Marketing isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ kind of game – it requires effort, consistency, and know-how. Promoting your property services is not about printing a few leaflets or posting on social media when you remember or get a property listing.
To truly stand out in the crowded real estate market, you need a solid strategy and a well-executed plan that builds your brand and attracts potential sellers and landlords.
Even with the best intentions, marketing efforts can sometimes fall flat. As a real estate professional, you’ve likely got your hands full managing properties, clients, and all the administration that comes with that. Toss in keeping on top of weekly marketing activities, and you will feel completely overwhelmed.
Every week, I talk with dozens of real estate professionals, and a recurring theme is, ‘I’ve tried marketing, but it didn’t work.’ This is often said with a sense of frustration as if they’ve already written it off as something that’s simply ineffective in their business.
But here’s the thing: marketing does work—I can assure you of that, as I’ve built my own business without a single cold call—the secret lies in doing it right. If you’re not seeing the results you want, the problem likely isn’t with marketing in general but with the strategy, execution, and level of investment being applied. Like any part of your business, you won’t achieve your desired results if applied half-heartedly and not adequately monitored and adjusted as needed.
Think of marketing like going on a diet—without the proper guidance around fitness, healthy eating, calorie deficits, and ways to monitor results to keep you on track, your best-laid plans to lose weight will fall by the wayside, and you won’t achieve your goal.
So, before you throw in the towel, it’s essential to recognise the common pitfalls that can derail your marketing efforts and how to fix them. Let’s delve into today’s real estate marketing tips.
1. Content marketing has replaced listing presentations
Over the past fifteen years, there’s been a significant shift in marketing and sales, with content marketing replacing the real estate agent sales presentation. Content marketing, coupled with inbound leads, has replaced cold calling.
Prospects can now research and find a lot of information about the current state of the real estate market, what prices homes like theirs have fetched over the past six weeks, and even generate their property appraisals before speaking with a real estate agent.
People no longer want to be sold to in the same way as before. Fifteen years ago, it made sense for a real estate agent to present information to a homeowner in a linear fashion because you were the holder of all the information. You’d visit the property in person, sit with the owner, open your presentation kit and start talking ‘at’ the homeowner. It was once difficult for the prospect to have done much research on property prices before the meeting, so it was your job to present lots of information persuasively.
Today, by the time you speak with a prospect, they have already gathered a lot of information through digital media. If you are lucky enough to sit in front of a homeowner, they will know a lot about you, your company, the local market and property prices. They will have gathered information from industry websites alongside your website and social media channels. When you speak with a prospect in person, they probably only have a few gaps in their knowledge, which they want you to fill. They won’t want you to enter the room, open your laptop, and start giving a standard top-down 20-minute presentation where you talk about your company, what you do, and why you are so good. This approach just doesn’t cut it anymore.
It makes much more sense to allow prospects to go on a journey through your online marketing when they are in research mode and learn all this information from you before deciding who to engage. Your marketing now takes care of the pleasantries and warms prospects up to you. By reading your reports and listening to your videos, prospects have received information that negates needing a more formal listing presentation. When you are called in to meet with a homeowner, you must spend this precious time (in the lounge room) having a conversation (rather than selling) and offering practical advice and a plan to move forward and achieve their goals.
2. Your agency marketing campaigns are too short
Marketing isn’t a quick-fix solution; it’s a long game that requires consistency and commitment. If you expected immediate results and decided to pull the plug after just a couple of weeks or months because the phone wasn’t ringing off the hook, that’s where things went off track.
Effective real estate brand marketing takes time. People must see you multiple times to grow to know and like you and, most importantly, start to believe in your capabilities. Typically, it can take six months to a year in the real estate industry before you build enough brand recognition to start seeing significant results.
Unlike selling an eCommerce or retail product, real estate marketing is not about driving impulse decisions. Seeing an ad might prompt someone to buy a new shirt or bag, but selling or buying a home requires far more consideration. It’s a significant financial decision that takes time, research, and solid relationships. You can’t expect someone to see your ad for the first time today and list their property with you tomorrow.
You must steadily build credibility and credence with local homeowners; remember, familiarity builds trust. Think of it as planting seeds—they don’t grow overnight, but they will flourish with time, nurturing, ongoing care, and attention. Patience is essential. Give your real estate marketing the time and space to mature, and you’ll start seeing meaningful results that were worth the wait.
3. You don’t spend enough on paid advertising
“You’ve got to spend money to make money” – it’s an age-old cliché, but it’s undeniably true. You wouldn’t encourage your sellers to skimp on the essentials when selling or leasing their home, so you shouldn’t cut corners with your marketing budget. If you’re serious about growing your business, it’s worth allocating a budget that reflects the potential of your market and establishes your reputation as the leading local expert.
If your marketing budget is smaller than your monthly mobile phone plan, your results will be non-existent. Effective real estate marketing requires a more substantial investment. Quality content marketing, social media advertising, Google search strategies, and branding initiatives all need adequate funding to generate results.
A properly funded marketing program allows you to create high-quality content and ensures that you remain visible. Research studies conducted by cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Carmen Simon confirm that people remember only 3% to 12% of the content they consume after 48 hours. So, if you are not appearing in front of potential clients at least once a week, how will they remember you when they need your services 12 months or maybe even three or more years down the line?
Staying within the peripheral vision of local residents and homeowners is crucial for keeping your brand top-of-mind. To do this, you must spend at least $20 a day on digital advertising.
4. You haven’t mined your real estate contact database
A contact database is your lifeblood in real estate marketing. Without one, you’re essentially shooting in the dark, hoping the right person stumbles upon your content by chance. And if your database is so small it feels more like a secret club, you’re severely limiting your reach and potential leads.
The key to successful marketing is building and constantly growing your contact list. Start by capturing every interaction–whether it’s past clients, enquiries, open home visitors, or anyone engaging with your online content.
But just building a list isn’t enough. You need to ensure contact records are up-to-date. Regularly review your data, monitor bounced lists, update home ownership details each time a property transacts, and aim to collect as much information as possible, not only about the contact but also about local properties. Log details about every property in your neighbourhood, including its addresses, type of property, and purchase date. Add the owner’s names, phone numbers, email addresses, and where they live (if it’s an investment property). A well-maintained database lets you personalise your messaging and target your audience more effectively.
Beyond nurturing these contacts with valuable content, you can take it a step further by uploading your database to advertising platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, and Google. This guarantees that your ads reach the right people. The next step is monitoring who engages with your content and retargeting warm leads with tailored follow-up email sequences or remarketing ads. Each time you reappear in front of property owners, you increase the chances of staying top of mind and converting prospects into clients.
Read: Prospecting: Your real estate contact list is laden with gold for more practical insights.
5. You haven’t used a multi-channel marketing approach
If you’ve been relying on just one marketing channel–like organic social media or email–you’re missing out on a large chunk of potential clients. Different people consume information in different ways. Some might prefer scrolling through Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, while others are likelier to respond to a Google ad. Limiting yourself to just one or two channels means you’re not reaching everyone who could be interested in your real estate services.
A successful marketing program integrates multiple channels to ensure that you’re engaging with a broader audience. Think about it: an Instagram post might catch someone’s attention, but if they later receive a follow-up email or see your ad on Google, that reinforces your presence. The more places they see you, the more likely they will remember you when it’s time to sell or lease their property or want help finding their next home or investment.
Diversifying your marketing efforts also means you can engage with different segments of your audience. For example, you might run Google Ads for people actively searching for real estate agents in your area, while your Facebook ads target homeowners who might be considering selling in the near future. By casting a wider net, you increase the chances of capturing leads at various stages of their research journey.
6. Your content isn’t compelling enough
Creating content is one thing; creating valuable, engaging content is another. If your marketing content didn’t resonate with your audience, it’s likely because it wasn’t addressing their needs or interests. Simply sharing your latest listing or posting monthly stats isn’t enough to stand out in today’s crowded digital landscape. Your content should provide value, solve problems, and offer insights your audience can’t find elsewhere.
Think about your ideal clients—homeowners, home buyers, property investors, and local residents. What questions are they asking? What are their pain points? Your content should answer those questions and offer solutions. For example, first-home buyers might want guidance on how to prepare for an auction, while homeowners could be looking for tips on how to increase their property’s value before selling. On the other hand, property investors are likely to be focused on economic factors, government investment in infrastructure and their potential ROI.
But what about those people who don’t need a real estate professional? Creating content for them is just as important. You want to stay on their radar, so they already see you as a trusted local information source when they need your services. Sharing ideas like home renovation tips, upcoming local community events, and getting involved in neighbourhood causes can keep your brand relevant to those not actively buying or selling property right now. It keeps you in their minds and helps you build long-term relationships.
Read: Content marketing vs SEO: What’s best for real estate leads?
7. You don’t track or measure your marketing results
It’s impossible to improve what you don’t measure. If you weren’t tracking your marketing campaign’s performance, you were flying blind. You’re leaving money on the table without knowing which channels drive the most leads or what type of content resonates best with your audience.
Successful marketing is data-driven. You need to track metrics like website traffic, ad clicks, email open rates, and social media engagement to understand what’s working and what isn’t. This information allows you to make informed decisions about where to invest your time and budget. For example, if you notice that your Google Ads drive more traffic to your website than Facebook, it might make sense to allocate more resources and advertising dollars to Google Ads.
All marketing platforms offer built-in analytics tools, so make sure you are looking at them regularly.
Read: Clicks over cold calls: the metrics to real estate success for more practical tips.
8. You haven’t evolved your marketing strategy
The marketing landscape is constantly changing. What worked in the past might not work today, and the same goes for your audience’s needs and preferences. Your marketing may have become stale if you weren’t keeping up with these changes or adapting your strategy to new trends and technologies.
For instance, fifteen years ago, letterbox drops and cold calls might have been the backbone of your marketing strategy. But today, digital channels are at the forefront, driving far more engagement than traditional methods.
Even the way people consume digital information has shifted dramatically—shorter attention spans, the demand for instant gratification, and the rise of mobile phone browsing mean that marketers must be agile and adapt. Staying ahead of these changes isn’t just about following the latest trend; it’s about understanding where your audience spends their time and how they prefer to engage with your brand.
Experimenting with new marketing techniques, such as producing more video content, running social ads, or leveraging AI-driven personalisation, can make a world of difference in your marketing’s effectiveness. The key is not to get stuck in a rut with old ways of reaching prospects. By embracing the evolution of digital marketing, you can connect with your target audience on a deeper level, stay relevant in a fast-moving industry, and ultimately get better results from your efforts.
Marketing your real estate business is a lot like selling a property – it requires time, effort, and the right strategy. If your marketing program didn’t work the first time, there’s no need to despair. Identify where things went wrong, make the necessary adjustments, and watch as your brand presence grows stronger. Remember, you’re not just selling homes; you’re selling *you* – your expertise, knowledge, and ability to get the job done.
Read: Real estate listings: How to generate a steady flow and grow your business for more details.
9. You’ve been managing your marketing yourself
You wouldn’t DIY your plumbing, would you? When a pipe bursts, you call a professional to get the job done because tackling it yourself could lead to more significant problems. So why try to do all your real estate brand marketing yourself when it’s not your expertise?
As a real estate agent, your skills lie in selling homes, negotiating deals, and building client relationships—not writing compelling blog copy, creating graphics, designing slick websites, or managing complex advertising campaigns. These tasks require specialised knowledge and tools, and trying to juggle them alongside your core responsibilities stretches you too thin and leads to ineffective marketing.
You’ll see a world of difference by letting experts (like Hoole Marketing, wink, wink) handle your marketing. Professional marketers not only understand the nuances of each marketing element, but they also have a bird’s-eye view across multiple businesses. This perspective allows them to draw insights and strategies from similar real estate businesses and apply those proven tactics to your business, giving you an edge over your competitors. They know how to position your brand to attract more leads and create engaging content that resonates with home buyers, owner-occupiers, and property investors. Expert marketers can optimise your ad spend for better ROI. This frees up your time to focus on what you do best – closing deals and making more money.
10. You left your marketing to inexperienced staff
Handing marketing duties to your admin assistant or receptionist might seem cost-effective, but more often than not, it ends in disaster. Sure, they are great at their regular tasks, but unless they’re seasoned marketers, you’re essentially throwing darts with your eyes closed. Marketing is more than just posting on social media or sending out an occasional system-generated market report. It’s about understanding your target audience, crafting compelling messages that resonate with them, and using data to track what’s working and what’s not. These skills take years to learn, so you need professionals who have honed their expertise through hands-on experience.
A trained marketer knows how to research and segment your audience, design a long-term content strategy, and execute campaigns that build your brand’s visibility and credibility over time. They don’t just guess what might work because they saw someone else doing it; they rely on proven tactics and insights drawn from working across multiple businesses. These experts also keep up with ever-changing marketing trends and tools, which means they can pivot quickly and keep your business ahead of the curve.
11. You found a cheap freelance marketer
Cheapest rarely equals best! You get what you pay for, and if you’ve opted for the most inexpensive marketing service providers around, you’re likely to end up with bargain-basement results. Just as you wouldn’t recommend the lowest commission agent to sell a home – because they likely cut corners or lack the expertise – the same principle applies to your brand’s marketing. Opting for someone based solely on price often means you’re dealing with a provider who’s still learning the ropes or trying to offer a service at an unsustainable cost. This can result in mistakes, delays, and work that doesn’t effectively represent your brand.
Selecting a professional marketing team might come with a higher price tag, but it’s an investment in quality and expertise that pays off in the long run.
Ready to get professional real estate marketing help?
If you’re a real estate professional who wants to take your business to the next level with marketing tailored to your brand and clientele, book a free 1-hour consultation with me, Melanie Hoole. I’ll give you on-the-spot recommendations specific to you and show you how digital marketing can help position you as a local real estate expert. I look forward to talking with you.
Written by Melanie Hoole
My team and I specialise in helping real estate and property professionals perfect their personal brand, build a first-class digital profile and implement inbound marketing activities to attract leads. If you are unsure which direction to take with your digital marketing contact me for help.
