Social media: 5 questions you should be asking yourself.

Social media plays a big part in our lives today, and this is no exception when it comes to letting agents and property management companies. These social channels have turned communication on its head and revolutionised how agents interact with, and advertise to, their audiences.

But are you doing it right? Is it working for your business?

If you feel that the answer to that is possibly ‘no’ then don’t worry, you’re not alone. The stereotypical thing to do with social media has been to just give the password to the youngest person in the office, or to simply use it as a channel broadcast to market the messages that you want to impart on the world. But lots of agents are now realising that doesn’t seem to be working.

Want to improve your social media presence? Here are 5 questions you should be asking yourself to help you get more from social media:

1. What do you want from it?

A simple question, but not necessarily a simple answer. Is it simply to rent properties faster? Or is it about attracting new landlords? Different outcomes will require different approaches, but having a goal in mind from the beginning will help you to quantify or measure how successful it is being.

Some agents have had success using social media as a communication tool to improve relationships (and longevity) with tenants and/or landlords – and this is likely to be a much more productive use of social media than using it to try and sell directly.

2. Who are you trying to target?

Again, it may sound like a simple question, but knowing your audience will help drive which channels you use. Pinterest, for example, is about 80% female in its audience, and they are more the millennial generation – this could be a great place for finding tenants if you have beautiful or luxury properties to rent. Similarly, Instagram’s audience is young, but its gender balance is much closer. Facebook’s demographic is aging rapidly, but this could mean it is a place to target potential new landlords. The list is endless.

3. What channels are you using?

When you know who you’re targeting start looking at the channels you’re using. Is Twitter really good for pictures and new properties, or would this be better for customer service? Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Vine and others are all really visual channels, so if you don’t have high-quality images these might not work for you. Facebook is really limiting the organic reach of brands – are you willing to pay to promote content and if so what content will generate a return for you?

If you’re looking to target people with multiple properties in their portfolio, would LinkedIn be a better place to target them?

4. What content are you promoting?

This links in to all of the above questions – but are you using the right content to target the right audiences? If you are simply linking to the latest property you are trying to let ask yourself what this is really achieving. We’re not saying don’t do it – in fact, entirely the opposite, it can be really successful – but think about what else you could put out to better achieve your goals.

5. Who is looking after it?

It’s tempting to give the keys to all the social media to a person who is young and keen, but using social media in your personal life and using it for business are really, really different. If you don’t understand the audiences you are targeting or the goals you are working to then how can you target the right people?

Social media has the power to dramatically change how you do business, but it needs to be handled well and done with purpose to be successful. Think about these five questions, then ask yourself if your social media could be better.

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

small house bird box
Breaking News

UK First Time Buyers better off than many other global nations

Is it really that bad being a first-time buyer? UK better off than many other global nations when it comes to affordability The latest market analysis from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, reveals that first-time buyers (FTBs) in the UK may be paying 63% more to get a foot on the property ladder than they…
Read More
new build homes colchester essex
Breaking News

Building Safety Regulator Reform

The Government has announced reforms to the Building Safety Regulator, including leadership, process and investment. The changes are hoped to deliver 1.5 million homes. The reforms pave the way for creation of a single construction safety regulator, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower enquiry. David Smith, property litigation partner at London law firm Spector Constant…
Read More
Breaking News

New anti-money laundering rules now in effect: what landlords need to know

New anti-money laundering (AML) rules came into effect this month, marking a significant change for landlords and the lettings industry as a whole. The new rules mean financial sanctions checks are now required for all lettings, regardless of how much rent is charged. Here, Steve Bond, managing director of residential lettings for Beresfords, explains what…
Read More
Breaking News

What landlords need to know about the upcoming Renters Rights Bill

The government’s long-awaited Renters Rights Bill is one of the most significant overhauls of the private rental sector in decades. While it has not yet received royal assent, the legislation is expected to come into effect late this year, or early in 2026. With the bill moving closer to becoming law, Steven Bond, managing director…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage approvals bounce back in May

The latest figures show that: – Mortgage approvals on house purchases for May sat at 63,032 up 3.9% from 60,656 in April. The monthly increase seen in May marks the end of four months of previous decline, with approval levels having fallen each month since January of this year. Approvals are also 2.5% higher than…
Read More
Breaking News

Money and Credit – May 2025

Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased by £2.8 billion to £2.1 billion in May, following a large decrease in net borrowing of £13.8 billion to -£0.8 billion in April. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 2,400 to 63,000 in May. Approvals for remortgaging also increased by 6,200 to 41,500…
Read More