7 social media marketing mistakes real estate professionals often make

In today’s digital world, social media is your golden ticket to building strong relationships with potential clients, showcasing your expertise, and, ultimately, getting more listings. However, navigating the world of Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can be tricky.

Each week, I review the social media pages of multiple real estate businesses, and I see the same mistakes being made repeatedly. When your social media doesn’t yield results, property professionals are left with the misconception that social media marketing doesn’t work. However, if you fix the problems (as outlined below), it won’t be such a struggle to gain traction, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised that social advertising can generate leads.

Here are the top 7 social media marketing mistakes real estate agents often make and how to avoid them. The real estate market thrives on connections. Follow my tips, and you’ll transform your online presence from “blah” to “boom” in no time.

Mistake #1: Content chaos – posting too much or too little

The struggle is real, i.e. figuring out the sweet spot for posting frequency. On the one hand, bombarding your audience with content that doesn’t interest them can lead to prospects feeling overwhelmed and unfollowing you. However, disappearing into the social media abyss makes connecting with potential new clients difficult.

The Fix

Find your goldilocks zone: Aim for a consistent posting schedule, whether it’s 2-3 times a week or daily. Experiment and track what resonates with your audience.

Use a content calendar: Plan your posts in advance to maintain consistency. To help you get started, you can download the FREE social media calendar and content that my team and I create each month, specifically for real estate professionals.

Quality over quantity: Focus on creating valuable, engaging content. You will be much better off posting fewer high-quality posts than many poor ones.

Mistake #2: Winging it doesn’t work – you need a strategy

Social media marketing success doesn’t happen by accident. Without a clear strategy, you’re essentially throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks.

The Fix

Define your goals: What do you want to achieve with social media marketing? Generate leads, establish yourself as a local expert, or build brand awareness?

Know your audience: Think about who your usual clients are. Are they young families, downsizers, or upsizers? Once you know this, you can understand their demographics, interests, and online behaviour and create relevant content that appeals to those who will eventually use your services.

Develop a content strategy: Plan your post types (images, videos, blog links), platform focus, and messaging to attract your ideal clients.

Mistake #3: Treating everyone the same – know your audience

Generic content that tries to appeal to everyone actually appeals to no one. Understanding your ideal client demographics helps you tailor your message and attract the right audience.

The Fix

Identify your ideal client: Create a persona for your ideal client detailing their demographics, interests, online behaviour, and where they are at in their property journey. Think about what are their pain points.

Tailor your content: Decide what messages resonate with these ideal clients. Craft content that covers their pain points, needs, and interests. For example, if you decide your ideal clients are downsizers, you should discuss topics that interest them.

Spark conversations: Ask questions, encourage comments, and respond promptly, this helps you get to know the people interested in your business.

Mistake #4: Property overload – All listings, all the time

It’s tempting to turn your social media pages into your own personal real estate portal. While posting real estate listings is important, a constant barrage of property photos feels impersonal and spammy. Whilst you might be interested in what properties you listed and the successful deals you closed, local residents aren’t in the same mindset. Real estate isn’t their day job!

The Fix

Use the 70/30 rule: Maintain a 70/30 ratio of valuable content to property listings.

Focus on value: Offer informative content that appeals to everyone in your target audience, not just those who need the services of a real estate professional at that exact moment. Partner with local businesses for co-created content like highlighting trendy restaurants, quality schools or sports facilities close to a new listing.

Highlight your expertise: Demonstrate your knowledge of the local area and real estate market, and give home buying/selling tips. Share success stories, client testimonials, and behind-the-scenes glimpses to humanise your brand and build trust with your audience. Incorporate user-generated content, such as photos and reviews from satisfied clients, to foster community engagement and authenticity.

Mistake #5: Design disarray – inconsistent and uninspiring visuals

In a sea of generic content, average visuals and uninspired captions get lost in the scroll.

The Fix

Develop a consistent style: Choose a colour palette and design elements that reflect your brand identity.

Utilise design tools: Apps like Canva are easy to use to create social media graphics. You can work with a graphic designer (or Hoole) to set up templates for your brand so you can create consistent and professional-looking posts every time.

Invest in high-quality images, videos, and copywriting: Use a professional photographer and videographer to capture your content. Shaky videos and blurry images taken by your assistant on their smartphone don’t cut it anymore.

Mistake #6: Spreading yourself too thin – trying to master every platform

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest – phew! There are so many options now, and trying to be everywhere at once is a recipe for burnout and diluted effort. Maintaining an active and engaging presence on every social media platform is simply unrealistic for most real estate businesses unless they employ a full-time team of experts to help.

The Fix

Focus on the platforms your audience uses: Where are your ideal clients spending their time online? Focus your efforts on those platforms.

Master one or two platforms: Rather than stretching yourself too thinly, invest your time in mastering content on a couple of platforms where you can truly connect with your audience.

Schedule and automate: Utilise scheduling tools and content calendars to streamline your social media workflow.

Mistake #7: Organic reach isn’t enough

Social media algorithms prioritise content that generates high engagement. With an ever-increasing volume of content, organic reach (the number of people who see your posts without paying) can be limited. If you don’t have a huge following and aren’t producing viral content every time, the chances of anyone seeing your posts are actually very low, and your efforts are going to go to waste.

The Fix

Allocate a budget for social media advertising: Even a small investment for each post (such as $10 a day) can significantly improve your reach and engagement.

Leverage platform targeting tools: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and locations.

Track and analyse results: Monitor the performance of your ads and adjust your strategies accordingly.

By addressing these common mistakes and implementing the recommended fixes, you can optimise your social media presence, attract more leads, and ultimately achieve greater success in today’s competitive market. Remember, consistency, authenticity, and a customer-centric approach are key to building meaningful connections and driving business growth through social media marketing.

Get our help

Making your real estate business stand out from the crowd is no easy feat. With a high-quality social media presence crafted by experts, your business can rise above the noise and attract more qualified leads – just like our clients do daily.

If you’re a real estate professional who wants to take your business and brand to the next level with social media marketing tailored to your business, take some time to book a free 1-hour consultation and talk to me, Melanie Hoole. I’ll give you on-the-spot recommendations and show you how digital marketing can help position you as a local real estate expert and get you in front of prospects with a clear marketing proposition.

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.