budget. There are endless options, so make sure your company has the money set aside to take advantage of them. 

How much should you spend on marketing in real estate? The rule of thumb, known throughout the industry, is about 10% of the previous year’s gross commission. This should give you a ballpark figure on how much a brokerage should spend on both traditional and digital marketing. 

Measure campaign performance

Along with keeping track of how much you’re spending on property marketing, you’ll also want to have an idea of how well your campaigns are succeeding. Calculate your cost per lead by dividing the total cost of each campaign by the number of leads it brings in. 

Decide on which metrics are most important to your company. Make sure to measure the number of people who are interacting with your social media posts, visiting your landing pages, and clicking on your sponsored links. How many of these turned into leads? And how many were converted into clients? Knowing this will help you to plan even more effective marketing campaigns in the future. 

7 creative real estate marketing ideas to grow your business in 2024

When it comes to finding leads and closing deals, you can’t afford to leave any stone unturned. From building in-person relationships to establishing an online presence, here are 9 of the best real estate marketing tips to help you grow your business in 2024. 

1. Rethink the open house

 Only about 10% of sales are the result of an open house. But that doesn’t make them any less valuable. An open house shouldn’t be about selling this one property. Think of it as a way to convince homeowners in the area that you and your team have the expertise and experience necessary to sell their property. It’s a great marketing technique for real estate agents.

Why does an open house only have to take place for a few hours over a weekend? Today’s virtual open houses should take place 24/7, meaning they are ready to go whenever a potential buyer or renter is available. They reach more buyers, and allow them to ‘tour’ your properties whenever is easiest for them. Instead of a business card with your phone number, you gather a potential client’s contact information online.  

“Our clients are often busy people,” says Yuya Fukubayashi, Senior Manager of Public Relations at List Sotheby's International Realty. “Giving them the convenience of viewing a property from anywhere at any time starts the entire sale or leasing process with a positive impression. Matterport helps us deliver the superior quality customer service essential to who we are as an organization.”

Tip: Create 3D virtual tours

Matterport’s digital twin technology generates a fully interactive digital model of the property. A digital twin is a customizable 3D virtual tour that potential buyers can control, providing 360-degree views of every room. Easily integrated into your real estate marketing plan across a range of platforms, these reach a wider audience, hold their attention longer, and save you time. Digital twins open tours up to geographically distant prospects, helping you find more qualified leads. By allowing buyers to envision how the space will work for them, they maximize your sales while reducing the number of dead-end tours.

2. Attract the right buyers and win more listings

A 3D virtual tour is a great selling tool because it allows clients to view properties whenever is convenient for them. Simply put, clients love them. According to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, nearly 80% of respondents said they would switch to an agent who offered 3D tours of properties.  

A 3D virtual tour is more effective because buyers know how what they are getting aligns with what they want. According to Colliers International, clients who viewed digital models spent more time in a property when they toured it in person. 

“Matterport 3D virtual tours are extremely effective because of the accuracy of the scan,” said Colliers Senior Vice President Chris Irwin. “We know how good it is, and our clients do too. If people physically visit a space they are interested in, they realize it’s exactly the same as they saw it online. Their confidence in the space goes up, and the whole decision-making process is faster.”

Tip: Show off your property’s best assets

Starting at $299, Matterport’s Digital Pro package includes a full digital twin of your property, along with 25 high-resolution photos and a detailed floor plan. This affordable package also includes a full video preview of your property, perfect for embedding in your real estate listings and sharing on social media. 

3. Take advantage of great visuals

Nothing catches the attention of buyers like breathtaking visuals of a property. Make sure to post high-resolution photos and a 3D tour to your agency’s website, to the dedicated landing page for the property, to real estate websites, and to your social media profiles. These scroll-stopping images will catch the attention of more people, helping you to easily find the right buyer. 

Giles Atkinson, Director at the real estate firm Atkinson McLeod, said he chose Matterport because it makes the photography process easier. 

“Our agents work on commissions, so they appreciate the technology that makes the process more efficient,” he said. “They can usually create the digital twin on the day we get keys. There’s no waiting on processing like you might have from a professional photographer. We can upload high-quality tours to our website the very same day.”  

Tip: Pick the right camera

Matterport provides a number of affordable cameras to make the process of digitizing your property a snap. With a resolution of 134 Megapixels, The Matterport Pro2 creates print-ready photographs, detailed floor plans, and stunning 3D virtual tours. The new Pro3 camera is perfect for properties with outdoor features like pools or gardens. And for those looking to go the DIY route, the Matterport Mobile App allows you to create ready-to-share models using only a Matterport Axis camera mount and your smartphone.

4. Increase your social media marketing

Social media creates plentiful opportunities for reaching out to potential clients. A great real estate online marketing campaign provides them with the chance to interact with you and your company in a meaningful way.

Vary your real estate marketing strategies on social media. On websites like Facebook, you can reach out to home buyers in your area. Targeted ad buys can reach people who are currently in the market for a home. On professional sites like LinkedIn, you can highlight your know-how in the local market. Use it to advertise seminars and other special events. The clever use of hashtags allows you to go beyond your immediate circle to reach new audiences.

Wherever you put your social media marketing dollars, make sure you catch the attention of buyers with photographs, 3D walkthroughs, and other high-impact visuals. Keep them from scrolling past your listing by embedding introductory videos, audio, and interactive models that will hold their interest for longer.  

Tip: Target younger clients social media

The younger your potential clients, the more likely they are to rely on social media. Tools like Instagram Stories, for instance, allow you to publish a wide variety of time-sensitive social media posts every day. Use these posts to conduct polls, answer questions, and run contests that will keep clients connected to your business.

5. Connect using email marketing

Successful email marketing campaigns allow you to reach customers directly, putting your properties in front of those who will be most interested in them. Email is an easy, non-intrusive way to follow up with people who have expressed an interest in your properties in the past.

Your email marketing campaigns should always include a call to action, such as a link to click for more information. Make sure that there’s interesting content that will catch a reader’s attention and establish your credibility. Share your knowledge of the local real estate market and trends in your industry. Include a shout-out to local businesses to show that you know the local market. If possible, include colorful infographics and video testimonials from satisfied customers.

Companies like MailChimp provide easy-to-use templates for compiling email lists and creating personalized emails. These emails are a great place to include photographs, floor plans, 3D walkthroughs, and other high-impact visuals. 

Tip: Personalize your email message

Your clients are likely to receive dozens of emails every day. Make yours stand out by making sure you aren’t wasting anyone’s time. Personalize each email with those properties that are in the area where they already live or where they hope to find a home. 

6. Build a referral system

When you talk about marketing in real estate, few resources are more important than your network of referrals. That includes small businesses, financial institutions, or other real estate agencies. The larger your community, the more likely you will have interested clients referred your way, giving you promising real estate leads without increasing your marketing campaign budget.

Tip: Attend virtual networking events

Think that networking is most effective offline? Research shows that you can get great results by participating in virtual events. According to the National Association of Realtors, up to 40% of an agent’s referrals can come from their participation in an online networking group.

7. Participate in the local community

Your real estate business serves a crucial function in the fabric of the community. By playing a part in your local community, your care for customers will be front and center, creating opportunities to both help the people around you and generate goodwill for your company.

Tip: Sponsor organizations and events

Keep your business in front of potential customers by lending support to local events. Sponsor children’s sports teams, charity events, and fund drives. Giving back helps everyone and creates visible partnerships between your business and the people around you.