Real estate brokers are the core of any property market. Great agents connect buyers with sellers and facilitate win-win transactions. Not too long ago, real estate agents were easy to spot: a good referral, a social media profile, or dominance over a local area used to be enough marketing for real estate brokers, guaranteeing consistent income.

However, as of 2024 and beyond, simply being a good broker is not enough. If having a brokerage marketing strategy used to take your agency far in the real estate business world, today that’s just a prerequisite.

For this reason, we’re here to show you how to raise the bar and thrive using a reimagined real estate marketing strategy designed for brokers specifically.

Let’s dive right into it. But first…

What is Brokerage Marketing?

Brokerage Marketing for Real Estate Source

Brokerage marketing is the process of promoting a broker’s services to attract clients. This type of marketing generates leads for a broker (e.g., buyers, sellers, or agents). Ultimately, the main goal is to showcase the broker’s value and build its brand.

All in all, brokerage marketing involves advertising a broker’s services to get more customers. This can include online ads, social media posts, and educational content. By doing this, brokers can stand out in a competitive market and grow their businesses.

Brokerage marketing differs from traditional real estate marketing in focus and scope.

  • For example, brokerage marketing promotes the brokerage firm and its agents, emphasizing their value and expertise. The goal is to attract buyers and sellers to use the brokerage’s services.
  • On the other hand, real estate marketing concentrates on promoting individual properties. The goal is to attract potential buyers or tenants for a specific property.

Consequently, brokerage marketing has a broader scope. It encompasses the promotion of the entire firm, its agents, and the wide range of services they provide. Traditional real estate marketing has a narrower scope, primarily targeting the marketing of individual listings or services.

Why is Marketing Important For a Broker?

Broker showing their brokerage marketing strategy to their agent

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In today’s age, no advertisement strategy can succeed without marketing. Digital channels allow you to promote your services and your expertise effectively, while print helps you build local notoriety.

So, why should you care about marketing? Ultimately, it will help you close more deals—and that’s what matters.

As a real estate professional, your success hinges on your ability to stand out. With an increasing number of brokers, you need to differentiate yourself. Essentially, that’s how you’ll attract potential clients and agents to work with.

So, Why Should You Be Interested in Brokerage Marketing As a Real Estate Agent?

Broker winning over his competition Source

Yes. If you’re an agent, here’s why brokerage marketing is important for your future career:

  • It helps you build trust in clients’ eyes. When you become part of a brokerage company, you automatically gain a competitive edge over individual agents who act as freelancers.
  • It helps you foster long-term relationships and stay connected. A brokerage is a fully integrated company that acts as a liaison between buyers, sellers, and agents. If the firm is well-marketed, you’re on the winning side.
  • It can help you showcase your expertise and professionalism. An established firm has more resources than individual realtors do. Thus, you’ll benefit from increased exposure implicitly.
  • It builds social proof through public reviews or WOM. Naturally, being part of a well-renowned company comes with benefits. People associate you with that firm when you work for a reputable brand. When that enterprise gets positive reviews and grows popular, so do you, as you work for them.
  • It helps you stand out from other brokers who don’t harness marketing strategies. Solo agents and realtors who prefer acting independently have a more challenging time making a name for themselves. When you join a brokerage, you don’t have to worry about the marketing aspect.
  • It connects you with new leads that you wouldn’t have reached otherwise. This aspect is crucial. Many clients prefer to work with brokerages only, as they trust well-established brands more than individuals who work as realtors.

Real estate companies attract and mentor top talent and contribute to the industry both economically and socially, attracting a different segment of high-ticket leads. They often compile market studies and execute some of the biggest estate plays. Naturally, this is something an individual agent couldn’t do, as they lack resources and branding.

And in this time and age, being part of a strong team and securing your job is more important than ever. How so? Read below.

What’s Happening in the Real Estate Industry?

Real Estate Broker working Source

Here’s what happened in the last 12-24 months in the real estate market:

And here’s why it matters…

Making it as an individual real estate professional and running a brokerage firm is becoming tougher by the day. All in all, as a brokerage, it’s time to dump traditional advertising and old-school books to make room for what the market demands: modern brokerage marketing.

As an agent, helping your agency make it on the market is becoming part of your daily tasks, and it’s crucial that you do it right. 

Real Estate Marketing: Key Elements & What It Is

Marketing, at its core, remains the same. In the real estate business, marketing efforts involve:

  • Attracting potential clients
  • Fulfilling customer demands
  • Understanding your target audience
  • Building and maintaining a long-lasting brand
  • Attract the top talents and retain them for your real estate brokerage

While marketing remains a psychological game, marketing strategies have evolved over time. Building and maintaining a real estate business requires both an engaging social media presence and a print marketing strategy. At its core, building your brand involves three major areas of work:

Digital Marketing

It’s a no-brainer that digital channels such as social media, search engines, and email are key in any real estate marketing plan. Reaching and engaging with prospective clients is essential to any successful brokerage.

Networking

Building and nurturing relationships with:

Will benefit your business (from multiple perspectives). Someone said “Your net worth is your network” once, and we agree. Apart from great digital marketing and offline strategies, networking is a must in the real estate business world.

Customer Relationship Management

You’ve got a strong brand and a wide network of high-interest leads. That’s great–but how does that translate to added revenue? Without stellar customer relationship management strategies, your business is just another brokerage around the corner.

However, if your clients receive personalized attention in exchange for long-term loyalty and positive referrals, you’re already aiming for excellence.

10 Real Estate Brokerage Marketing Tactics That Work

So, we know the three key pillars of your success in real estate marketing: your digital brand, your real-life network, and happy, recurring customers. Now, let’s explore the ideas that you can start implementing today to excel at all of them and build the greatest marketing strategy.

1. Leveraging Social Media

real-estate-social-media-statistics-02 Source (National Association Of Realtors)

This may seem obvious, but given the constantly changing nature of social media, there’s always something new to learn. Social media plays a vital role in marketing for real estate brokers. It helps reach new clients and increases brand awareness. Moreover, it’s more cost-effective than traditional print advertising.

Here’s how you can maximize your social media marketing efforts as a brokerage/ real estate broker:

  • Choose the Right Platforms. Identify where your target audience is most active. In real estate, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even TikTok are key. Realtors are present on Facebook (67%), LinkedIn (49%), and Instagram. Your client base is also on social media platforms, study shows.
  • Optimize Profiles. Ensure your profiles are professional, with high-quality visuals, updated bios, and relevant contact information. Engage with your audience through feed posts and Instagram stories, which you can create for free using Xara’s real estate templates.
  • Create engaging content. Share eye-catching visuals, informative articles, and captivating stories to attract prospective buyers. Make sure your content is relevant and tailored to your target audience. Then, engage with your followers. Respond to comments, ask questions, and share valuable tips.
  • Leverage paid advertising tools. Facebook ads, for example, offer extensive targeting features. Experiment with different ad formats. Specifically, you can use sponsored posts, carousel ads, or video ads to find the best fit.
  • Use real estate hashtags. Relevant hashtags increase the visibility of your content while attracting your target audience. Ultimately, the key is to use hashtags from your industry and reach interested leads in your location.
  • Make your posts interesting and informative. Host live events for Q&A sessions or live public house showings. Showcase success stories and closed listings. Collaborate with local influencers or authorities in your field to build trust. Share behind-the-scenes content. All in all, when it comes to social media, no idea is too far-fetched.

Needless to say, social media marketing is a powerful tool for real estate brokers.

Though, if you want to connect with the right people and establish yourself as a top broker, there’s a catch. You need to post relevant content consistently. Thus, you need to be active in your community and keep up the quality of your posts at all times.

2. More about Creating Engaging Content

Realtors creating brokerage marketing content Source

You need three types of engaging content to boost brand awareness and improve conversion rates:

To create this visual content, you’ll need a few ideas of what to post, print, and promote. Make sure to go through 30 of our best real estate marketing ideas if you lack inspiration. You can go through our free templates, too, if you’re looking for a more general view of what content marketing can look like.

Regardless of what real estate marketing idea you set your eyes on, make sure you nail these steps:

  • Visual Appeal. Invest in professional photos and videos of your properties. Then, add them to our customizable templates to create the piece of content you need.
  • Consistent Posting. Maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged. To streamline this process, you can post straight from Xara Cloud once your design is ready.
  • Engage with Your Audience. Respond promptly to comments and direct messages. Engaging with your audience builds trust and rapport.

3. Showcasing Property Listings the Right Way

Showcasing your property listings is not as difficult as you think. Using your website URL, all you need to do is connect it to Xara’s dashboard and pick your favorite template. Xara will automatically populate it with your property details.

Automated Real Estate Marketing Materials with Xara

Make sure to invest in professional photographers to capture the best angles of your properties. Then, you should craft engaging and informative property descriptions. If you need help, just use Xara’s AI tool to come up with the perfect words to highlight your property.

👀 Keep an eye on virtual open houses and virtual tours

A virtual tour or virtual open house is just that: a digitally immersive experience, allowing buyers, sellers, and simple viewers to connect online in real-time and explore properties together just as if they were there in person. If this sounds too abstract or complicated to remember, you might want to think again, as this trend is here to stay.

4. Develop a Strong Brand Identity

Broker developing a strong brand identity Source

Over the past decade, the business landscape has changed dramatically. Hence, to thrive in today’s competitive market, you must develop a strong brand identity. This includes being ever-present both offline and online.

Therefore, let’s explore six simple steps to help you increase brand awareness and create a strong presence.

  • Identify your target audience. To create a powerful brand, you must first identify your target audience. Understand their needs, preferences, and expectations to tailor your branding efforts accordingly. You can do so by creating a buyer persona and conducting some demographic targeting.

Ask yourself questions like:

  • What’s the age, income, and gender of my ideal target?
  • What does my ideal customer want to see?
  • Where do they spend most of their time offline and online?
  • How do they envision their perfect house?

All in all, the key is to create a list of questions and answers that make up the niche market you’re targeting. You begin your marketing efforts only after you have a place to brand yourself.

  • Consistency is key. A consistent brand identity is vital for generating interest and loyalty. This aspect is non-negotiable if you want to create a powerful brand image.
Real Estate Brand Color Palette Source

A brand is made up of two main aspects:

  • The brand’s image (logo, color scheme, fonts, etc.)
  • The brand’s persona (voice, tone, the way it markets itself)

Ensure your logo, color scheme, and messaging remain uniform across all platforms. You need to be spot on, from your website to your social media profiles and educational resources.

This includes being consistent in posting, as well as in the quality of your resources. On top of that, you need to find the brand kit that differentiates you from the others. Consequently, you’ll have to apply it to all your documents at all times.

On top of a visual brand, you must stay recognizable when it comes to the way you engage on any platform. This includes keeping a uniform tone and message (aiming for professionalism and confidence).

Fortunately, you can find all these must-have branding tools and more in Xara Cloud! Use it to collaborate with your team and brand your brokerage firm from the ground up.

  • Craft a unique value proposition. In a sea of similar brokers, what sets you apart? A unique value proposition (USP). Hence, you need to find your USP and advertise it every occasion. Thus, that includes finding a USP that highlights your strengths and differentiates you.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Analyze your competition. Research your competitors to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and their value. This will help you identify gaps in the market that you can fill with your unique offerings.
  • List your strengths and differentiators. Consider the skills, experiences, and qualities that make you stand out as a broker. These could include industry expertise, local knowledge, network, marketing strategies, or client service.
  • Develop your key message. Based on your target audience and unique offerings, craft a concise, compelling statement. Communicate the primary benefit clients can expect when working with you. Emphasize the distinctive aspects of your services that clients won’t find elsewhere.
  • Communicate your USP clearly. Your USP should be displayed on your website, assets, and social media profiles. Use clear and concise language, and ensure that your message is consistent.

5. The Real Estate Business and SEO

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FYI, we have an entire guide on SEO for real estate. In a nutshell, optimizing your online presence for search engines is crucial. It will help you boost your website’s visibility in search results and bring in traffic from qualified leads.

So, here’s how to enhance your Search Engine Optimization/SEO strategy:

  • Keyword Research. Identify and incorporate local keywords related to your market and property types. Target specific phrases that potential clients might use in their search queries. Use tools like Ahrefs or Google Keyword Planner to do it.
  • Website Optimization. Ensure your website is optimized for mobile devices, as many users search for properties on smartphones. Keep an eye on website loading speed for a better user experience.
  • Quality Content. Regularly publish high-quality, informative blog posts related to real estate trends, market updates, and local real estate news. Write unique and compelling property descriptions with relevant keywords.
  • Optimize your website for local search on mobile. Nearly 55% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Make sure your website includes relevant search terms and location-specific keywords. Optimize your site’s SEO to improve search engine rankings and drive traffic.
  • Work on a Google Business Profile. A Google My Business (GMB) is essential for local SEO. Set up your GMB account by verifying your address. Then, provide accurate information about your brokerage firm. Include your contact details, website, business hours, and high-quality images. Additionally, you can use Google Analytics to track the performance of your listing. Make sure to go through all the steps required to list your brokerage on Google Maps and add a GMB profile.
  • Encourage and manage customer reviews. Positive online reviews on your GMB can boost your search engine rankings. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews and respond to them promptly. Address any negative feedback professionally and show your commitment to the client.

6. Nurturing Email Marketing Campaigns

Broker attracting buyers and sellers using a magnet Source

As a broker, email marketing is a powerful tool to promote yourself and your brokerage firm. It’s also a powerful tool for nurturing leads and maintaining client relationships. Currently, there are 4 billion active email users. That number will likely go up to 4.6 billion two years from now.

For starters, you’ll need an email list. To create an email list, you must try a few effective lead-generation tactics. These could include offering a free e-book or hosting webinars and live events.

Perhaps you could try creating a quiz that helps people better understand their housing needs or provide a free consultation. Once someone signs up for these resources, you should capture their contact info, such as their email address.

Then, here’s how to make the most of it:

Segmented Campaigns

  • Personalized Content. Segment your email list based on client preferences and send personalized content tailored to their interests.
  • Drip Campaigns. Set up drip campaigns to gradually nurture leads with valuable information over time.

Engaging Newsletters

  • Market Updates. Include regular market updates, showcasing your expertise in the local real estate scene.
  • Exclusive Content. Provide exclusive content, such as sneak peeks of upcoming listings or special promotions.

Automation

  • Lead Scoring. Implement lead scoring to identify high-potential leads and prioritize your outreach efforts.
  • Autoresponders. Set up autoresponders for immediate engagement when leads subscribe to your newsletter or inquire about a property.

Pro Tips:

  1. Create a follow-up strategy. Create a follow-up plan to engage leads. Use email marketing to send direct mail regularly, but avoid spamming. Tailor messages for each segment to keep communication relevant.
  2. Make use of newsletters and infographics. Send informative newsletters and infographics to keep leads engaged. Share updates and industry news, and showcase your significant amount of business success.

7. Using Online Advertising

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Online advertising is what marketers call “short-term marketing.” Unlike SEO, which helps build authority online over time, performance marketing aims to capitalize on short-term gains. Ideally, you’ll want to invest in a real estate marketing strategy that includes both.

Generally speaking, there are two major types of real estate ads:

1. Google Ads

  • Targeted Keywords. Use Google Ads to target specific keywords relevant to your real estate niche. Bid on keywords that are relevant and competitive but have low CPC to get immediate results.
  • Geotargeting. Implement geotargeting to focus your PPC ads on specific locations where your potential buyers and local businesses are.

2. Social Media Ads

  • Facebook Ads for Realtors. In the real estate game, Facebook rules the world. Brokerages often invest in Facebook ads to boost their listing’s visibility, attract top talent, grow awareness, and for other purposes.
  • Audience Targeting. Use the targeting options on social media platforms to reach your ideal audience.

Once you’ve crafted your ideal ads and allocated the budget for these campaigns, you can start implementing dynamic retargeting ads. These show users the properties they previously viewed on your website or social media account.

8. Adopting Visual Marketing in Every Move

Automated Real Estate Branding

Visual marketing should be at the core of every marketing activity a real estate agent may undergo. With Xara, you can seamlessly integrate it into every aspect of your marketing strategy. Here’s how to make every visual element count:

  • Automated Brand Consistency. With Xara, ensure a consistent use of your logo and brand colors across all visual materials. The platform automatically applies your brand guidelines, eliminating the risk of inconsistencies.
  • Fast Template Design. Xara’s templates make it easy to automate content creation for any marketing material (business card, flyer, social media post, listing, etc.) so that you can generate visually appealing materials in seconds.

👉Learn more about how Xara can elevate all your real estate marketing efforts with minimum effort here.

9. Be Ever-Present At Events And Create Lasting Relationships

Broker participating in a community event Source

Participating in events and gatherings is a great way to increase your visibility as a broker. Attend conferences, sponsor community events, and host workshops. This way, you can showcase your real estate market expertise and foster relationships with potential buyers and sellers.

Furthermore, you can build a real estate farming plan and take your efforts even further.

Essentially, you’ll want to become recognizable and reachable for your clients. People love to put a face to the brand, so attending as many gatherings as your time permits is a great idea. Moreover, it increases trust and reach, two main factors in any broker’s success.

10. Empower Your Agents With The Right Tools

The final puzzle piece is empowering your agents with the right tools. Xara has everything you need to stand out from the crowd, attract more clients, and close deals.

Our auto-populate features are a game-changer for your brokerage. Using it, you can fill in templates with listing information and your brand guidelines in seconds. You only need your website URL, and you’re good to go!

This way, you and your agents can create professional marketing materials in a snap. The template feature allows the creation of eye-catching real estate visuals. Some examples include social media posts, email templates, or print materials.

The user-friendly interface makes it easy to put together all the materials quickly. Then, you can focus on what you do best: selling properties.

Disclaimer: Real Estate Marketing Ideas Are Nothing without a Solid System

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A marketing plan for real estate brokers is a great first step, but if you’re a brokerage owner, you can’t stop at just that. Realtors need the support, mentorship, and guidance that the right brokerage firm can offer. Having a solid system for brokers can even improve long-term agent retention!

So, the next step is clear as day: start working on your marketing plan while building a support system. Agents don’t need the hassle of creating marketing materials, branding documents, or carrying out administrative tasks. You probably don’t either.

Outsource your entire marketing and empower every real estate agent with Xara Cloud!

 

As the go-to marketing center for major players in the real estate business (RE/MAX, Century 21, Westgate Realty), we know how to take your brokerage’s biggest marketing challenges and transform them into great ROI.

👉 Streamline work, improve collaboration, and boost your agent’s productivity with Xara Cloud. Get Started for Free Here.

Final Word from Our Real Estate Experts

“Real estate professionals must take brokerage marketing seriously. Undoubtedly, it can be the determining factor in your long-term success. Hence, by equipping yourself with the right real estate marketing tools, you can turn the tide in your favor.”

As the industry continues to evolve, so should your marketing. Check out Xara and grab the brokerage marketing tools to outsmart the competition!

Upgrade Your Brokerage Materials with Xara WestGate Real Estate Social Proof