5 Tools for a Well-Balanced Marketer

Faced with an ever-changing landscape of new ways to connect with consumers, marketers must constantly balance tech and touch to create lasting, fruitful relationships. To set the stage for maximum success in the modern real estate world, today’s customer outreach should include a careful balance of both trending and traditional methods that serve to make meaningful connections. Here are five tools that cover the bases.

1. Make It Personal

Today’s generation of home buyers and sellers have a new set of expectations when it comes to engaging with a brand. They want information on their terms and in real time. Adapting to this technology-mediated exchange is imperative to simply surviving in a competitive marketplace, but successful brands have learned that personalized service leads to stronger relationships. To that end, leveraging a powerful customer relationship management system can mean the difference between surviving and thriving. ERA’s proprietary Zap platform uses predictive analytics to provide insight into what customers are doing online. Savvy agents use that information to provide a more personalized customer experience and create stickiness with the brand.

2. Create Immediate Connections

It’s time to think beyond the business card. Exchanging cards never goes out of style, but take an extra step and instantly add new contacts into your mobile CRM. You have one, right? This puts relationship building literally in the palm of your hand. As you enter in basic contact information, be sure to include details of how you met and why the connection was a good one. We all know it takes time to nurture connections, so why not get started at the point of contact? Send a quick email or a text within 24 hours to start the conversation.

3. Get to the Head of the (On)Line

Beyond online listings distribution through your brand and aggregator websites, amplify your online presence with dynamic social media activity. In addition to promoting listings, dial up your value by sharing relevant content that positions you as a trusted advisor and local resource. In addition, leverage networking opportunities by participating in hyperlocal online communities like Patch and Next Door.

4. Go Pro(fessional)

Today’s crowded media landscape means standing out is critical to getting ahead. It also means that high-quality photos for your listings are not a “nice to have”; they are absolutely expected by today’s discerning consumer. Make video tours a standard part of your listings. Then, up your game with the 3-D touring capabilities available with a Matterport camera. Add drone footage to provide a unique point of view. Then, take your videos to the next level with an introductory video about you to convey authenticity, a client testimonial or two to provide ratings feedback, and a video tour of the neighborhood to demonstrate your local market expertise. Media matters, so make yours matter the most.

5. Keep Relationships at the Root

It goes without saying that it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies, but it’s equally important to remember the basics that inform an effective marketing approach. Real estate is still about relationships, but today those relationships are enabled in different ways and in different spaces. Keep in mind that the underlying fundamentals to what we do to build those relationships are still in play. That means that remaining relevant, being timely, adding value, and adopting a personal touch will never get old.