The Best Real Estate Marketing Guide - Proven Partners (2024)

Social media has transformed the marketing world, and many businesses in the real estate industry are leveraging apps like Instagram to their advantage. The platform is a valuable marketing tool for reaching potential buyers and investors, particularly in the Millennial and Gen Z generations, which represent more of the active property buying demographic with each passing year.

Luckily, instagram marketing for real estate is still gaining speed, so now is the perfect time to incorporate it into your brand development and lead generation efforts. That’s why we’ve created this guide for using Instagram to help you build your real estate social network. With the right real estate instagram marketing strategy in place, you can use Instagram to develop a successful real estate marketing strategy and support your business’s growth.

Read on below for a detailed guide, including a multitude of real life examples of real estate projects using the Instagram platform to great effect.

Why Should Real Estate Businesses Use Instagram?

When it comes to social media for real estate, using instagram marketing for real estate is an excellent choice given its visual nature. Ultimately, hotel and real estate developers are selling a specific lifestyle and unique experiences, and nothing showcases these offers like images and videos.

Additionally, more people than ever before are using social media to search for properties. Recent research by the National Association of Realtors found that 52 percent of real estate agents see social media as one of the top tools for finding quality leads.

People interested in hotel getaways are also scrolling their Instagram feeds in search of their next vacation spot. A survey by Schofields suggested that more than 40 percent of millennial travelers base travel decisions on how ‘Instagrammable’ the experience will be.

What’s more, real estate is among the most popular topics on Instagram. Users have posted with hashtags like #realestate, #homesforsale, and #propertyforsale millions of times. Companies like Zillow have accrued hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers by sharing beautiful listings, valuable industry news, and other engaging real estate content.

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What Should I Do Before I Launch My Page on Instagram?

Before launching on Instagram, there are a few things you’ll want to plan out. Take these considerations on board as you build up your instagram real estate marketing strategy and prepare to enter this real estate social network.

Image courtesy of 11 Hoyt, Brooklyn.

Solidify Your Branding

Instagram is a visual social media platform, so it’s worth investing in imagery that will stop your prospect mid-scroll. Great content encourages likes, shares, and saves, further boosting the algorithm in your favor.

One real estate business that does this well is 11 Hoyt in Brooklyn. This luxury residence has established a unique and memorable visual brand on Instagram with cohesive colors and fonts, captivating imagery, and beautiful, hand-painted depictions of its amenities.

How you communicate with your audience is just as important for building trust and establishing a memorable Instagram presence. Do this by maintaining a distinct brand voice, tone, and messaging across all channels, so followers will feel like they're getting to know your brand’s personality over time.

Instagram image courtesy of Waterline Square, New York.

Define Your Goals

Seeing high like and follow numbers is wonderful, but it’s more important that those numbers represent a loyal following. Staying true to your business and aligned with your goals will ensure your efforts on Instagram generate more than just double-taps. Here are some goals you may choose to focus on with your instagram real estate marketing strategy.

• Generating quality leads

• Showcasing various unit types

• Building a community

• Increasing brand awareness

• Establishing authority

• Repurposing content and linking to blog posts

• Engaging with prospects and other industry leaders

An example of clearly defined Instagram goals is the Waterline Square project in New York. This luxury rental company builds interest by highlighting market demand with posts that feature specific properties and the prices they sold for.

Image courtesy of Summit, NYC.

Develop a Content Plan

Once you’ve decided which types of content will be most valuable to your audience, it’s time to develop a content plan. Start by defining your content pillars, or the different categories your posts will fall into. Here are a few options to consider:

• Community-related content

• Travel or property buying tips

• Spotlights on your team and values

• Client success stories and testimonials

• Announcements about upcoming events

• Thought leadership opinions and industry insights

Summit NYC luxury rentals demonstrate how a few of these content pillars look in practice. The brand shares Instagram posts ranging from event announcements to spotlights on valued team members.

Real Estate Social Media - Best Practices for Instagram

Now that you’re ready to launch by using instagram for real estate marketing, it’s time to learn some best practices. Implementing these tips will help you get the most out of your efforts on this social platform. For a more broad look at using social media for real estate marketing as a whole check out this article: Real Estate Social Media Tips

Put a face to the name - Introduce the team

Who are you? This is the first thing clients want to know. When assessing real estate instagram posts, audiences frequently ask this crucial question. You can utilize Instagram to emphasize information about both you and your team. The more recognisable and relatable you become to audiences, the more probable it is that people will contact you. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to go beyond your professional credentials in your instagram content. Other details, like the community outreach, charitable work, showcasing the personalities within the company and the project team, or even featuring a workplace pet, can help to grow a personal and emotional resonance, and a sense of trust, with your target markets.

Choose Between Personal and Business Accounts

If you’re using Instagram for business, it’s essential to set up a business profile. This will give you access to valuable features, including analytics, promoted posts, and contact options right in your bio.

Images courtesy of Eden, Singapore.

Develop a Feed Theme

Your Instagram feed is like a mini portfolio of your brand, property, and amenities, so it needs to be well-designed and cohesive. One way to ensure a cohesive grid is to develop an Instagram feed theme.

A instagram feed theme is a consistent aesthetic and feel across all of your posts. You can achieve this by using the same color scheme, filters, and composition for your photos. One real estate business with a clear Instagram feed theme is Eden Singapore. This award-winning residence features green hues and images of the plants that are incorporated throughout the building’s design. The eye-catching nature of the imagery is perfect for Instagram, and they get bonus points for incorporating the design right through into their logo. This is a great example of cohesive brand design from identity through to social media.

Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags are a valuable tool for real estate businesses on Instagram. They help you reach a wider audience and connect with people who might be interested in your properties. However, it’s important to develop a strategic approach rather than adding popular yet unrelated hashtags.

You can start by researching which hashtags similar real estate companies, hotel brands, or lifestyle influencers are using to attract buyers and investors. There are also several social media tools you can use to find hashtags relevant to your audience. Some examples of hashtags to consider include #luxuryhomes, #luxuryrealestate, and #propertyinvestment.

Keep a Content Schedule

Instagram is a fast-paced social network, which means your prospects receive a constant and endless feed of new content. It's important to post on instagram regularly to stay top of mind with your audience and maximize engagement.

One way to do this is by creating a content schedule, or a digital calendar where you plan out your social media posts in advance. This will help you stay organized and ensure your content is timely and relevant.

Image courtesy of Serenbe, USA.

Perfect Your Bio

Your Instagram bio is like your digital business card. It’s the first thing people see when they visit your profile, so you should make sure it does everything it can to help you generate leads on Instagram.

Your bio is also the place where clients take action to engage with your brand outside of the platform, so ensuring continuity with other touchpoints is crucial. You want to keep the conversation flowing in the prospect’s mind so they know they’re in the right place when interacting with your business.

For example, if you’ve mentioned listings in recent posts, you can include a link in your bio so followers can see them in greater detail. If you’ve shared about an opening day or an upcoming event, your audience should have a clear path from your bio to learn more.

To see an example of a strong bio that captures a brand’s essence, visit the Instagram page of Serenbe, a community nestled into the natural landscape outside of Atlanta. In just a few words, the convey what they are and what they stand for.

Use Action Buttons

When it comes to how to market real estate on Instagram, it is imperative that you are easily reachable. Enabling your Instagram pages action buttons on company accounts, allowing customers to engage with your brand is an effective way of doing this. With these in place, clients will have even less difficulty contacting you or scheduling an appointment because everything happens within the app.

Filling out this form will combine the action buttons for Email, Call, and Message into one Contact button if you use all three. There are also a few more sophisticated action buttons that are connected with other applications, such as for scheduling appointments and making reservations, should these needs arise.

What Should I Post on Instagram?

These days, Instagram is about more than still images, especially for real estate businesses. Here are a few ideas to incorporate into your Instagram real estate marketing strategy.

Find Unique Ways to Use Photos and Videos

As a hotel or real estate developer, you likely have plenty of photo and video content at your disposal. This could include images or footage of properties under construction, completed buildings, or events hosted on-site.

Use what you have to create video tours or sneak peeks at your newest properties. You can also use video to show off the unique features of your listings. Rose Hill in New York City does this with captivating footage of the amenities and views at their luxury condos.

An excellent way to ensure your content stands out is to weave in your property’s surrounding community and brand values. One luxury residence that excels at this is Embassy Gardens in London. A few recent features on their Instagram account include upcoming events, neighborhood amenities, the local food culture, and family-friendly activities.

Share Reels

Instagram reels are short, engaging videos that can be up to 60 seconds long. Reels are an exciting and creative way to showcase listings, give a quick tour, answer follower questions, or highlight specific features of your property.

Another idea is to create behind-the-scenes videos of your team that show what it’s like to work in real estate or hospitality. This can humanize your brand and make you more relatable to your audience.

Images courtesy of Quivra Los Cabos, Mexico.

Make Use of Instagram Stories and Highlights

Instagram stories allow you to create and share short, ephemeral videos that disappear after 24 hours. You can also use stories to promote posts, ask questions, and allow your followers to participate in the discussion.

Then, you can save stories as highlights to keep them on your profile permanently. This creates a library of helpful content your followers can reference any time they visit your page. Visit the Instagram page of Quivira Los Cabos to see the many ways a real estate brand can use these features. This luxury residential community offers stories and highlights on everything from yoga and cooking classes to the nature and wildlife in the surrounding area.

Post your success stories

Potential buyers prefer to work with successful people and businesses. Take advantage of this, using Instagram to brag a little is a potent strategy because it shows viewers that you're capable and likely to better satisfy their real estate demands than others. It's important to remember that being detailed while discussing accomplishments on social networks is beneficial. Giving Instagram followers specifics about your accomplishments can help you stand out from the crowd.

What to Avoid

As you develop your real estate instagram marketing strategy, you’ll want to be aware of common mistakes real estate businesses make on the platform. Here are a few activities we recommend avoiding on Instagram.

Paying for Followers

Growing your Instagram following organically takes time, and it may be tempting to use one of the many companies that sell followers. The problem is that the followers these companies sell are usually bots or inactive accounts that inflate your follower count without adding value.

Ultimately, buying followers is a waste of your marketing budget and a risk to your reputation. Paid followers won’t translate to authentic engagement or real leads. Plus, Instagram is always removing fake accounts, which could affect your overall follower count.

Making Your Profile Private

When you make your profile private, people have to request to follow you. This additional step is a major barrier to growth, as many users won’t bother sending a follow request even if they’re interested in your brand. Keeping your account public is the best way to maximize visibility and get new eyes on your properties.

Sharing Overly Promotional Content

Instagram users are on the platform to enjoy themselves, so they quickly grow tired of overly promotional content. Their feeds already have enough ads, so they would prefer to follow accounts that offer value to their lives. You can offer value in a number of ways, including educational content, exciting visuals, or the first peek at new listings.

Missing Opportunities to Connect with Followers

When people take the time to leave a comment on your posts, don’t let their engagement go unacknowledged. Ignoring comments gives the impression that you are unresponsive and uninterested in your followers.

Take time to read comments on your posts and respond to as many as possible. This shows your followers that you care about their feedback. It’s also a fantastic way to nurture new leads and grow an engaged Instagram community.

We Can Help You with Real Estate Marketing

With more than two billion Instagram users active today, this platform is a vital tool to incorporate into your real estate marketing strategy. Use the tips and guidelines we’ve suggested as a starting point for bringing your real estate business to life in the rapidly growing Instagram real estate market.

If you want support with your social media presence, the team at Proven Partners can help. We have years of experience creating successful online marketing strategies for hotel and real estate developers around the world. Discover our real estate marketing services today to learn how we can help you reach new prospects and grow your business.

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