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Real Estate Marketing Tips

Three Creative Ways Real Estate Agents Can Market to Millennials

 

Born between the years of 1981 and 1996, millennials are projected to overtake baby boomers as America’s largest generation. They’re slated to be the next drivers of economic force and likely comprise a large portion of the consumers who are now spending, on average, over five hours per day on their smartphones.

So as video increases in popularity and the homebuying demographic shifts to the next generation, your marketing strategy should adapt accordingly. Therefore, one of the best ways to connect with these clients is through social media tools built specifically for video.

Facebook Live

With your smartphone, you can film yourself and stream it live to your Facebook friends and followers (for a maximum of four hours). Essentially, they are seeing what you’re seeing in real time. It’s a great format for walking through a house or neighborhood, all the while providing narration and color to what your viewers are seeing. Facebook has 2.23 billion active users, and nearly 2 billion people have watched Facebook Live broadcasts.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories alone has more than 400 million active users. These videos are short (a maximum of 15 seconds), and they are available to your followers for 24 hours after being posted before disappearing. These are not live videos; rather, once you shoot a video, you can publish it as is, or you can add words, URLs and graphics within the video to highlight specific points you want to make.

Snapchat

Snapchat has only ever been about video (though not live video), so users are very accustomed to this format. They expect entertaining, fun videos. You can provide this with great one-off shots of things like home features, great landscaping or even videos of yourself. These videos are short, at only 10 seconds (you can piece together multiple videos to make a longer piece that is viewed as a series of video “chunks”), which provides more of an opportunity for highly visual elements.

If you are one of the few companies that does not advertise using live videos, you must move fast and get used to this powerful tool before your competitors are years and followers ahead. 

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Real Estate Marketing Tips Uncategorized

Top 3 Real Estate Marketing Trends for 2019

 

2019 is already here and you should be prepared for changes in consumer habits. As a real estate agent, you should look ahead and strategize a plan of attack for the rest of the year. This way you’ll stay ahead of your competitors by preparing yourself for what’s to come. With that in mind, we’ll discuss a few of the major real estate trends to expect in 2019.

Millennials Buying Homes

Real estate agents must adapt to how these younger buyers are searching for homes. It’s  time for agents to start really utilizing tools like social media and PPC campaigns to showcase the properties they offer. Understanding how today’s buyers are searching for information and making purchase decisions can help agents tremendously in 2019.

Little things like learning real estate photography to upload quality photos and incorporating videos to highlight certain aspects and places within the community that may appeal to millennials, will make a world of difference when selling to these prospective buyers. If you haven’t done so already, it’s also best to keep up with local trends and regulations through real estate continuing education.

Technological Transformation in Real Estate

There will be an influx of buyers in 2019 who are looking to infuse the latest technology into their homes. Rapid urbanization along with population growth will propel the real estate industry as expected in the upcoming years.

But along with those, technology, especially in this digital era will play a bigger role in the industry. Technology has already transformed the process of home buying, as we’ve gone from reading print ads to using mobile apps in a matter of years. Now it’s expected to come in with a bigger influence in 2019’s housing trends and homeowners preferences. Make sure to educate yourself on this so you can help guide your clients.

Rising Trend of Downsizing

Downsizing is a movement that revolves around individuals looking for a simpler, less materialistic way of life. The point is to buy functional homes that meets the owners’ needs and satisfies their way of life, without any excess. As a real estate agent, it’s going to be your job to make it easier for clients to downsize. There will likely be a bunch of queries coming your way, so it’s important to understand why in some cases having less is more. Remember, realtors aren’t just selling homes, their business is also about helping people as they navigate through life changes and very important decisions for their future.

Zentap has invested millions in our technology to help you generate leads and have a robust social media presence that includes branded content and videos. We are offering a free 2019 strategy session to help you achieve your goals! Schedule your session today and get ahead of the competition!

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Social Media Tips

8 Reasons Social Media Marketing is Vital for Your Real Estate Business

 

Gone are the days where consumers and customers go through print spreads for certain products or service they would like to purchase. If you are one of those companies that do not advertise using social media, you better move fast and get accustomed to this powerful medium before it’s too late.

 

Here are 8 reasons why social media marketing is vital for your business:

 

1. Social media allows you to connect with a new audience

Whether you’re trying to reach the younger crowd like the millennials or the baby boomers, you will much more likely reach them through social media. Stats show that more time is spent on social media than any other medium today and people now often look at a businesses social media platforms to see how professional and up-to-date they are. 

Having a well branded social media presence can show your prospects and clients that you are keeping up with the times but more importantly, that you know how to market yourself AND thus, market their listings. A turn off for most buyers and sellers would be an agent that does not know how to use the medium to help them get results!


2. A presence on social media allows you to interact with customers

In this day and age, consumers and customers alike look at social media as a part of their daily lives, some people can’t live without checking their social media accounts – and as a business, you need to take advantage of that fact.

Repetition is key when it comes to marketing and whether you are also using other marketing methods to get your name out, social media is another way for you to be top of mind and for your network to remember that you can help them buy and sell a home when they are ready. 

 

3. Social media marketing allows you to retarget audiences

Social media platforms allows you to retarget your audiences. This means if someone visits your website or you have an email for them, you can retarget them, meaning show them your ad, on certain sites that do this. You never know where someone is in their customer journey but retargeting allows you to reach out to them again and again so that through repetition, they remember your name and business.

 

4. Social media allows you to build your reputation as an agent

One of the most important reasons why real estate agents need to be using social media websites to promote their business is to build their reputation. When you are able to position yourself as an industry expert, it will be a lot easier to attract new clients. You can do this by having good, thought-provoking content for your users. For example, providing your Twitter followers or Facebook fans with insightful, quality content will get them to want to interact with your posts and slowly trust you. 


5. Your competition is already on social media

Your competitors are already on social media. 91% of the world’s businesses already have a social media presence. The barriers to entry for social media are very low and it does not cost anything to create an account on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Intsagram. BUT, if you want to stand out, it’s important to invest in the quality of content you are posting and make sure you are standing out from your competition! 


6. Social media boosts your companies SEO

Let’s face it, nowadays the first thing people do when they want to know more about a business is “Google it”. No one knows exactly what goes into Google’s formula for how they rank and show their search results, but one thing they have announced many times is that they do index and take into account content on your social media pages.  Having a presence on social media will help boost your rankings and allow your name to show up closer to the top when someone types in the relevant search. 

 

7. To network with others agents and prospects

Another reason why real estate professionals should be taking advantage of social media websites is to network within the real estate industry. You may have a buyer looking for a specific home and another agent you interact with on social media has a pocket listing for something that suits your buyer’s needs.  Social media connects people and can often lead you to what you are looking for. Also, reaching out to your current and past clients through your Facebook page is an excellent way to ask for referrals for your business. At the end of your posts, you may want to prompt your readers to share your article or link with someone that they know who is looking for a new house. Using social media to network with your current and past clients is a highly effective way to generate new business.

 

8. Social media marketing is fun!

Social media marketing provides companies a leeway to have some fun! With this medium of marketing, content managers can integrate campaigns that are witty, funny, colorful and stay relevant with what’s trending and popular to build relationships with clients and customers during these ever-changing and competitive times.

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Real Estate Marketing Tips

Real Estate Marketing Checklist for 2019

Resultado de imagem para real estate marketing

As 2018 is coming to an end, it’s important to reflect on what went well, what can be improved and most importantly, set a clear path for the upcoming year so you can hit the ground running in the new year. Here is a checklist of some essential tips to ensure success in 2019.

Remind your sphere you’re still in business

Over 64 percent of your business comes from people you already know, according to NAR’s 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report. It’s even important to remind the clients you helped buy or sell last month that you’re in the game for the long haul. BE TOP OF MIND. Make sure all your contacts and friends are followers on your respective social media platforms, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

How we can help: We can take your contact list to make sure your friends and friends of friends see your ads with our audience targeting solutions.

Maximize your listings’ exposure, even after the deal closes

Your marketing plan for the new year should also include support for the listings you already have on the market. Regardless of conditions, the key to selling a home is exposure; the market needs to know about it. Market your closing with video and congratulatory content.

How we can help: We can make sold videos to market your sales to your prospects and neighborhood and client congratulatory videos to help drive more reviews across Facebook, Zillow, and Google.

Embrace mobile marketing

You don’t need to be told again about the importance of mobile but we’ll do it anyway, just to make a point: 72 percent of homebuyers use a mobile device to look for a home, according to NAR’s 2016 profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report. Having a mobile-optimized website and social media presence with mobile-friendly content is the best place to start.

How we can help: We can make you a mobile responsive website with IDX enabled within 24 hours at NO COST.

Make sure your visible on Google My Business

Not having your business appear on Google My Business can be a fatal flaw. Everyone uses Google searching and if your company fails to appear, you’ve potentially cost yourself a client.

How we can help: We can take your contact list to make sure your friends and friends of friends see your ads with our audience targeting solutions.

Email Marketing with Market Updates

Email marketing is still one of the most effective digital marketing tactics for agents to generate leads. 86% of consumers from companies they do business with at least monthly, while 15% would like to get them daily. Use market videos to keep your base engaged with useful content they actually care about.

How we can help: We auto-generate and design e-mail campaigns to your clients to market your brand with your personalized local market update video and your recent sales.

Inbound Marketing with Landing Pages

Implement inbound marketing to build your sales funnel. Attractive landing pages will draw qualified prospects to your website, where you can then convert them into subscribers.

How we can help: With one click we have your own home valuation landing pages built for you at no cost.

Content Marketing

47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales person. Informative content (ie blog articles, podcasts, webinars, infographics) you produce can be discovered in search engines and on social media by prospects who are researching the housing market.

How we can help: We create a local real estate market video, branded and tailored to your local area. Our personalized market update commercials are released monthly focusing on your local market with popular statistics like average home prices, number of listings, total sales, and other engaging data points.

Marketing Automation

64% of marketers claim they saw the benefits of marketing automation within six months of implementation. Marketing automation utilizes AI to track user behavior and engagement on your site. Messages can be triggered with special offers based on a visitor’s browsing history. With marketing automation tools installed on your website or blog, your engagement will increase, leading to more reviews, comments, shares, and other forms of social proof.

How we can help: We can create all the content needed to run our marketing automation services. By providing us your company information and branding, we can create everything from websites, landing pages, e-mail campaign, videos, flyers, and much more with little to no effort on your part.

Incorporate videos as a marketing tactic

More consumers are interacting with videos today than ever before and, it’s vital to boost and ramp up your video marketing to connect with your audience. According to a recent Forbes article, “By 2019, global consumer Internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic.” If you are serious about growing your brand’s reach, video is one of the best ways to do it! One third of online activity is spent watching videos and over 50% of marketing professionals name video as the type of content with the best ROI.

How we can help: We have invested heavily in technology that automotates the creation of branded, professional videos so that we can create them at scale for a fraction of the price. By providing our company with your images, we can create a customized and personalized video for you in hours.

We have invested in the technology to help automate most of these things for you so you can focus on closing and running your business. Click here to schedule a FREE social media audit and strategy call to set you up for success in 2019!

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Social Media Tips

10 Real Estate Social Media Marketing Tips to Drive in New Business

By now, most real estate agents have a social media presence — but there is usually a disconnect between the content they are posting and what their followers would like to learn and see from their posts.

People who are considering buying or selling a home are emotional and often full of doubt and questions. They want to be sure they are making the right decision, as financially this will be one of the biggest and most important investments of their life!

Yes, they may come to you because of your experience and a license that backs up your credibility, but they also want someone who they know can help them navigate this complex process and reassure them that they are making the right decision for themselves, and usually for their families. Being able to do this effectively is what is often overlooked in this industry and can give real estate agents a true competitive advantage. Think about it – a client is much more likely to refer you if they feel like you had their best interest at heart and went the extra mile to truly be by their side throughout the process.

What most do not realize is that if applied effectively, social media is an excellent tool to provide that extra support. It is where you can share tips, advice and create an open dialogue with your prospects so that you can build their trust and ultimately have an ongoing relationship with them.

Here are 10 specific tips to help you execute:

1. Promote the area, not just the property.

Buyers want to know the ins and outs of the neighborhood they would be moving into and most agents specialize in specific neighborhoods and already know this information. Plus, the info is so easily accessible through social media – follow their Instagram, Twitter or Facebook pages and re-share content that you find interesting. Most cities have a “@CityOf Instagram or Twitter handle that you can repost. This could include be events in the area, stats on the neighborhood, milestones or city improvements.

2. Be Authentic.

Take the time to let your voice come through in your posts and make a personal connection with those who are following you. If you have a good sense of humor, add some wittiness to your copy and give users a taste into your personality. Always remember that consumers may be following a business but it’s the person behind the business that drives the decision on whether or not to do business with you!

3. Provide Users with Educational Content

Social media is the best outlet for this and it’s your content that will set you apart from others. You cant be only posting about listings and trying to only “get a sale.” If you want users to pay attention to your posts, you MUST give them content they find valuable. Tips, advice, facts and other content they can learn from. Infograhpics are a great way to do this and can help with making content that is hard to digest easily digestible in a visual format.

Also, the better the content, the more users will engage with it. This means they are more likely to share it, like it or comment on it. The more this happens, the higher your relevance score will be. The higher your relevance score, the more Facebook will share your content organically and the more eyeballs you will have to your posts. This is HUGE! Facebook wants users to stay on their site and the best way to do this is to give more relevant posts priority and make sure they are shown on the top of users’ feeds.

4. Take Time to “Chat” with your Followers

Social media has drastically shortened the duration of time that users expect to receive a response and most users are accustomed to instant (or as close to that as possible) when they ask a question.

Less people pick up the phone to make a call and expect that messaging you on social media will give them a faster and better response. Make sure you are ready for this and are receiving your notifications on your phone so that you do not miss out on an opportunity, or disappoint your users. Use the platform to build the dialogue and always be sure to answer their questions in a timely manner. Another way to do this is through automated Facebook messages called chatbots.

 

5. Respond to comments, good and bad.

This seems obvious but I am often surprised at businesses that fail to do this – respond promptly and courteously to your followers. Not just to ones who have questions, but those that post comments and you can comment back, like or engage with. You don’t need to respond to every single one, but the more you do, the more you show that you are invested in social media and in your users. It is also important to respond to negative comments so that you have a chance to share your side of the story, just make sure to do it in a non-defensive way. Don’t ever get into a battle with a disgruntled user and always be sure to take the high road and act professionally.

6. Overly Posting About Your Listings

Yes, you need to post about your listings and you need to use social media as a way to raise awareness and interest for them – but make sure you are not abusing this. We recommend a 1 to 5 ratio. For every 1 time you post a listing, you need to post 5 pieces of valuable content to keep people coming back and interested in your content. This goes hand in hand with tip 3 and making sure you are staying consistent with the Facebook algorithm.

7. Forgetting video

According to WireBuzz viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text!

Yes, videos can be costly but there are many affordable solutions out there (including ours!) where you can incorporate video into your social media content and get a lot more exposure and interest than you would with just a static photo. This is especially true for property listings, which can generate a lot more interest when showcased with a vibrant and branded video.

Another added benefit: YouTube videos can improve your website’s ranking in search engines like Google — a common place where prospects start their search for a new home.

8. Only Posting Content for One Specific Demographic

Homebuyers and sellers come in all ages. Yes, a majority of your followers are probably first-timers — but not all are. Make sure you occasionally post content that connects with a more savvy audience and does not just “dumb down” the process for all.

According to a recent PDF by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 36% of home buyers in America are 37 years old or younger and about 66% of them are first-time buyers.

9. Not Posting Frequently

The two most popular social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram — reward accounts that post frequently. This does not have to be daily but you should be posting at least three times a week. The best way to do this is to map it out monthly and start with your content pillars. Then decide how many of each you want to post weekly. For example – if you want to post tips, can you do it twice a week. If so, now you have eight dedicated posts a month. This makes the process much easier.

10. Invite your existing friends to your Facebook Business page and Instagram Account

First of all, make sure you have a business page on both Facebook and Instagram and are not posting to just your personal profile. Second, make sure you have invited all of your friends to like your business page. Why is this important? Remember that friend from high school that you have lost touch with but follow on Facebook? Well they probably don’t know you are a real estate agent and this makes it certain that they do AND makes it certain that you stay top of mind when they are looking for someone to buy or sell their home.

 

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Real Estate Marketing Tips Uncategorized

4 Advanced Tips to Use Instagram for Your Business


Promoting your business on Instagram can consist of many different marketing techniques. The application has been growing at an astonishing rate and businesses have adopted Instagram as one of their main revenue generating tools. The amount of growth this platform has seen within the last few years has created competition within the app. But with a planned out marketing strategy and a firm brand identity, your business can get a great deal of exposure via Instagram. Here are 4 advanced ways to promote your business on Instagram to help set yourself apart from local competitors.

Engage and interact with others on Instagram

Instagram is a wonderful way to interact with your audience and to building relationships within your community. Following, liking, and commenting on people’s photos is a great way to grow and maintain your network. Because you’re likely in the real estate community, try searching relevant hashtags like #luxuryhomes and #househunting. Then, engage and interact with users who are also sharing posts with these hashtags.

Call to action

You can find calls to action either within the photo itself, the caption, or the users bio at the top of their page. You can use CTA’s to directly link viewers to your website from the Instagram application. Another simple way to use CTA’s is to ask your viewers to “comment and tag someone who would love this house” in the caption to generate traffic to your profile.

Promote your product via testimonials

Creating a series of short testimonial videos is an effective form of marketing on Instagram. Hand written testimonials can be a long process, but video testimonials are less time consuming and offer a more personal, authentic way to promote your services. They provide credentials to your company and give evidence that your customers loved your services and would recommend you.

Create digital flyers and current listing videos

The most important aspect of real estate marketing is making potential buyers aware of your current listings. Because of this, creating high-quality videos and flyers for your open houses and listings is a must. Here at Zentap, we offer full service social media management to brokers and realtors. Our digital marketing team works to create unlimited listing videos and flyers for all of your current listings. If you are interested in learning more about how Zentap can increase your company’s social media presence, schedule a consultation with one of our experts by clicking here: https://www.zentap.com/request-a-demo/.

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Uncategorized

4 Innovative Tips to Use for Your Instagram for Business Marketing


Whether you love real estate, traveling, or fashion, digital marketing is changing the way consumers gather information. With multiple outlets for gathering information, Instagram is like window shopping for the life you wish you had. In regards to real estate agents and their use of Instagram as a marketing tool. For real estate agents, it opens up a whole world of new marketing opportunities for realtors to promote their business. Real estate agents should post information about current listings, open houses, and community events regularly to drive traffic to their pages. Check out these 3 innovative tips to promote your real estate business on Instagram.

 

Use Stories

Instagram stories allow users to post photos and videos featuring filters and drawings that will disappear after 24 hours. While it may seem like a useless feature for businesses, using stories can help improve visibility and engagement. They’re meant to be real and raw which helps you connect with your audience on a more personal level. Even though the real estate industry is very professional, it is important for your followers to get to know your personal side as well. 

 

Use Locations/Maps

Tagging your location on photos allows your photo to be seen when people search look up that particular location on Instagram. This feature shows others that you are active in your community by tagging photos in certain cities and community events. In addition, it allows you to be found online by locals looking to buy or sell a home.

 

Advertising

Instagram is a great way to advertise your business. It allows business accounts to create sponsored posts which drive awareness to their business, increase engagements, and boost their reach. It enables users to choose their target audience. Furthermore, users can choose their target audience based off of certain demographics, locations, interests, and behaviors. 

 

 

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Uncategorized

5 Innovative Realtor Tips for Social Media Marketing


Anyone can create a social media post on Facebook or Instagram regarding new listings and open houses. In order to set your real estate marketing tactics apart from other competitors in the industry, try incorporating these 5 innovative tips into your posts. Joining twitter discussions, engaging with potential clients online, running social media contents, and publishing original content are some of the many ways you can create a successful social media presence which will allow you to generate leads and be found my potential home buyers and sellers.

Join a Twitter discussion (or run your own) to start a conversation

Starting a conversation via Twitter lets your clients know that you are “in the loop” so to speak. A well thought out, targeted Twitter discussion can help to build trust in you and your brand. When in a Twitter discussion, you have a guarantee of connecting with like-minded users.

Start or join social media groups and engage on them regularly

Just as in Twitter discussions, social media groups are a great place for you to develop discussions with like minded individuals, network, and create exposure for yourself. Posting and commenting on real estate-related social media groups will allow you to generate outside leads from potential buyers and sellers.

Run a social media contest

Online contests are essentially a digital win win. Basically, your company creates a post offering a giveaway or sweepstakes to a lucky winner. Contests offer a great way for you to engage with your audience and grow your social media following. In addition, employing this method reflects that your company is generous which conveys social responsibility and good morale.

Publish new, original articles on LinkedIn’s publisher network

LinkedIn is a great space to perpetuate intelligent, business-based discussions. Publishing your own articles on LinkedIn is greatly beneficial in representing the professional side of you. When your viewer can witness your intelligence in action, they can visualize you as an excellent business to trust.

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Facebook Reach

3 Innovative Tips for Realtors – Facebook Reach


When it comes to getting the most out of your Facebook page looking at the Insights is a great place to start. Understanding where the data comes from, interpreting and then putting it into a strategy can greatly increase the impact of your Page. This article goes above and beyond the basics and explains to you the additional innovative metric features that you can incorporate into your strategies.

Here are Zentap’s Top 3 Innovative Tips for Lead Generation – Facebook Reach:

 

#1 Think critically about who liked, saw, or engaged with your Page.

The People tab is a simple overview of the people who liked your Page, saw your posts, or engaged with your Page or posts. What’s interesting is that people who saw or engaged with your posts are not necessarily only your fans. This creates the differences in percentages. For example, while 41 percent of our fans are women, 55 percent of people engaged are women. This could imply that our posts tend to be more interesting to women than men.

 

#2 Stay on top of Response times and Messenger analytics.

The Messages tab shows you the performance metrics of your conversations with people on Messenger. The longer you set your stats (i.e. the last 28 or 180 days) the better you can gauge how your business is doing over time.

 

#3 Go even further into analytics with Promotions, Branded Content, and Local.

These tabs might not be as relevant to most people as those above or they might not even appear for you. But if they do, they can be useful in understanding your customers and help you be more specific in your reach strategies. In conjunction with other features, you can determine the best time to implement a promotion to boost traffic. By using branded content you can benefit from high quality content shared with audiences from trusted sources. Local insights are especially helpful to realtors working in a specified area.

 

Thank you for reading Zentap’s Tips for Lead Generation – Facebook Reach. If you wish to learn more about us or real estate marketing, check out our web page.

 

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Uncategorized

Top 4 Advanced Lead Generation Tips for Realtors


Here are Zentap’s Top 4 Advanced Lead Generation Tips for Realtors:

Wondering what separates good realtors from great ones? It is remaining focused on your customers. It is so important to develop strategies that will keep you in good graces with the people who support your business. 

 

1)  Send personalized gifts after a sale to show your thanks to your clients.

 

This is an excellent way to stay connected to your former clients. An act of kindness such as this can lead to multiple five-star reviews and personal recommendations.

 

2)  Develop a referral system with other real estate agents in your market.

 

Sometimes, you and your peers may not have exactly what your clients are looking for. Developing a referral system amongst other real estate agents is a sure-fire way to gain organic leads. No money needs to be spent on this marketing system, and it secures potential clients.

 

3)  Check in with clients a month and year after their housing transaction.

 

When your clients hear back from you, it is a good measure of how much care you put into your business. A good display can go a long way, and this is one of the easiest ways to make one.

 

4)  Develop a podcast and host on iTunes to earn leads and nurture clients.

 

This is another easy way to keep your clients informed of the care you put into your profession and update them on your current operations (i.e. Listings, Sold Homes, etc.)

 

Thank you for reading Zentap’s Lead Generation Tips for Realtors. If you wish to learn more about what how we help realtors like you or real estate marketing in general, check out our web page.

 

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