Social Media for Estate Agents – It does not sell houses?

Social Media for Estate Agents - It does not sell houses

With the vast majority of agents only playing at using social media, posting their inventory to sell, or let on Facebook, and maybe the odd twitter here and there, I want to discuss a few reasons why social media is an essential, not a random bolt on revenue generator.

I am not advocating spending thousands on pay per click marketing, or any of that, I have never paid a penny, what I am saying is have constant contact with your past, future and present clients, via social media. It will not cost the earth, it does involve setting time aside, but you will win big.

Imagine that your office window, (if you have an office) you know that huge plate glass window full of window cards, what is it there for? Answer it is a lure, an advertisement of your trade and even a tool that makes a passing buyer – in pre-lockdown time connect with you.

Imagine now another office window, the screen of a mobile phone, that is the 2020’s reality, everyone who does property is on social media on average three hours a day, and rising. So, if you do not appear, you do not exist.

Alarmist, well talk to the owners of Primark, their model is we have great stores, and a great cheap product, but Associated British Foods who run them are getting a bloody nose as no-one can buy, they are not an online model.

The problem with agents is that they are too busy, to connect their narrative to the outside world via social media. For example Mr Smith has a unique property on a large plot, he needs specialist advice on the best way to maximise his selling potential. Mr Agent who has in his team someone with 25 years of planning expertise, would be an ideal person to advise, but Mr Smith does not know this and just goes on his mobile and up pings some agents, who he contacts.

Scenario two, Mr Smith has seen through social media that Mr Agent has a specialist who deals with maximising properties on plots with potential for development, he follows this content for months as in the Spring he retires and then will be moving. Spring arrives and he reaches out and the agent is instructed.

Social media is the long game, how long? well about a year before you see a huge uptick in business, but it is worth the investment, as once you are digitally embedded in the brains of those living in a three-mile radius of your office (which might be your garage or your bedroom or your high street office) the opportunities keep rolling in.

Here is an example for all those doubters, in September 2019 I started using Linkedin, day one I had one contact, and I started posting short insightful content, three small paragraphs each day, not selling what I do – but giving advice and ‘thought leadership’. The months passed and by March 2020 I had 7,000 connections, and all of a sudden, my mobile started to ring, ‘strangers’ just called me up and wanted my services.

They knew what I did, as they had been following me for months and when they had a need they reached out; today I have around 18,000 connections, organically made in 17 months. I get maybe 10 potential new clients a week, and they are often from other countries.

Now if I had an office in London, would someone in Valencia or Texas or Brisbane walk past my office see my company name plate and pop in for a chat, well probably not.

Time to think digital, yes, it is an effort, in the early days I spent two and a half hours tapping way composing useful free content, but now I have a huge hidden tribe that listen to me, I am not saying they like me even, but when they have a need, when they want to know about the digital transformation of real estate, or where they fit into that picture – typically they call me.

Yesterday it was Tel Aviv calling, and I was out being exercised by Zara, and in between throwing her ball and chasing after her across the muddy fields, I secured a new client, who I probably will never meet in the flesh, but will be income.

Agents it is time to connect with your new old and current clients, social media allows this, today is a good time to start.

Andrew Stanton

CEO & Founder Proptech-PR. Proptech Real Estate Influencer, Executive Editor of Estate Agent Networking. Leading PR consultancy in Proptech & Real Estate.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

FMB Supports Construction Leadership Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy is a welcome and much needed new initiative to help drive industry change, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB’s CEO Brian Berry has joined more than 140 industry leaders at the Construction Leadership Council’s launch of its comprehensive Health, Safety and Wellbeing…
Read More
Clacton on Sea cash injection
Breaking News

20% Property Premium to Live Beside Britain’s Best Beaches

The latest research from eXp UK has found that homebuyers hoping to live by one of Britain’s best beaches can expect to pay almost 20% more on average compared to the wider local market, amounting to a seaside property premium of over £46,000. The research* by eXp UK analysed property prices in postcode districts surrounding…
Read More
Breaking News

Houseboats hand London homebuyers 57% saving

Houseboats hand London homebuyers 57% saving versus bricks and mortar The latest research from Benham and Reeves has found that London homebuyers could save as much as 57% on their property purchase by choosing a houseboat over a traditional bricks and mortar home, with the average cost of a houseboat across the capital coming in…
Read More
Breaking News

Silverstone fails to take pole when it comes to race track property premiums

The latest research from Yopa has found that while Silverstone may be the spiritual home of British motorsport and host of this weekend’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, it is far from the most prestigious racing venue when it comes to local property prices. In fact, homes near other race circuits across Britain command far higher…
Read More
Breaking News

Section 8 Reforms: What Landlords Need to Know About Longer Notice Periods and Stricter Rules

By Allison Thompson, National Lettings Managing Director, LRG As the Renters’ Rights Bill continues its progress through the House of Lords, landlords should be preparing for a much tighter framework around possession. One of the most significant changes proposed is the reform of Section 8, the legal route for regaining possession where a specific reason…
Read More
New Build for Merseyside
Breaking News

British new-build demand sees quarterly decline

The latest new-build market insight from Property Inspect has revealed that buyer demand for new-build homes remained largely static between the first and second quarter of this year, although buyer appetites for new homes remained robust in a number of major cities. The New-Build Demand Index (Q2 2025) from Property Inspect provides a view of…
Read More