Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
With social media it’s possible to reach thousands of people through a single post, but there are specific steps you’ll need to take if your content is to go viral, especially when posting photos online.
The good news is that most social media sites are at least photo-centric, which means real estate agents have a grand opportunity to get images of their properties out there and seen by potentially interested buyers. The following tips will help you to improve your real estate-related social media photos to ensure they reach as many of your followers as possible and have the greatest possible impact.
Each social media site has its own best practices for posting images. For example, Facebook allows for multiple images to be posted in a single status update, or for albums to be created for single, standout listings. Instagram however, only allows for one photo to be posted at a time, and followers could be upset if you suddenly post a flood of photos for one specific property.
Despite these restrictions, it’s possible to take advantage of each site’s particular style. On Pinterest for example, the site prefers long and rectangular shaped images, while short and rectangular are best for Twitter. Be sure to optimize your images by cropping them so they fit the platform’s style.
With Instagram only allowing one image to be uploaded each time, one idea is to create a collage image that shows off all of the best aspects of a property. In the caption you can enter a link to your site, the listing, or simply add your bio there, linking to the property. For example: “Check out this amazing property on Hazelnut Drive! Get more info—link in bio.”
An expensive camera might be nice but it isn’t necessary to create high-quality shots. Newer, higher-end phones like the iPhone 7 also have the ability to take stunning images, with its wide-angled lens, telephoto lens and quad-LED True Tone Flash providing an array of options. Most higher-end Android smartphones also have good quality cameras with the ability to take photos in a much larger field of depth, allowing you to capture every angle of the property.
You should always highlight the best features of any property you’re listing online, especially anything unique. For starters you’ll need to stage the home professionally. If you see any special design touches, be sure to take a quality photo of them. It’s the small details that help to make a specific property more appealing – such things as updated appliances, granite countertops, authentic hardwood floors, raised ceilings, delicate crown molding etc – these kinds of details will immediately jump out and attract attention from buyers.
Be sure to capture the property from a variety of angles so as to have different perspectives. Buyers understand that photos can be deceiving, and so it helps to provide alternative perspectives so they don’t feel misled in any way. For example, if you show just one image of the house looking straight on, but had to crop out most of the huge front yard, you’re missing out on a valuable piece of the property. And be sure to use a special wide-angle lens to do justice to details like that oversized dining room.
