Facebook has a dedicated page to meet real estate professionals’ marketing needs on its social network and Instagram. According to this page, 3 out of 4 US Facebook users visit local business Pages at least once a week - a statistic worth looking into especially for property professionals who hope to extend their market reach, build a stronger brand, maximize listings, and generate more leads. In essence, following the advice and steps offered by this page, realtors could use Facebook as a real estate marketing tool with ease. 

The first step is to create a Facebook business page and fill in all the relevant business details. Then, Facebook offers four excellent tools:

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is where entrepreneurs and private individuals go to sell a variety of goods. Studies conducted by Facebook revealed that one in three US users visit the Marketplace every month.  Companies worldwide are already using this channel to reach homebuyers and people interested in home rentals. Some of the - Facebook Marketplace partners in the USA - include Rental Beast, Abodo, TurboTenant, Zenant, and Homesnap. Real estate professionals can find a dedicated Facebook Marketplace page for their niche here. 

Facebook Marketplace has several advantages:

• It is free to list properties, although Marketplace partners may charge additional fees for added value and services;
• It’s very to use, offering both automated and manual listing upload methods. Property listings may include all the necessary information to attract new leads: housing type, price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and so on;
• Realtors can answer queries in real-time with lead form built-in;
• It integrates with other Facebook marketing channels, allowing property owners to advertise their listings beyond Marketplace;
• It is available on mobile, allowing realtors to target users on the go,
• Listings are public and can be seen by anyone, on or off Facebook.

Dynamic Real Estate Ads

Facebook marketing tools with exceptional reach, the dynamic Real Estate Ads aim to satisfy specifically the needs of real estate advertisers. Unlike creating Facebook Marketplace listings, the dynamic Real Estate Ads need more time, effort, and a website developer’s help. 

Developers will help implement the Facebook pixel on the real estate website. The pixel is an advanced analytics tool to control valuable data that allows realtors to fine-tune advertising campaigns to reach Facebook users interested in renting or buying and analyze advertising campaigns’ success by measuring what happens when people see the ads. 

The pixel alone is not enough to start working with dynamic Real Estate Ads: property owners should also create a Home listing catalog featuring a minimum of 100 property listings. The program’s dynamic function will then use the catalog data, including images and property details, to automatically deliver carousel ads on Facebook, Instagram, and the Audience Network. Dynamic Real Estate Ads are different from standard dynamic ads. They will feature specific information like property address, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, neighborhood, and more, depending on the catalog listings. 

Lead Ads

Lead Ads enable advertisers to collect data from interested prospects. Once the user clicks on an ad, a form pre-populated with her or his Facebook contact information pops up. Since it already has the user’s Facebook data, the form is ready to submit.

Lead Ads have significant benefits:

• They show well on mobile devices, allowing users to fill in forms even on small screens;
• Users can fill up missing information quickly as the form already contains most of their existing Facebook personal data;
• Pairing lead ads with the appropriate audience selection and other Facebook marketing tools (like dynamic ads) help real estate advertisers to find qualified leads;
• Synchronize the new leads with your CRM to give the sales team the tools to act and contact the interested parties;
• Include call-to-action buttons to incentivize users to fill in and send the forms.

Facebook Live

Facebook Live allows realtors to connect with their business page followers in real-time. You can use this tool for virtual open house tours, house staging, live drone footage, Q&A sessions, webinars, and other types of events. Viewers can comment or ask questions, like your video, or even follow your page as you videocast. The reach of live video is broad: You can stream with the Facebook app or the Creator Studio app anywhere in the world, on your Page, group, profile, or event. Adding a location to your video helps target the audience closest to it first. You can also tag friends in your video description and a feeling or activity to set the tone. 

You can use your phone to go live or use the Live Producer for more sophisticated, high-end video equipment and additional functions like Polls, Stream Health, and much more. 

Facebook Live has exceptional functionality: you can stream on your own, invite a friend or colleague to join your broadcast, videocast with multiple partners from messenger rooms, and organize live events. More features that allow creators to monetize, grow, and expand their businesses using Facebook Live are in work. 

What Should You Post on Your Real Estate Business Page?

Facebook marketing works for many real estate professionals, provided that they employ creative techniques to appeal to followers and attract new leads. Besides Marketplace listings, dynamic ads, and lead ads, the business page itself can deliver results. Here are some post ideas with the potential to appeal to your followers, increasing your chances of getting more likes and boosting your reach. 

1. Showcase your buyers: Some people value their privacy; others are comfortable sharing details about their achievements. Buying a home is, for many people, an accomplishment. If they are happy to share, ask them for permission to snap a picture and show them off. Tag them and thank them for choosing your company to buy or rent a home. 
2. Showcase local businesses: Partner with companies and shops in the neighborhood of your listings. These can be anything from plumbers to home decor, outdoor living, gardening and landscaping, tools, home improvement, and much more. Schools and hospitals in your district are helpful too. Introduce these businesses on your page. You can also review them. This type of information provides great value, especially to people who plan to move to the area from out of town. You will also help sustain the local economy. 
3. Special deals or coupons for local shops: Partner with local vendors to motivate your followers to keep on engaging with your Facebook page by offering them discounts, coupons, and deals. 
4. DIY home improvement tips: You know from experience what it takes to prepare a house for new owners. Share some of those tips on your business page.
5. Real estate news: It’s essential to keep your followers up to date with what happens in your industry. Share real estate news. These can be anything from critical nationwide news to a celebrity buying an exorbitantly priced property in your neighborhood. Good company keeps good company.
6. Share content that educates: You already know when is the best time to invest in buying property, which neighborhoods are desirable, what to be mindful of when purchasing a new home, and so on. Share these tips with your followers.  
7. Images of beautiful homes: Some homes are striking enough to inspire awe and desire. Showcase them and their lovely interiors. 
8. Engage local influencers: They can expand your brand’s reach in front of people who don’t follow your page yet. Endorsements from these people are likely to boost your brand credibility in addition to driving more likes. 
9. Listings: You can use Facebook posts to publish property listings but make them more engaging than your ads. Use eye-catching photography and explain the home’s advantages and location, including the details you don’t use for your ads. Drive traffic to your website with enticing listing posts that sparkle imagination. 
10. Videos: From video tours of a home for sale to neighborhood videos, you can give your followers a true sense of what you are selling using video recordings and clips of your Facebook Live broadcasts. 

These are just some of the things you could post on your business page to successfully use Facebook as a real estate marketing tool. Don’t forget to boost some of these posts to expand your reach, get more likes, more followers, and eventually more leads.

Photo courtesy of Webics