5 Tips for Reaching New Home Buyers in 2022

The 2021 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report offers valuable statistics to give realtors a good idea about the state of the real estate market right now and ongoing for the first half of 2022. 

• Millenials - people currently aged between 22 and 40 - make the largest segment of buyers, with a cumulated market share of 37%. 
• 82% of millennials aged 22 to 30 years old are first-time buyers. In contrast, only 48% of millennials aged 31 to 40 are first-time home buyers. 
• Gen Xers - people currently aged between 41 and 55 - are the second-largest group of home buyers, with a 24% of market share. Of them, 22% are first-time home buyers.
• First-time buyers made up 31% of all homebuyers in 2021. 

So what are the best real estate marketing strategies to reach these population segments in 2022? In the following, we look at five mainstream tips that will help you plan a cohesive strategy for the first six months of 2022. 

1. SEO Is Essential for Reaching New Home Buyers in 2022

SEO (search engine optimization) is an essential strategy for reaching new home buyers online in 2022. The 2021 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends revealed that 97% of all homebuyers search online for properties and information about the home buying process. 

It is also imperative to note that 51% of all homebuyers find their properties online, while only 28% find homes directly with a real estate agent.

If your real estate website lacks on-page and off-page (links) SEO, it is time to hire an agency or an in-house SEO consultant to refine your content and address all technical SEO issues.

Your website must be responsive (to display flawlessly on desktop PCs and smart devices, including smartphones and tablets) and enriched with stunning imagery. All the texts on your website must be compelling and describe the listed properties, their neighborhoods, and other advantages they may offer for new home buyers. 

2. Social Media Plays a Significant Role in the Purchasing Decision of New Home Buyers

If you don't have a solid social media presence on all relevant networks for consumers (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.), you are already missing out. 

Real estate agents and companies tend to underutilize social media as a marketing medium, missing out on considerable advantages and customer outreach opportunities. 

Here are all the reasons you should consider integrating social media into your marketing arsenal, or if you already use it, ramp up your efforts:

• Distribute content to your followers in real-time on your schedule. 
• Control the message. You can post whatever you want, as long as you comply with the specific community guidelines of the particular network. 
• Distribute content in various forms: text, images, recorded videos, live videos, and direct message "stories."
• Directly communicate with buyers, business partners, past and current clients, and so on. 
• Plan and schedule events (on Facebook) and determine how many people are likely to attend, are interested, or are not interested.
• Run targeted ads, boost posts you want to promote to broader audiences and have more people visit your website from social media. 

When used right, creatively, and engaging, social media is a channel for branding and qualified leads. 

3. Targeted Advertising to Reach New Home Buyers in 2022

You could use many channels for targeted online real estate ads to reach new home buyers in 2022, but Facebook Ads and Google Ads remain the most effective. 

• Facebook Ads: Use Facebook's "Creative Hub" to customize your ads for the plethora of distribution channels available within the Facebook network. You will have your ads placed in Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Video Feeds, Facebook Right Column, Instagram Explore, Messenger Inbox, Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Messenger Stories, Facebook In-stream Videos, Facebook Search, and Facebook Instant Articles. Your ads will appear as Native, Banner, and Interstitial on the Facebook Audience Network, in Rewarded Videos and In-Stream Videos.

Google Ads:

1. Reach new home buyers on Google Search and Maps, whether they use desktop devices or mobile.
2. Control your advertising budget by setting a monthly budget cap, pausing, or adjusting your spend anytime.
3. Use this strategy to get more leads, phone calls, or in-agency visits from potential buyers. 

Both Facebook and Google allow you to refine your targeted demographics based on age, location, interests, and other criteria. In addition, both platforms run pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Still, while Facebook works better for retailers in beauty and fashion, Google is recommended for higher-value sales (homes, cars, luxury furniture, etc.).  

4. Host a First-time Buyer Webinar or Live Event

New home buyers are usually first-timers. Therefore, they know very little about mortgages, taxes, financing, legislation, appraisals, home inspection musts and red flags, what to look for during the home buying process, and what issues arise for new homeowners. 

Many new home buyers in 2022 are likely young Millenials, and they probably don't even know where to begin the home buying process, although they will be savvy enough to find most of the information online. Unfortunately, however, information on the internet is scattered on various websites, and its flow is hard to follow. 

Hosting a webinar or live event (Q&A) on Facebook, Twitter, and other networks allows you to educate potential buyers - you want to be the "go-to" expert when people want to know more about everything real estate. This is how you establish yourself and your real estate agency as an invaluable resource they can trust when ready to purchase a new home.  

5. Don't Ignore Traditional Marketing

Traditional billboards, radio and TV advertising, brochures, cold calling, and MLS® listings are still valuable information resources for new home buyers in 2022. People searching to buy a home in a particular city are very likely to pay attention to traditional media. 

Consider integrating conventional media into your marketing strategy for 2022 to cover all your bases. Per NAR's 2021 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, print newspaper ads, billboards, television, and Wholesale 18x24 Custom Yard Signs still work to generate qualified leads. 

In conclusion, a solid online and traditional marketing strategy will help you reach more new home buyers in 2022.