Your Digital Marketing Starter Guide for Real Estate Agents

Nowadays, traditional marketing has been surpassed by the power of internet marketing. It has become a game-changer for the real estate industry.

The stats speak for themselves: According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 76% of homebuyers search for properties online, and 75% are likely to answer the phone after clicking on an ad. This shows that your target audience is already immersed in the digital world, and eager to connect and engage.

But how can you harness the power of digital marketing for your real estate business? 

In this guide for realtors, we’ll show you how to leverage digital marketing to boost your visibility engage potential clients, turn that interest into real, measurable results and close more deals.

Having helped thousands of real estate businesses across the US achieve tangible results, we’ll share the top strategies and tools to ensure your success too. Let’s dive in! 

Understanding the basics: What is digital marketing for real estate?

Marketing is the process of communication strategies to connect your “target audience” most likely to purchase your product or service.

Adding “digital” to the phrase refers to connecting with your target audience while utilizing their digital devices, desktops, tablets, mobile devices, tv, and much more nowadays (especially with Apple’s new glasses!).

The goal at the end of the day is to connect with strangers on the internet who are most likely to become actual transactions. So… 

How does this apply to the online real estate market?

The goal of online marketing for real estate agents (single or teams), brokers (small & large), or even real estate developers; is to find potential buyers or sellers currently in the market to either purchase with them or purchase a product (home/condo/etc) they are promoting. 

Since properties are not able to be purchased directly online (you can’t simply add a credit card and buy a house online, not yet at least), we will need to “generate leads” of buyers/sellers currently in the market. What we have to understand is a few things:

• Buyers/Sellers are at all different stages of their “journey”
• Online vs Offline – Generating the lead is one thing, closing the deal is another. Important to work together with your data.
• Tons of transactions are being done from people searching online, will you be the one to benefit from it?

The “Buyer Journey” – take them down the rabbit hole

The hardest thing we have to understand is we are asking to:

1. Find a “random” person on the internet, 
2. with the intention of buying/selling in our target farming areas, 
3. with the ability to afford what we are selling, 
4. with the intention of buying/selling sooner rather than later (less than 6 months) 
5. AND they are NOT working with a realtor! 

This is quite a list to fill!

But don’t worry we’ve already done it many, many, many times.

Before we can get into the “how to make money from this” lets get into how an online marketing funnel works in real estate.

• Impressions (views): This is how you get others to see you. Your current potential customers are currently using 3rd party websites like:
  • Google 
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Many, many more.

• Traffic (clicks): You need to drive traffic to your website. The reason you want to send EVERYONE to YOUR website is because you want to own the “data”.

• Conversions (name/email/phone number): You need to “capture” your traffic’s information on your website and pass that information into your database (or CRM).

• Transactions (closed deals or $ in the bank): You need to turn “random names/email/phone” into actual transactions. Turning “leads” into transactions you need to take them down the “offline” path.
  • Leads engaged with your brand
  • Leads you are speaking to “discovery call”
  • Leads you are showing the property to in person
  • Leads under contract
  • Closed deals

Visual of the funnel “flow” below:

Once you have understood the buyer journey, the next step is building a digital marketing foundation.

This process helps you identify how to turn a random internet user into a closed real estate transaction.

Building your digital marketing foundation 

1. Identify and understand your target audience

Here you’ll define your target to make your marketing more focused and effective.  Think about your ideal client. Identify the area they’re interested in, what type of properties they’re looking for, or where they are in the buying process. 

For example, you could target first-time homebuyers in “Brickell Miami” looking to buy a condo.

Perhaps your niche market is about investing properties, or luxury home buyers, each independent market has its unique needs and preferences in the market. Follow this process to learn how to market luxury real estate.

2. Create a professional real estate website tailored to your target audience

Now that you know exactly who you want to find your business, you need a website to showcase properties and your services. 

These websites let realtors, brokers, and even property owners list properties for sale or rent.

Buyers or renters can then easily browse through the listings, filtering by location, price, size, amenities, and more.

You don’t need to be a coding expert or master complicated technologies to build one.  There are a few options on the market to build a professional real estate website by yourself in just minutes.

These platforms offer an easy-to-use interface plus they are mobile-friendly and designed for fast loading, ensuring an excellent user experience that keeps potential clients engaged.

These platforms come equipped with essential features:

• IDX integration to display MLS listings directly on your website.
• Property listings with search filters to help visitors find their dream home.
• Contact Forms to make it easy for leads to reach out.
• User-friendly design to make simple navigation and ensures fast loading times.
• Responsive Design that optimizes for mobile and tablet users.

All you need is your brand identity, including your preferred colors, logo, content, and the videos or pictures you want on your site.

For some inspiration check out this list of the best real estate websites for realtors so you can choose what designs you like your website to look like.

If you’re looking for a partner to work with you every step of the way when building, designing, and launching your website integrated with IDX, our real estate website design team is here to help.

3. Optimize your real estate website for your target audience

Optimizing your site helps search engines recognize its relevance, ranking it higher than other real estate websites. 

Most home buyers and sellers begin searching online, so it’s crucial to be exactly where they are searching for services like yours.

The stats are clear. According to Firstpagesage pages Position 1 on search results gets 39.6% of the clicks, Position 2 gets 18.4%, and Position 3 gets 10.2%.   Plus, a higher ranking not only boosts your visibility but also increases your chances of closing a deal. Leads from SEO (organic traffic) have a closing rate of 14.6%.

The real estate industry is competitive, so you want to appear first in the search results, increasing the chances your audience will choose you over the competition.

Use Search “Everywhere” Optimization to boost your website’s visibility on search engines like Google, and Bing, and optimize your social media platforms for users that search for content, and information based on specific keywords, hashtags, or queries. 

Unlike traditional search engines that index the web, social media platforms specialize in user-generated content, a unique form of searchable data.

3.1. Find the right keywords

Identify keywords relevant to your business and focus on a mix of short-tail keywords (e.g., “real estate”) and long-tail keywords (e.g., “affordable homes in Miami”).

You can use free or paid tools to find niche keywords like ( “homes in [location]”, “condos in [location]”, “Luxury homes for sale in [location]” or “Property management services” ) and add them to your website’s page titles, headings, and descriptions. The more specific you are with your keywords the better.

Remember SEO keywords are different from SEM (search engine marketing) or paid keywords which lies in their usage and purpose:

• SEO focuses on gaining organic traffic using keywords naturally within content.
• SEM involves investing in keywords for paid search visibility.

When potential buyers search for properties using those keywords, Google recognizes your content as relevant, helping your website rank higher in search results.

Nowadays is also important to find voice search keywords, which are terms or phrases people use when conducting voice searches through devices like smartphones, smart speakers, or virtual assistants.

Regularly create useful content such as blog posts based on local market trends and tips naturally incorporating keywords.

Here is a quick overview of the best free keyword research tools you can use.

3.2. Optimize for conversions

A visitor to your website isn’t a client, yet.

To convert them into paying customers, you need to guide them through a strategic process. Since properties can’t be purchased directly online, you can’t just advertise a property and expect someone to enter their credit card details immediately.

Their experience needs to be seamless.

Well-designed landing pages play a huge role in converting traffic into leads. You can optimize your site by utilizing:

• High-Quality Visuals: Use professional photos and videos of properties.
• Search Filters: Allow users to easily refine results (price, location, amenities).
• Client Testimonials: Display reviews or success stories for trust-building.
• Lead Capture Forms: Use forms to collect user data with clear incentives (e.g., free market reports).

The goal is to get them to take action utilizing engaging CTA (call-to-action) and Hooks, such as a button, image, or video, in exchange for their contact information (name, last name, email and phone number).

Some valuable offers ideas to include in your CTA are:

• Information about your real estate services
• Expert home-buying tips or seller’s guides
• Schedule a virtual tour or demo of a property
• A free property consultation or home valuation

Each step is designed to spark their interest to move them closer to becoming a prospect.

Then you can follow up on them utilizing your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) which helps you keep track of user activity throughout your website and understand what they are actively searching for.

Transactions (Deals)

After you collect the contact information of your traffic called now “leads” (potential clients), the goal is to turn your leads into real transactions.

To do this, you move leads through an offline process:

1. Leads engaged with your brand: 

Once you have their data, you start nurturing the relationship to engage them with your brand. Here, your potential clients show interest in your business by interacting with your website, emails, or social media.

2. Leads you are speaking to: 

When a lead responds to your outreach, the goal is to schedule a call. This allows you to better understand their needs and explain how your services can provide the right solutions.

3. Leads You Are Showing Property to In Person: 

Following your call, the next step is to arrange in-person meetings to provide private tours of properties that align with their preferences. This personal interaction helps build trust and move them closer to making a decision.

4. Leads Under Contract: 

At this stage, the lead has committed to purchasing a property, and both parties have signed the agreement. The process is now progressing toward closing the deal.

5. Closed Deals: 

The transaction is complete, the sale is finalized, and the deal is officially closed, resulting in a successful outcome.

Conclusion

Digital marketing has revolutionized the real estate industry, shifting how realtors connect with potential buyers and sellers.

With the majority of homebuyers starting their journey online, a robust digital strategy is no longer optional—it’s essential. You can transform passive interest into actionable leads by understanding your target audience, utilizing the right platforms, and optimizing your website for conversions.

Embracing online real estate marketing tools empowers you to expand your reach, nurture client relationships, and achieve measurable results. Those who adapt will thrive in this competitive landscape as the market evolves. A well-rounded strategy that combines organic reach with paid advertising is the key to successful real estate marketing.

By focusing on high-performing platforms like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, you can consistently connect with home buyers and sellers while building trust and authority in the industry. 

Ready to Boost Your Sales?

We Know exactly what it takes to drive real results. Let’s craft a strategy that helps you close more deals and accelerate your growth. It’s time to make things happen.

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