A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a Real Estate Influencer

By Paige Brown

In today’s world, social media is king. No matter how big or small a real estate brand, broker or agent may be, to keep up with today’s demographic of buyers and sellers, having a strong presence on social media is a must. But what about those who are looking to dive a little deeper, expand their reach a little further and ultimately become an influencer?

Across social media, there are nearly endless opportunities for growth. Influencers are established and passionate leaders who people want to follow and hear from. This is no different in the real estate industry. Here is a guide for beginners, laying out the steps you need to take and the work you need to commit to in order to boost your brand, inspire others and build your business as a real estate influencer.

Develop a Brand Identity Whether you’re a broker who works for themselves, or an agent working for an established brokerage, having your own brand identity is crucial, even if you aren’t looking to become an influencer. Remember that a brand is more than a logo, and your brand should be personalized to you. Developing a real estate niche is a good place to start your branding journey, however, it isn’t necessary. The key to honing in on your brand identity is connecting to and resonating with your audience, who should see you not just as a real estate agent, but a local expert and resource for all things real estate. Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy In today’s landscape, it is crucial to have a social media strategy, whether you’re looking to become an influencer or not. From the pandemic driving more people online to the new, social media-driven generations entering the market, having a strong social media presence is essential for finding success in the real estate industry. Write down your goals and objectives for becoming an influencer, identify your audience, their interests and pain points, choose the platform(s) where you plan to execute these strategies, curate content and get sharing.

Increase Your Engagement In any relationship, communication is key—and this rings true when it comes to your social sphere. By interacting with your audience, you are driving up engagement, helping your audience grow in number and exposing your content to a wider pool. Ask your audience for comments and be sure to respond to them, even if it’s just a ‘like’ or a quick note.

Be sure to tag accounts such as your company’s page, vendors and

even other agents, as this will also help boost your engagement, pushing your content to the top more frequently. The higher your engagement levels, the better the algorithm across social platforms will work to your advantage.

Connect With Other Influencers If you’re looking to become an influencer, what better place is there to get started than researching relevant real estate influencers? Hop onto TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter, and search for hashtags such as #realestate, #realestatetips, #realestateagent, #[City]realestate, #[State] realestate, #[Niche]realestate or any other relevant keywords. Pay attention to their followers and likes, the interaction with their audience and the types of trends and topics covered in their content. This will help when it comes to inspiring your content creation and developing your social media strategy.

Prospecting for new connections can be as simple as sending a message. Once you find a real estate influencer on the platform(s) on which you plan to start your journey, reach out. Direct or private message the real estate professional and share that you’re looking to grow your online presence and become an influencer. More likely than not, peers will be more than willing to help, answer questions or even jump into a live video with you, giving you the chance to reach a wider audience.

Check out these real estate influencers on TikTok for inspiration: Liz Brown, 40.2k Followers – @lizbrownrealtordaily Stephanie Kebede, 85k Followers – @stephaniekebede Sierra Yeager, 94.9k Followers – @sierrayeager Sean Christopher Cochran, 320.2k Followers – @thecowboyofrealestate

2022_RISMedia_Half_Page_7.5x5.pdf 1 5/20/2022 11:22:55 AM Harley Maxwell, 350k Followers – @harleymaxwell3

So, you want to be an influencer? Becoming an influencer isn’t easy. It requires a lot of hard work and attention. From sharing educational and entertaining content to being your most genuine and authentic self, you can build your brand, grow your audience and become an influential expert in your market. It’s important to monitor your analytics, build partnerships across social media and even pay to promote your posts. Though this may take some time, dedication and the drive to succeed will help get you started on your journey of becoming a real estate influencer. RE

Paige Brown is RISMedia’s managing editor, social media/blog. Email your real estate news ideas to her at pbrown@rismedia.com.

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