Social Media Etiquette for Realtors – Learn the best practices for real estate agents on Facebook and Instagram to increase engagement and build relationships.
Today, we are going to talk about social media etiquette for Realtors. If you haven’t noticed, there is a LOT of animosity and negativity circulating in the social media world right now. You’ve probably witnessed your fair share of confrontational comments and political statements. There always seem to be plenty of hot-button issues to talk about on social media, and now more than ever, the general public is feeling emboldened to be “real” about exactly how they feel on their social media profiles.
While it is always important to be authentic, you must find a way to keep things more neutral. And in a time of COVID-19, as a Realtor, you must find that middle ground while continuing to be present and supportive of your community.
VIDEO: Social Media Etiquette for Realtors
The lowest producing agent is the “secret” agent
If you aren’t on at least Instagram and Facebook, and if you aren’t posting regularly to those platforms, you may as well not exist. Not having a social media presence used to be an acceptable preference. But, the issue with that mindset now is that during times like these (with a global pandemic, etc.), social media is where the world is “hanging out.” If you aren’t active on social media, you are a “secret” agent. And the lowest producing agent is the kind that doesn’t bother to participate in social media.
All that said, you need to be more careful than ever about what you’re putting out there. Regardless of your beliefs, political stance, and opinions, you must be more aware of what you’re posting to social media.
Adjust how you play the game
Now, I’m not saying that I advocate for this one way or the other. My personal option does not matter here. I am simply saying that you must be open to adjusting how you play the game as the pieces move around. COVID-19 is actively affecting our constructs as a society, whether we like it or not. It is possible that more and more business will be moved to a virtual space. As a Realtor, you must pivot and adjust the way you do business.
Right now, and for the next several months at the very least, you are going to need to be comfortable interacting in this social media space at a higher level. This is why it is more important than ever to take care as you make choices about what you are posting to social media.
Social media etiquette for Realtors in a time of personal political ranting
Think of it this way. If you went to a Realtor’s website years ago and saw that there were parts of the website filled with political rants, how would you feel? You’d probably feel like that Realtor was not very professional. That Realtor would likely lose a lot of business because of this.
Here’s the deal: any given political statement or rant will alienate roughly half of the population. If a certain politician wins a given election by 54%, it’s considered a landslide victory. Even so, that means that 46% of the constituents voted against this elected official. Therefore, no matter if you are posting in favor of this politician or against, you will be pushing roughly half of your social media followers away.
As you know, real estate is a largely referral-based business. In that way, alienating half of your social media followers is going to do a lot more damage than you might think. You can assume that you will be getting significantly less referrals as a result. Why would you knowingly alienate half, or more, of your target market?
“It’s my right to say what I want.”
Yes! This is true. You are protected under the Bill of Rights to have free speech and post your opinions on social media. However, I am advising you to be diplomatic. Keep your personal beliefs. Have a filter when it comes to social media posting, and your business will reap the benefit. Social media etiquette for Realtors is a tricky business. That said, you will find that it is better to be safe than sorry if you care to see your business succeed through this trying time.
What about religious statements?
Everything we have talked about so far in this blog post also applies to religious beliefs. In the same way, it’s important to realize that if you openly post your religious preferences, you may be alienating people who believe differently. It can be more extreme depending on where you live and what the demographic consists of, but in general, it is always best to remain neutral. Don’t post anything extreme unless you don’t mind alienating potential customers.
Other social media etiquette tips for Realtors
If you are focused on growing your career as a real estate agent, take down old photos that may compromise the public’s opinion of you. Pull everything off of your social media profile that is not vanilla. If it helps you, imagine that you are running for mayor. Think about what you would want your constituents to see when they look you up online. One can assume that photos of red solo cups and less-than-sober behavior would not win you the vote.
Delete old images and posts that no longer serve you! We all grow up, we change careers, and we need to make adult decisions in an adult space. I’m not telling you how to live your life, but don’t post incriminating party photos. And, what’s the point of leaving up old snapshots from a time when you made questionable choices? Just take them down.
When a potential client looks you up online, they are going to find your social media profiles. It is the easiest thing to do, and it provides the potential client with an unofficial background check before they reach out to you. This is why you must make them as professional as possible! It could make or break your chances of gaining a new client.
Link your personal Facebook page to your business Facebook page
On Facebook, make sure that your personal Facebook page is linking visitors directly to your business page. For your place of work, provide a link to your business Facebook page. Don’t link to your brokerage! Make sure that you are keeping your visitor with you and not sending them to other agents at your brokerage.
Your business page on Facebook serves two purposes. One, it allows a potential client who finds you on Facebook to check out if you are “legit” and professional. The second reason is if you want to run paid advertisements on Facebook.
What to post to your personal Facebook page
Ok, so we’ve talked a lot in this blog post about what not to post to your Facebook page. So, what should you be posting to your personal Facebook page? It’s pretty simple. Post about your family. Share your hobbies. Keep it wholesome and show that you are a real human with real interests. This is all good stuff! Keep it positive and you will attract your clients to you.
