Instagram For Realtors: Why Real Estate Agents And Investors Need To Be On Instagram
Do realtors need to be on Instagram? It’s a simple question. In many ways, real estate is the same as it’s always been. It’s still a viable market for the smart investor or realtor, in spite of the ebbs and flows of an uncertain post-pandemic economy.
But what has changed is the medium you need to use to appeal to today’s buyers. It’s no longer enough to just take out an ad in the paper or post your face and contact information on a billboard. You need to tap into their likes, their dislikes, and what’s trending so you can net one of the most difficult market demographics in 2021: millennials. To do that, you need to connect with your buyers up close and personal.
And what’s more personal than Instagram?
Below, we explain why real estate investors and realtors need to be on Instagram, and how they can use Jake Markets’s expertise to grow their followers and their brand.
Why Instagram?
Instagram has grown immensely over the years, and it continues to broaden its horizons. As of 2021, it boasts over 1 billion users worldwide. The photo-sharing app has gone a long way from solely being the favorite platform for vacationers to share their holiday pictures. Now, it appeals to all kinds of influencers, advertisers, and brands.
At this point, it’s safe to say that your audience is using Instagram, and your competitors are, too. With Instagram becoming increasingly popular, an estimated 71% of US businesses claim that they use the platform to promote their brand (Mention, 2018). Your rival real estate companies are likely among that 71%.
Below are a few more quick statistics about Instagram.
Key Instagram Stats
- There are 1.074 billion Instagram users worldwide in 2021.
- The average post on Instagram contains 10.7 hashtags.
- 71% of the billion monthly active users on the Instagram app are under the age of 35.
- Instagram users spend an average of 53 minutes per day on the app.
- 500 million IG accounts use Stories every day.
- The use of the #ad hashtag on Instagram increased by 133% from February 2018 to February 2019.
- Instagram can generate over 4x more interactions compared to Facebook.
- Instagram helps 80% of Instagram users decide to buy a product or service.
- 50% of Instagrammers follow at least one business.
Clearly, businesses in 2021 and going into 2022 face a wonderful opportunity to use Instagram for social media marketing. Not only is there a huge market on the platform, but somewhere out there is an interested audience that you can reach without spending large sums of money.
How Has Instagram Changed Real Estate?
Real estate marketing often boils down to visuals more so than words. Talking about a building and its features may draw in renters or buyers initially, but when it comes to selling properties or signing leases, pictures speak a lot louder than words.
Enter Instagram
For years, real estate agents have been using the power of the Instagram posts to publicize listings and get buyers excited about new prospects as they’re hitting the market. Agents with an Instagram account can post pictures of newly listed homes, new buildings in development, property amenities — you name it. And because the app offers a location tag feature, it’s possible for real estate agents to group properties by neighborhood, which allows users to explore their options by geographic area.
Can You Use Instagram For Renters?
The app is commonly used to attract renters, too. It’s been a great platform for landlords to advertise open units and promote building amenities, from swimming pools to tennis courts. A single photo on Instagram can be more effective than the most well-written listing, and that’s something that’s certainly influenced the way residential properties have been sold and rented throughout recent years.
What About Commercial Real Estate?
But it’s not just those in the residential real estate space who have benefited from Instagram. Commercial real estate firms and investors have also used the app to their advantage. Specifically, notable firms like CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBRE), Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL), and Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) have taken to using Instagram to post photographs of new projects to help sell buildings and lease out commercial spaces.
Because of how easy the app is to use, there’s a good chance that a growing number of real estate firms will harness its power in the coming decade.
Top 3 Benefits Of Using Instagram To Grow Your Real Estate Business
1. More (Loyal) Leads
People like doing business with other people whose style they can relate with, and they’re learning how to search for real estate agents through investors. Through the app’s visually focused format, potential clients instantly get a sense of your style and who you are as a real estate agent. This kind of personal connection is unique to Instagram and generates loyalty much quicker than other social media platforms.
2. Social Proof
As social media and the internet play a greater role in people’s buying decisions, social proof across multiple spectrums is becoming absolutely crucial. Social proof comprises things like reviews, having a lot of followers, being ranked on the first page of Google, etc. The more places your customers can look you up and find that you have a track record of success, the easier your job of closing a client becomes.
Instagram has 15x the engagement rate of Facebook and 20x that of Twitter. Facebook and Twitter water down the reach of businesses’ posts so that they will pay for advertisements. Instagram is similar, but to a far less extent, meaning your posts will make it on many more of your potential clients feeds without you paying extra for ads.
The more real estate Instagram followers you gain, the easier it becomes to gain more. I remember gaining my first 1000 followers. It took around an entire year (albeit, I wasn’t posting consistently or with a plan in mind). My next 1000 took about 3 months, and the next only 1 month. Now I gain around 100 followers per day.
It’s fun and feels good to create content that large amounts of people appreciate and share with each other. As real estate agents, we come across interesting things daily. These funny behind the scenes moments, unique properties, and fascinating stories grab your followers’ interest. On Instagram, the more engaging and interesting your business is, the more social proof you’ll have. Social proof equals success!
3. Making Money
Although I’m not at this point yet, I’ve networked with many top influencers on Instagram who shared with me the fact that businesses reach out to them weekly. Not only do they send products to review and keep, they also pay influencers for shout-outs and ads. This is why Instagram ads for real estate agents can still be worthwhile as part of your overall marketing strategy.
But there is another way to make money using Instagram, albeit through the long haul.
You probably know that real estate has long been the playground for the rich and well connected, and that according to recently published data it’s also been the best performing investment in modern history. And with a set of unfair advantages that are completely unheard of with other investments, it’s no surprise why.
But those barriers have come crashing down – and now it’s possible to build real wealth through real estate at a fraction of what it used to cost, meaning the unfair advantages are now available to individuals like you.
The less money you have to spend on advertising and manufacturing social media growth, the more money you have in your pocket to turn back into investments.
What Does The Future Hold For Using Instagram For Realtors?
Of course, Instagram doesn’t just help sell real estate. Marketers love the app because it helps them sell just about anything.
As over 1 billion people log into their Instagram daily, there’s a good chance that the platform will continue to play a pivotal role in marketing and selling real estate, advertising vacation homes, and connecting buyers and investors with new opportunities. For years, it’s been becoming more and more clear that social media is only gaining in popularity, and chances are, the love affair with Instagram will continue growing strong — both in general and in the real estate business.
How Can Jake Markets Help Your Real Estate Instagram Take Off?
Now that you know how profitable Instagram can be for your real estate business, you’re probably wondering what to do next. How do I get started? How do I grow followers – and keep them? How do I get my real estate account to take off?
The answer to all those questions is to hire a professional Instagram and affiliate marketing expert. That’s me, Jake Markets!
But don’t take my word for it. Here are 5 quick facts about my career so far that I believe speak for themselves:
- Uses proven marketing systems that actually work (check out the National Parks Pro account I turned around for massive growth)
- Grew 125k followers in two years with organic strategies only
- Obsessed with Instagram and learning all the secrets to growing accounts organically
- Manages over 21 accounts full-time in all sorts of niches, including real estate
- Attracts real life, engaging followers, not bots or fake fans
Click the button below to get started!
