Creating a Real Estate Marketing Plan for 2020

It doesn't matter if you rent properties or sell them -- having a real estate marketing plan is vital. This will help ensure your listings are being found by those shopping for a new home.

But how do you go about creating this plan? And more importantly, what should you add to it?

Here's a quick dive into the various real estate marketing strategies you can use for your firm.

Host (or Make Guest Appearance) in Local Events

If you live in the city, then chances are there's always a local event happening. Put your ear to the ground to see when they're happening and what the themes are.

See if you can find one or more local events you can make a guest appearance at so you can make connections with locals. Chances are, there are a handful of people who are looking to buy or rent a home soon.

On the other hand, if there aren't many events in your area, then you can always host one yourself. It's also not uncommon for realtors to host online seminars as part of their real estate marketing plan.

Use Geo-Fencing Marketing to Target Leads

What if there was a way to show your ads to folks actively looking for a place to rent? Or that's within proximity to the homes you're trying to sell?

By adding geofencing marketing to your real estate marketing plan, you can set up virtual "fences" around the areas you want to target. In this case, a home you're trying to rent or sell. Or if you're competitive, then around a competing realtor's office.

What this does is send your ads to the smartphones of anyone who comes within that geofenced area.

This can direct home shoppers to your listings and your local office. You may even be able to steal a few clients from your competition.

Add Educational Content to Your Real Estate Marketing Plan

Content helps real estate agencies in two ways -- it builds visibility and creates trust. Google is your friend here because this is the search engine most people use.

By producing quality content consistently, you can get ranked for it in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This will then help your audience find the content, read it, and potentially reach out to your office. Just make sure your content is helpful and relevant.

The goal is to get more people on your website, so be sure your blog is connected to your main site. Then make it easy for visitors to find the link to your available listings.

On a side note -- improving your content's SEO will improve your site's ranking, as well as your listings' ranking in business directories. So, definitely don't leave website optimization out of your real estate marketing plan.

Integrate your MLS or Rental Listings in Your Site

Your website visitors are looking for a new home. If you don't have a place where they can view your available rentals, then you'll lose prospects fast.

This is why we recommend using a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feed as part of your real estate marketing plan.

Most realtors integrate software or apps that allow them to upload and update their listings on their site in real-time. This is essential because you don't want any outdated listings that'll confuse and frustrate prospective renters and buyers.

If you don't want to use a tool, you can always create a section on your site to list the places on your own.

Claim or Add Your Business Listing to Directories

We mentioned earlier about how SEO can help your ranking in business directories. But to reap the benefits of your SEO, you must first claim or create your listings in these directories.

Now, there are over 70 to choose from, but a great start is with the most popular -- Google My Business, Yelp, Yahoo Local, and Bing Places.

If the idea of filling out profiles for dozens of directories sounds like too much, then you can use increase your web presence. This will enable you to create and edit your listings across all of these platforms.

No more doing each listing one at a time. Just make sure your GoSite entries are completely filled out, and the tool will do the rest!

It's a win-win for your real estate marketing plan.

Ask Tenants and Buyers for Reviews

Each time you close a deal on a lease or sale, make it a habit to ask the buyer to leave you a review. You can give them a card with the URL or send them a reminder email with the link.

This link should take them to your Google My Business listing so they can leave their feedback. Since Google is the most widely used search engine, this will give your agency more visibility.

Adding review requests to your real estate marketing plan will help grow your business. Plus, you can use get reviews to manage all client reviews across all of your business listings.

The more good reviews and high ratings you receive, the further up in the ranks your listing will move.

Tie this in with your website SEO strategy, and you'll see results in no time!

Become a Well-Known Real Estate Agency in Your Locale

Having a presence on the web is vital if you want to attract more locals to your agency. With these real estate marketing plan ideas, you can ensure your strategy achieves this.

You'll be able to enhance your visibility on the web and boost your online reputation.

If you're ready to get started, then the first step is to download our free eGuide on how to get started with local SEO (in 5 simple steps)!