The start of a new year brings with it the optimism, predictions, and energy to start fresh with new goals. As agents consider their real estate marketing, this is the perfect time to put in motion those tactics and updates you’ve been “meaning to get to” for far too long.
Good news: We did the digging for you. We went through our posts and compiled the most essential real estate marketing resources you’ll need to grow your business in 2015. That includes advice for your website, content, branding, career, and marketing listings. How did we narrow our list? We focused on our most read and shared posts — the ones that have really given your fellow agents a leg up.
So read on for the best real estate marketing articles to help jumpstart your success in 2015. (Note: We suggest bookmarking this post so you can refer to it over and over.)
1) A Guide for New Agents
If you’re a new real estate agent looking to achieve success this year, our Beginner’s Guide to Being a Real Estate Agent will lay out the information you need to get started on the right foot. We walk you through the essential points of being an agent: where to work, familiarizing yourself with the market, and what you need to know about leads, listings, and building a brand. If you’re more of a visual learner, our 5 Keys to Success infographic will also be perfect for you.
Read: Beginner’s Guide to Being a Real Estate Agent
2) Create a Great Real Estate Bio
In the online world, your bio may be the first real interaction a website visitor has with you and can greatly influence whether they decide to contact you. Learn the key features of effective bios that make you an attractive agent, and see agent bio examples that are make a strong impression.
Read: How to Write an Agent Bio & 10 Knockout Examples
3) Guide to Personal Branding
Becoming a notable force in your area isn’t difficult, so long as you brand yourself creatively. Here are 26 fundamentals for creating a personal brand that speaks volumes and sets you apart from other agents in your market.
See: Personal Branding: The Complete A to Z Guide to Doing It Right [Infographic]
4) Launching Your Website with a Bang
Those just launching a website or those looking for a boost in traffic will benefit equally from this post. We first outline the fundamentals of launching a real estate website from start to finish, and then show you how to build effective buzz for your site to get a consistent flow of traffic.
Read: How to Launch Your Real Estate Website with a Bang
5) Choosing the Right Real Estate Domain Name
Forget what you think you know about picking an effective domain name: Learn how your domain name impacts search engine rankings and how to choose the right keywords and phrases to get found.
6) Mastering SEO
How you optimize your online presence is just as important as how your website looks and feels. Our keys to local search engine optimization will give you the tools to research your market and use targeted keywords and content so your website will rank highest for those terms.
Read: 7 Keys to Local SEO for Real Estate Marketing
7) Must-Have Website Design Elements for 2015
Website design changes rapidly, which means staying on top of new trends is a must in today’s market. Get a competitive edge with these modern website features that are wowing leads and gaining big traffic.
Read: The Real Estate Website Design Elements You Need to Succeed
8) Gathering Online Reviews
Peer recommendations are one of the greatest influences on consumer decisions. Online reviews and testimonials can make or break a lead’s decision, and agents who collect an arsenal of positive online reviews can simplify lead generation and enhance their personal brand. Learn how to ask for reviews and the best places to post them for high visibility.
See: [Infographic] Insider’s Guide to Online Reviews for Real Estate: How to Use Customer Feedback to Grow Your Local Business
9) Marketing Tips from Pros
We asked some of the top online marketers what makes for a successful business, and we got their most insightful answers. Check out this slideshow to learn the marketing ideas that lead to success and what these experts predict for marketing in 2015.
See: Real Estate Marketing Ideas from the Experts: How to Grow a Successful Business in 2015 [Slideshow]
10) Ideas to Power Your Business
If you’re seeking new creative ways to showcase your brand, optimize your web presence, generate new business, and more, try out one of our 107 real estate marketing ideas. We provide actionable tips for every agent level, from fundamental to advanced to cutting-edge. Find out what’s missing from your current strategy and make a marketing wish list for 2015.
See: 107 Proven Real Estate Marketing Ideas
11) Creating Great Content Marketing for Real Estate
Use our guide to find out the features that define great content marketing and how to make it an essential part of your real estate marketing strategy.
Read: Guide to Creating Killer Content for Real Estate Marketing
12) Use Content to Nurture and Convert Leads
For sustained business growth, your content should help convert leads into customers. Our post outlines the types of content that will help move leads through each stage of the sales cycle, and how to prepare for the time it will take to nurture clients.
Read: Seal the Deal: Using Content to Nurture Real Estate Leads
13) Paid Advertising Fundamentals
Approaching the terrain of paid marketing can feel perplexing, but our post simplifies things, offering an introduction to the major advertising options you can use, how to budget and prepare your ads, and how to track them.
Read: The Real Estate Advertising Guide for New Agents
14) Write Great Listing Copy
In a sea of listings, it’s important that you make yours stand out. Use these real estate listing copy tips to create a story that showcases not only the wonderful specifications of your listings, but also the property’s surrounding area.
Read: How to Write Great Real Estate Listing Copy
15) Build an Email List
Email is many times a higher traffic source than organic search and social media, so building an email list is critical to real estate marketing success. Learn how to build your list with strategic tactics used both on your website and elsewhere online, as well as how to engage your newsletter audience so they always open your emails.
Read: How to Build a Real Estate Email Marketing List
Real estate agent success starts with a good plan. Use our real estate business plan template to outline your goals, calculate your benchmarks, and measure your progress throughout the year.
In what other areas of your business or marketing would you like to grow this year? What are your favorite resources for real estate marketing advice? Let us know in the comments below!