Despite the pandemic causing a lot of uncertainty across different businesses and industries across the world, the real estate space continued to grow in the last two years. In the US alone, the Census Bureau approved permits for nearly 1.5 million privately-owned housing units in 2021, many of which are likely to be built in 2024. What was even more surprising was that buyers were going digital with as many as 63% of them making an offer on a property without even physically visiting it.
If there’s anything this trend has taught us it’s that if you’re in the real estate business, you need to be prepared to tap into this market momentum at any time and establish yourself as a trustworthy anchor.
Towards that end, we’ve done the legwork and compiled 12 must-have real estate marketing materials in this comprehensive guide. We’ll expand on two categories of marketing materials for real estate agents: digital and print. We’ll break down why they’re important, explain how you can use them to your advantage, and direct you to tools that will help you achieve results.
Here’s a quick look at the real estate marketing materials you must use in 2024:
1. Part One: Digital marketing materials
A. Website Videos
B. Social Media Posts
C. High Quality Photos
D. Online Ads
E. An SEO Optimized Website
F. Newsletters & Emailers
2. Part Two: Print marketing materials
A. Brochures
B. Business Cards
C. Open House Signs
D. Postcards
E. Posters
F. Flyers
Part One: Digital Marketing Materials
The way people have been approaching property investments in the recent past, especially post-pandemic, has been a lot different from how they did it before. Many have gone digital, with 93% of buyers reportedly having started their house hunt online, and 63% having bought homes without even visiting them physically first.
Here’s how you can meet them digitally and make a striking impression while still conveying credibility, factual accuracy, emotional connection, and your expertise on the matter at every step.
A. Website Videos
Why website videos help
If you’re in real estate marketing, a website with video content is your best friend. Data shows that adding high-quality videos to your website’s landing pages can increase your conversion rates to a whopping 80%.
Videos help create brand awareness and win your website search engine brownie points; experts suggest that it is 50x easier to get a page to rank first on Google with a video than without. Read on to learn more on this in the SEO section.
How to use website videos for real estate marketing
Well-made website videos can be avenues to generate leads and drive conversions. Remember that property buyers are looking for spaces that reflect their aspirations and ethos.
So, you want to create and use real estate videos that will help your audience imagine themselves in the property you’re trying to sell, or sell them the experience of working with you. And you don’t just have to stick to house tours, but you can also create property listing videos, testimonials, market updates and share other real estate tips and tricks. We actually have a detailed blog on real estate video marketing that you will find helpful while creating videos for your own brand.
For example, check out this video that the Calcagno and Hamilton Real Estate Partners have on their website. The use of upbeat music, aesthetic drone shots, and clips of the location’s most scenic vistas, activities, and community make this a strong video.
Points to keep in mind while making real estate website videos
While real estate videos can be of various different kinds, the good ones do incorporate a few fundamental features that help them stand out:
- They are optimized for mobile
- They are well-scripted for a particular target audience
- They use high-quality, clear visuals
- They clearly convey all necessary information such as property location, the amenities, outdoor spaces, and information about the community
- They have clear narration and good music that doesn’t overpower the vocals
Tools that help
- For filming: Shots should be taken using a full frame camera. If you’re working with a filming crew this should automatically be taken care of. Alternatively, if you’re making videos yourself, you can also use an iPhone or any other phone that allows you to film in HD and 4k. In addition to this, having a drone for filming outdoor footage is a great idea
- For creating videos: Instead of using heavy editing software that requires a lot of technical know-how, you can use online video editors like InVideo that allow you to create videos without downloading any software and also have real estate video templates to make the creation process much smoother
- For making 3-D video walkthroughs: Use software like Matterport or enlist the services of agencies like Archello and Map Systems
B. Social Media Posts
Why social media posts help
Social media content can help you showcase your expertise over the real estate domain, generate genuine leads, and communicate with your audience. According to marketing experts, social media platforms helped generate about 47% quality leads for realtors, brokers, and real estate agents within a given year. Data also shows that 44% of real estate agents found a new client during the pandemic due to their consistent social media efforts.
How to use social media posts for real estate marketing
During InVideo’s interaction with real estate agents, we found that Instagram and Facebook are the most used and preferred because they make direct communication easy; so one thing is certain: make sure you keep the conversation going on your social media through engaging posts.
Experts suggest that different social media platforms offer different benefits. Let’s look at each one a little more in detail:
Facebook: Facebook has the largest user base of any other social media platform. Having a Facebook presence, therefore, is essential to your real estate marketing efforts. The best part about using this platform is that it is like a mini-website that allows you to consolidate all your business info on one platform while allowing you to share regular updates with your community as well as run ads to build your community further.
How do you ensure that you utilize your Facebook presence to the fullest? Have a look at Chicago-based Dream Town Realty’s Facebook Page.
Notice their branding, contact information, page hygiene (no clutter), crisp yet comprehensive information, and beautiful imagery. You can similarly use Facebook to list your properties, share market updates with existing clients, have live video walkthroughs, and do a lot more.
Instagram: Unlike Facebook, Instagram is very heavy on visuals. This means that the type of content you can post here is going to be different. For most real estate businesses, sharing aesthetic pictures and videos of properties as well as sharing short and snippety videos that provide valuable information work great. Think of it also as your very own channel, where you can share your expertise with buyers.
Take inspiration from Atlanta based realtor Glennda Baker’s Instagram.
Notice how she uses Reels as an avenue to share her expertise and knowledge in a crisp and engaging way. Using Reels consistently the way she does will help you captivate your Instagram audience on a regular basis too and you can actually make Reels fairly quickly and easily using InVideo’s Reels templates. Make note of the little things: good thumbnails with written content which gives you an idea of what the reel is about, visual consistency, and a glimpse into how many impressions she makes regularly.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is where you can network virtually and successfully witut h not just clients but other pros in the real estate space. Make your presence felt by sharing blogs, articles, and insights, and answering relevant questions.
For reference, check out Boston’s based realtor Bill Gasset’s LinkedIn page. Notice how his cover image conveys all relevant information pertaining to the business, and how his bio conveys his ethos and helps establish trust.
Bonus: Pinterest
While these three may be the holy trinity of real estate social media marketing, we’ve noticed that Pinterest gets a lot of traffic too (about 444 million people per month), and out of the billions of pins that they pin or save, a high percentage is related to architecture and home. According to a comprehensive interview conducted with real estate marketing experts by The Close, a strong Pinterest strategy can be very rewarding for real estate marketers. Pinterest doubles up as a search engine for prospective real estate buyers; a Pinterest business account can help you answer queries and solve problems relating to real estate, and allow you to help prospective buyers make decisions. Check out the image below to see how real estate marketers typically use Pinterest.
Read our super helpful guide to Pinterest marketing if you want to expand your reach to this platform as well.
Points to keep in mind while creating social media posts
With the right content strategy, social media can be one of the most useful real estate marketing materials you have. While we have a detailed blog on the different social media marketing strategies you can use for real estate, here are a few quick pointers to help you get started:
- Have clear branding, imagery and text. You don’t want low quality visuals because they can really put off potential clients and will not help you gain new ones
- Post consistently to ensure you stay on top of the algorithm as well as your potential clients’ minds. You also want to be consistent with your branding to develop better recall in the minds of people
- Use your social media handles to drive traffic back to your website. This will help you better showcase your services and if you can get people to sign up for your email/newsletter then you can have a long-term warm lead
- Join local Facebook groups and LinkedIn discussions (whenever relevant), and engage in real estate-related discussions. This will help you share your expertise, build trust and also learn from other experts
- Host live sessions on Facebook and Instagram. These allow people to engage with you in real time, helping build trust and ensure free flowing communication
Tools you can use
- To make video posts for your social media handles: use customizable and easy-to-use Reels templates and real estate video posts templates on InVideo that allow you to create compelling content in minutes.
- To make display and cover images: use an online design software such as Canva that makes it super easy to tweak templates as well as create your own unique designs.
- To make communication with your community easier: set up auto-replies for commonly asked questions. With platforms like Instagram, you can do this within the app itself but for other platforms, you can do this using social Media automation tools that can help you come across as more responsive, but read all about them here first
- To shoot Instagram and Facebook Live: invest in a phone with an excellent camera.
C. High Quality Photos
Why high quality photos help
In real estate, pictures can determine how quickly you sell your home. A recent study by PR Newswire shows that homes with professional photos on the listing sold 36% faster than homes without. The average time for those homes were 89 days on the market, compared to the 123 days of the other listings. High quality photographs are undoubtedly one of the best marketing materials for real estate agents.
How to use high quality photos for real estate marketing
Use a combination of high quality images on your website landing page, listings, and social media platforms like Instagram to get the best results. To get a better sense of how professional or high quality photographs can elevate your marketing game, check out West Coast based Aerial Canvas’s projects and look through their portfolio of stunning photos showing the indoors, outdoors, landscape and amenities of the property.
Source: Aerial Canvas
Also check out this listing on Apartments.com to see how high quality photos visually enhance a listing and attract attention.
Points to keep in mind for capturing and using high quality photos
There are several ways to stay on top of this aspect even if you hire someone else to create your photo portfolio:
- Capture tiny spaces well, especially the bath and laundry rooms, which potential buyers reportedly love to see
- Good exterior real estate photography should capture the entirety of the house without washing out any of the features
- Photograph the interiors in natural light as well as with studio lights and then use the best shots to put your best foot forward.
- Ensure there’s no garbage or clutter in the background of your shots when you’re clicking property photos
- If you’re working with a photographer, check their portfolio before you hire them. You want to work with someone who has prior real estate experience to ensure you’re not wasting time or money
Tools that help
- To capture photos: you will need a good full-frame camera as well as a tripod if you plan on clicking the photos yourself. Alternatively, using an iPhone or another phone with an excellent camera is also a good option
- To find/hire professional photographers: Use Instagram and Fiverr to look for professional photographers in your area to work with. If your budget allows, this is a much better option since it will save you tons of time and allow your work to look a lot more professional
D. Online ads
Why online ads help
Online ads bring considerable returns to your marketing efforts. Data suggests that unlike for other products, online ads for real estate receive more attention. Reportedly, the average click-through rate for real estate Pay Per Click ads (PPCs) ranges from 6.42% to 7.45% across subcategories; this rate, compared to 3.17% for other business types, makes it obvious that online ads for real estate are the ones people are engaging with more.
Not just that. It’s been found that nearly 30% of people conduct a search after seeing an online ad, and there’s a 59% lift in conversions when this type of search is performed.
How to use online ads for real estate marketing
Due to the principle on which online ads are based, i.e. targeting, they help access audiences that match your listings or offers. Use online ads to compete against the big players in the commercial estate space. But you’ll have to ace the targeting aspect and find the right kind of ad. Let’s look at some different types of online ads closely.
1. Paid Search Ads: Search ads appear first in the search engine results pages above the organic results. For example, searching for “commercial properties in Austin” shows ad results appearing above prominent websites in the real estate space like LoopNet, PropertyShark, and Aquila. Check out the screenshot below.
To reap search ad benefits, do your homework on keywords, search engine match, your organic traffic as well. Read all about it here.
2. Display Ads: Although display ads have earned a bad reputation in digital marketing, with new technology like Google Display Network and Facebook's Audience Network, you can display your ads to the right target audience at the right place and time. Have a look at the example below, and notice the clean design and straightforward call to action.
Source: Union Street Media
One of the benefits of display advertising is that it can improve your search ad results. In fact, there’s a nearly 60% increase in conversions when a search is conducted for a business after seeing a display ad.https://marketing.realtor.com/local-expert
3. Social Media Ads: By advertising on social media, you can reach specific target audiences using targeting options. For a better idea on what your ads should look like, have a look at the examples below.
Source: The Registry
Source: Acme Real Estate Instagram ad
Source: Zoom Casa Instagram ad
Notice how each ad has storytelling elements, social proof, clutter free visuals, and how the ad establishes the expertise of the real estate agency.
Moreover, most social media platforms that run ads offer location-based targeting, making it , and it’s fairly simple to specify where and to whom you’d like these ads to be displayed. Facebook and Instagram allow you to target an area of 2 square miles around your location. For more info on social media and geo-tagged advertising for real estate, check out this helpful blog.
Points to keep in mind while using online ads
Before you create and run ads, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind:
- A/B test your ads to understand how searchers are responding (or not responding) to certain aspects, and play around with the design to arrive at one that works
- Use specific calls to action and ensure you provide details to contact you in your ads
- Set up your Google My Business account and use Google Local Services Ads which allow users to contact a real estate agent or book an appointment directly from Google Ads without ever leaving the search engine
- Geo-tag your ads. According to a study by Factual, a location data company, 80 percent of the marketers they surveyed said that location-based marketing receives higher response rates and more customer engagement than other traditional forms of marketing. To know more about how to use digital marketing for your real estate business, check out this blog
Tools that help
- Create video ads using InVideo’s real estate templates. You can easily customize these, add media, text, and music from our royalty-free library. Check out this blog to understand how to add cool edits to your videos in minutes
- Level up your digital ads with the help of HubSpot Academy’s free Digital Advertising Training Course
- To design Display Ads for Real Estate take the help of Union Street, a real estate digital marketing firm that provides high-performing websites and custom digital marketing solutions for brokers
E. SEO optimized website
Why SEO helps
An SEO optimized website that helps you stay ahead of your competition on a search engine is one of the best real estate marketing materials you can invest in. Why? Because it increases chances of your being found by someone who is looking for exactly what you’re offering.
Data suggests that 64.5% of internet users click on the first three results in a search engine listing, while only 30% click on anything after the third result. Fact is, if you’re on the second page of search results, only 10% of internet users will even see your page. You want to therefore work on your SEO so that you can potentially rank on the first page of search engines like Google. To gain a more in-depth understanding of how SEO works, read our helpful blog which breaks it down.
Good SEO helps generate leads, is cost effective, and guarantees business growth. And while it is a long-term game, making your website mobile-friendly and adding page titles, headings, and meta descriptions to the existing pages is a great place to start your SEO efforts. Have a look at some of the areas you can work on for SEO:
How to use SEO for real estate marketing
#1 - Write great content
High-quality and useful content that targets the right keywords will help you rank better during online searches. This means you will have more warm leads coming your way with better chances of conversions. Optimize the written content for location-based keywords like “houses near me”, “condos in…”, “houses near..”, etc.
If keyword research or writing isn’t your forte, hiring someone for both these roles is a good idea since it will reap dividends. All you’ll have to do is oversee the process, provide key insights and make sure your writer maintains a language and tone that is in keeping with your brand.
#2 - Go mobile-first
With more than half of all website traffic (54 %) coming from mobile devices, you can’t ignore responsive design. Google also prioritizes responsive sites in their search indexing, which means you’ll be likely to rank higher than sites that aren’t designed for mobile devices. A few other ways to improve your website user experience on mobile include improving page speed, ensuring your website’s design adapts well to smaller tablet and phone screen sizes, and ensuring any pop-ups you might be using on your site aren’t blocking anything when viewed on a mobile.
#3 - Integrate an IDX search tool or platforms like Zillow on your page
Integrating an IDX tool on your site is a great way to achieve this. IDX integrates real estate listings from a multiple listings service (MLS) and displays them on your website, allowing buyers to search and find properties easily on your site. What makes IDX so great is that listings are updated every few hours, and the database is really comprehensive.
#4 - Adopt a local approach
Creating highly informative city-specific content can really help with your SEO discoverability, since people looking to buy are likely to research the neighborhood they’re interested in as well. Writing blogs that talk about different cities and localities in detail will not only help prospective buyers learn more about the neighborhood, but also help them make more informed buying decisions. You should also make sure you’re easy to contact by claiming your Google My Business listing and optimize it for search to appear in the right locations.
Tools that help
- Free SEO Tools: SemRush or Yoast are both great for most (SEO) needs. Check out Backlinko’s extensive list of free SEO tools to see what else you can use
- For Content Writing: Use services like FatJoe, Upwork or CrowdContent. For some inspiration to get you started, check out BiggerPockets for some great examples of real estate writing
- For IDX: use integrations from platforms like Zillow or Trulia which incorporate IDX as well as independent sellers on their platform. If you live outside the US or Canada, you could also check out Zoopla(UK), and Magic Bricks (India)
F. Newsletters and Emailers
Why newsletters & emailers help
Unlike other forms of communication like social media or blogs, with emails, you have complete control over the communication channel, analytics, and you can segment your audience. For this reason, several real estate marketers prefer this channel.
Data supports the use of email too: 63% of real estate email marketing campaigns receive a positive reaction. Moreover, 38% of U.S. consumers reported having taken action after being exposed to email marketing. Campaign Monitor analyzed 30 billion emails sent globally between January and December 2019 and dropped some great news for real estate professionals: the industry that witnessed the highest click-to-open rates (17.7%) in 2019 was real estate.
How to use newsletters & emailers for real estate marketing
A good email marketing strategy should help you generate leads as well as nurture them through a solid follow-up process. Before signing up for an email-marketing service, therefore, you will need to create an email marketing strategy with several campaigns to ensure effective communication. Have a look at this helpful blog to nail this aspect.
In order to kickstart your campaigns, you will want to have an email sign up form on your website where people can provide their email addresses. Realtors often also market their email-sign ups during offline interactions to build their database. You can do that too during networking events, having your sign up link on your visiting card. Once someone is on your list, you need to have a welcome email sequence that gets them acquainted with you and your brand, as well as your unique value proposition.
After that, you can send them emails for new listings, share insights about the real estate space in your area and create a periodic newsletter that is informative and helps strengthen your relationship with them.
Points to keep in mind while emailing & sending newsletters
- Segment your list and sending crisp and relevant emails with short subject lines
- Setting up an automated sequence to (politely) follow up with them improves your chances of conversion
- Send company newsletters with your take on commercial real estate news and trends to build a connection with your prospects and improve response rates
- Make videos a part of your email campaigns. Adding video to emails can increase clickthrough rates by at least 2-3 times, as it creates a personal connection. It also drives deals faster as it helps build trust through communication. And you can easily create these video’s using InVideo’s online editor. Simply choose a relevant template and edit the details to fine tune it.
Tools that help
- To send emails: you can use services like MailChimp, Active Campaign, sendinblue, that allow you to take signups and send out emails
- To understand Real Estate Email Marketing better: this article that will take you through the required details and tools
Now that we have a fair understanding of the different real estate digital marketing materials, let’s take a look at what all do you need in print.
Part Two: Print Marketing Materials
While it’s good to go all out with your digital marketing, it would be unwise to neglect print. As a real estate professional, you need to be mindful of the fact that not everyone trusts online marketing, and that several populations aren’t tech-savvy but are still potential buyers.
Data compiled over the past decade presents a good case for print too: print ads tend to trigger a stronger response vis a vis digital ones and tend to have better recall even after a week. It is therefore a good idea to develop a print marketing plan for your real estate business. Think of print marketing materials as visual sidekicks to your digital plan.
Pro-tip: Just because you’re creating print materials doesn’t mean you have to leave all tech out. Add QR codes to your printed materials to help interested buyers visit your website for more information.
So far so good? Now let’s look at our list of the top 6 print marketing materials for real estate, along with a breakdown of why they work, how you can use them effectively, and tools that help:
A. Brochures
Why brochures help
Brochures are a versatile, budget-friendly, and informative way to spotlight your real estate business. A study revealed that printed materials like brochures tend to be perceived by many as learning tools, and can double up as informational guides to your properties/listings or as supplements to larger marketing campaigns.
Brochures are especially useful if your marketing plan includes real estate farming – a strategy where a realtor focuses on a single neighborhood or area to position themselves as the local expert on all things real estate.
How you should use brochures for real estate marketing
Brochures allow for a very flexible design, and a good rule of thumb would be to strike a balance between written and visual content. Experts suggest you add as few words as possible, but do not leave crucial, valuable information out.
You can use brochures to highlight a single apartment, house, condo, commercial property, promote multiple real estate buildings or to introduce your real estate services. The best way to go about it is to decide which of the following you want the reader to do:
- Call you
- Email your business
- Buy something
Based on this, you should list what would be most appropriate to include on the brochure. If you’re creating a brochure detailing a property, for example, here’s what you can include:
1. Property details, features or inclusions
Source: New World Group
Showing and explicitly mentioning what amenities come with the property is important, as they make a house/ commercial space look more attractive. This list of features could possibly make a buyer pick up the phone to call you for a house viewing. It might also help a buyer or tenant decide between 2 or more properties.
2. 3D Floor Plans
Source: Flipsnack
A layout of the property along with 3D accessories help a reader assess better what the space will look and feel like as a home. Sometimes, a 2D layout (like a blueprint) isn’t as easy to decipher. In such cases, a 3D layout helps.
3. High Quality Photos
Source: Designers Up North
Good images are indispensable for brochures, and alone can be compelling enough to convince a potential client to take a property into consideration for renting or buying. Thus having high quality, well-lit and inviting photos showcasing the best features the property has to offer is a great idea, as you can see in the example above.
4. Descriptions (compelling but short)
Source: Designers Up North
Short real estate descriptions can really add value to your brochure. But what should you include? As you can see in the example above, use short captions to enhance the imagery and give your customers vision, punctuate properly, don’t repeat yourself, and be accurate.
5. Real estate agent contact details
Source: FitsmallBusiness
Your contact details should be easily spotted by all the people who may be interested in asking questions, viewing properties and buying. Making it a bit more personal by adding a photograph is also a great idea, as it helps position your business as more approachable, like in the template above.
6. Map
Source: Visit
Adding a map to your brochure, like in the one above, is a great way to expand a prospective buyer’s perception of the property, and show them the larger neighborhood. Make sure you add a pin to mark the exact location of your property on the map.
Pro tip: You can also create digital brochures to showcase on your website or social media. Simply take all of the information you would use in your brochure and turn it into a catalogue for your property or business. This template from InVideo is a great one to use if you want to do this.
Tools that help
- To create print brochures from premade templates: Flipsnack
- To create premium real estate templates: Envato Elements
- For well written brochure content: Designers Up North
B. Business Cards
Why business cards help
As a real estate marketer, a good business card is often the foundation on which your social network gets built because it’s a medium that gets your name out. Real estate business cards carry your contact information, credentials, and are an avenue to the rest of your work.
Experts claim that an eye-catching business card can increase business by 2.5 percent for every 2,000 cards you hand out. Moreover, data suggests that 89% of home buyers would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others; when that happens, your business card is the magic ticket to bring potential referrals on board.
How to use business cards for real estate marketing
Joe Schifiani of Affordable Realty Services in New Mexico, like several other realtors, swears by designing a double-sided card with useful information on the back. A holiday or yearly calendar, tips for a new homeowner, and even quotes about real estate add extra incentive for customers to hold on to your card.
Have a look at some examples of real estate business cards for inspiration:
Source: Brandly
Points to keep in mind
- Use an easy to read font. Graphic designer Cindi Lombardi says people choose fonts poorly because they pick one they like, not the ones that work. Pick a serious font that conveys you are a competent realtor, but one with rounded edges. Fonts with rounded edges are softer and express friendliness
- Perfect your business card etiquette to ensure you get the maximum returns on this investment.
- Digitize the information on your business card by turning it into a quick 10-15 second video. This is useful for sharing over contact and business details over the phone if you’re not able to meet a potential client in person to give them a physical business card. You can create one using templates from InVideo, like this one.
Tools which can help
- For real estate business card templates: Canva
- To print business cards: Brandly
C. Open House Signs
Why open house signs help
As far as marketing materials for real estate agents go, the humble old open house yard sign is a promising one, as it can help fill up a client database with a low time & resources commitment. Data suggests that one out of ten people found their home through a yard sign or open house.
How you should use open house signs for real estate marketing
You can use yard signs to advertise open houses, just sold properties, and as signage to guide prospective buyers towards your open house. A yard sign, besides being a sturdy advertising medium for your properties, also doubles up as a way for you to show off your marketing skills in a memorable way. We’ve got two excellent yard sign case studies for you that illustrate how to get both right:
#1 - Compass, Manhattan
This Manhattan based luxury real estate company took the old yard sign and gave it a high-tech twist. In addition to its unusual and compelling shape, Compass’s yard signs are illuminated by a futuristic-looking circle made of an LED light. But their coolest addition is this: if anyone with the Compass app approaches it, the listing data gets beamed to them immediately. If not, there is a prominent QR code that will encourage them to download it.
#2 - Climb Real Estate, San Francisco
This real estate agency went even more radical and used an eye-catching silver Airstream trailer as a sign to draw in curious San Franciscans and Oaklanders. Inside they would find a friendly Climb agent ready to answer all their burning questions about buying, selling, or renting real estate in the city.
While yard signs may appear to be pretty straightforward, there are a few tricks that can make them truly stand out and attract buyers. Here’s how you should go about using them:
1) Timing: Putting up a yard sign when it’s bright and sunny outside and closer to the days you’re hosting an open house is a good idea; this way, you can be sure that people who are out and about will notice it
2) Location: The primary objective of an open house sign is to capture drive-by traffic, but don’t do it 10 miles away in every direction. Instead, place your signs at major entrance points to the community and major crossroads. Also consider putting open house signs around highly active weekend locations like shopping centers, grocery stores, farmers markets, restaurants, parks and other outdoor recreation areas.
3) Contact Details: Use vanity numbers; they are extremely easy to remember and subsequently hold a much higher recall value than the usual 10-digit telephone number. If prospective customers are able to easily commit your business’s number to memory, the chance of them calling you instead of your competitors is quite high. Vanity numbers utilize call tracking systems which allow businesses to track every incoming call, down to the date, time, originating phone number, and duration of the call. A detailed intake of every call allows companies to proactively follow up on leads. This feature makes data collection simple and allows for easy assessment of the effectiveness of various advertising and marketing channels
Points to keep in mind
- Yard signs for open houses are not easy to read from a distance, or while driving; so keep it minimal with a ‘just sold’, ‘open house’ or ‘under contract’ status with your logo and contact
- Use your brand colors to increase recall and help your brand get recognized
Tools which can help
- Set up a Vanity Phone Number: Grasshopper offers an amazing free trial with one vanity phone number and three extensions
D. Postcards
Why postcards help
Another old school, super simple, yet effective and versatile print real estate marketing material is the postcard. Postcards help attract more listings and clients according to NAR’s Home Buyer and Seller Generational 2019 Trends, which proved that sending out postcards is a method that outperforms TV and real estate magazine features.
How to use postcards for real estate marketing
The use of postcards typically aligns with a real estate farming approach, where listings are coming to you due to your local positioning and other direct mail pieces, and not through you chasing the listings. Real estate postcard marketing isn’t about mailing as many postcards to as many homes as possible; it’s an effort which requires time and persistence.
Here’s how a realtor breaks it down:
“Let’s assume that you are going to mail an area of 500 homes and you’re going to mail that area 18 times (8 times in the first 2 months and then once per month for the following 10). That means that you have mailed a total of 9,000 postcards. At 70¢ each those real estate postcards cost you $6,300 over the course of the year. Now let’s assume that the average selling price of a home on your farm is $350k and that you get a 3% commission. That means that off of each listing you will receive a $10,500 commission. If you get and sell just one listing from your postcard farming you’ve already gotten your money back plus profited over $4,000. If you sell 2 you’ve more than doubled your money!”
You can turn postcards into vouchers, thank you cards, invitations to open houses, season’s greetings, and introductions to your services. Have a look at some examples of effective real estate marketing postcards below.
Source: The Wise Pelican
Source: The Wise Pelican
Source: The Wise Pelican
Points to keep in mind
Experts suggest that when it comes to using postcards as a real estate marketing material, you should look for areas which meet the following criteria:
- At least a 6% annual turnover rate (6% of houses sell each year)
- No one agent is selling more than 25% of the homes
When it comes to the mailing strategy, remember this:
- Mail postcards minimum of once per month
- For the first 8 weeks, mail more frequently (but not more than once per week)
- Maintain consistency in what you mail: consistency in branding and messaging. If possible, keep the pieces almost identical
- Do not expect immediate returns; plan on mailing real estate postcards for 9 months before seeing the returns
E. Posters
Why posters help
Larger than brochures and smaller than billboards, posters are good marketing materials for realtors. Compared to costly magazine and newspaper ads, posters are cost effective and extremely promising when placed strategically.
Fun fact: Posters have the longest shelf life, and are likely to stay in the limelight for much longer than any of your other marketing materials. Owing to this, a potential buyer has 24/7 access to the poster and the information you put on it!
How to use posters for real estate marketing
The right location and message are essential for a successful poster marketing campaign. A poster placed in a high traffic area, for instance, will help you reach a variety of people all at once. Experts suggest being more specific and selective. By first studying the locality you want to advertise in, and then studying your target audience, you’ll be able to ascertain where best to place your poster. Think shopping centers, lobbies, coffee shops or cafeterias.
You can use posters to showcase recent local home sales, promote new listings and open houses, or target renters with relevant local statistics. If you want to position yourself as a part of the community, organize a community fundraiser, or show your support for a local school sports team or program and make a poster advertising that.
Have a look at some real estate posters examples below.
Source: New World Group
Source: Open Project
Source: Eco World
Tools that help
- For Poster templates: My Creative Shop
- To print out Posters: PosterBurner or Canon Poster Printers
F. Flyers
Why flyers help
In the contemporary period, flyers have earned a rep for being cumbersome and passé. But with so many real estate marketers focusing online, experts suggest that distributing flyers strategically can help you cover fresh ground. A flyer can be a powerful real estate marketing material. For one, it’s remarkably cheap to produce, and two, it brings a considerable return on investment.
Watch this video to learn more about why you should include flyers in your real estate marketing materials.
How to use flyers for real estate marketing
The trick to making your flyers work for you is getting placement right. Have a look at the infographic below to learn how.
What kind of flyers should you make and what information should you include? Think listings, COVID status updates, Free Home Appraisal Flyers, Agent Profile Real Estate Marketing Flyers, and Holiday & Season’s Greetings Flyers. Have a look at some examples below.
Source: PhotoAdKing
Source: PhotoAdKing
Source: PhotoAdKing
Source: PhotoAdKing
Points to keep in mind
- Keep your target audience in mind and include imagery they will find appealing
- Develop multiple designs that are targeted at particular demographics to test what produces results
- Develop a strong headline that piques your recipient’s interest to read more. Likewise, the sub-headline needs to give enough detail about the listing
- List out the steps they can take to discover the price if they’re looking to learn more about your listing
- Include a call to action and contact information
- Include your contact information and website on the flyer. As a bonus, include a QR code or dedicated landing page so you can track your flyer’s ROI and the lead’s progression down your lead funnel
- Add a personal touch by including messaging about a house being perfect for a family due to its neighborhood qualities and amenities
Tools that help
- To create stunning flyers: Jigglar
- To learn more about flyers: Video tutorial
Wrapping Up
Now that you know about the different real estate marketing materials, you’re ready to move forward, strategise, reach out to the right collaborators and take your business to new heights this new year. As you do that feel free to peruse this list of real estate marketing materials to get a better grasp of how to go about marketing your business. You can also read our various guides on real estate marketing if you want to further learn how to execute your real estate marketing plan successfully.
And if you want to excel at video marketing, you definitely should check out our YouTube channel, where we share daily video creation tips and tricks, the latest video trends and ideas that help you get more leads via video.
This post was written by Kasturi and edited by Adete from Team InVideo
