Real estate is a business about people. No one buys a home because they read an advertisement. They buy a house because they like the real estate agent and want to work with them to make one of the biggest investments they will ever make. This is why LinkedIn is so important to real estate agents and brokers today.
Many real estate agents still use LinkedIn as an opportunity to set up an online profile and then never go back to it. This misses the chance to develop relationships.
LinkedIn is where you establish your expertise, build trust, become known, and then end up with clients. It’s not like other social networks because people go there to find jobs, information, business opportunities, investment opportunities and experts. This is important for real estate because it’s a place where people looking to buy, invest, start a business, develop land or move are already hanging out.
If you use LinkedIn correctly, it’s not a place where you find leads. It becomes a process where leads come to you because they like and trust you.
Why LinkedIn Works So Well for Real Estate Clients
Not many people make impulsive decisions when it comes to real estate. They do their research, they shop around and most significantly, they find a trusted advisor. LinkedIn is a great platform for this process because it enables people to connect with each other well before making a transaction.
A buyer or seller may find your page weeks or months before they decide to purchase or sell. While they are browsing they may read your articles and see what you are saying, and gradually come to appreciate you as a real estate expert. You are familiar to them by the time they really need a real estate agent.
That’s where LinkedIn can help. It establishes your presence, so often making leads warmer and more likely to make a decision. LinkedIn also works so well because it is speaking to a good audience. You are talking to people who often have the money, authority and ambition.
Building a Profile That Creates Trust Immediately
Your LinkedIn profile is your first impression. If it outlines the expertise and clients you work with, prospects are reassured and secure knowing you can help them.
Jake Miakota, CEO of Subdivisions, explains, “Your headline is important in this. It should convey your specialty or value proposition so your visitors understand what you do. This will help a user determine whether they want to read more about you.
The About section is important because it tells people about you. It should explain how you work, who you work with and what you do for clients. If you do this right, it increases people’s trust in you, and makes them more likely to reach out and connect.
Understanding Who You Actually Want to Attract
It can be difficult marketing real estate on LinkedIn. A big issue is that people are not clear about what they want to say. Many real estate professionals want to sell to everybody. This means they don’t say anything that really resonates. If you know who you want to work with, you can get more clients.
If you want to attract investors, you should write about topics that interest investors. If you want to work with relocations, you should discuss their concerns. If you want to work with home buyers and sellers, you should talk like an expert about the housing market and buying and selling homes.
If you are clear about your specialisation, people will be more likely to remember you. For instance, real estate LinkedIn marketing is made much easier when you are known to work with a particular type of client or serve a particular niche in real estate. If they need your type of assistance, you are more likely to come to mind.
Using Content to Build Authority and Attract Clients
LinkedIn is a great platform for content, but you need to do it properly. Many real estate agents just post listings, but this doesn’t usually lead to trust. To get known as an expert, it is important to share content that educates people about the real estate market.
This can be done by telling people about the state of prices, investment opportunities, helping them understand the buying and selling process, and breaking down real estate concepts. This helps people see that you are an expert in real estate and not just a salesperson.
The purpose of content is not to always be selling. You want to teach people something so they trust your ability to assist them.
Moving From Selling to Educating
An easy way to change up your LinkedIn strategy is to stop selling and start teaching. In general, people do not like to read content that is being sold to them. They do respond to content that educates them. When you explain what’s going on in the real estate market or teach buyers what to look out for when they are buying a home, you are educating them, not selling to them.
This helps people view you as an expert on the real estate market rather than someone who is just selling real estate. And that trust is what eventually leads to developing client relationships.
Consistency That Builds Long-Term Visibility
Consistency is key on LinkedIn. The more you consistently produce high-value content and connect with others, the more people will get to know you. And when they know you, they will trust you. They might even connect with you if they have been seeing you regularly (even if they have never talked to you).
That’s why it’s important to be consistent, rather than just posting a lot. By being active on LinkedIn, you allow people to keep seeing and knowing you, and to become more familiar with your name. And that recognition may translate into opportunity.
Networking With Intent, Not Random Connections
LinkedIn is designed to help you connect with others in your line of business. For those in real estate, this can translate to business opportunities. You want to make connections with investors, business owners, relocation professionals and others in the real estate industry.
These people may be able to provide referrals and may introduce you to others that need your services. It is better to have a small number of quality connections, rather than a large number of unimportant ones. If you connect with the right people, they can help you on your journey.
Using Messaging Without Breaking Trust
You have to be careful when you message on LinkedIn. If you sound too pushy, they may not want to talk to you anymore. But if you show that you’re genuine, then people will think you’re warm and genuine. Don’t try and sell something right away.
Rather, try to have a conversation. Perhaps you have a common interest you can talk about or talk about the real estate market. If you are genuine, people will be interested. Then, you can subtly introduce the topic of real estate.
Building Authority Through Thought Leadership
John Swann, Founder of John Buys Your House, notes, “Thought leadership plays a major role in client acquisition on LinkedIn. When prospects see frequent expressions of opinions that are well-educated, a perception of expertise is established.
This doesn’t require rocket science. It just means sharing insights that enable people to make better decisions when buying, selling or investing.
By consistently providing valuable insights, prospects come to see you as an expert. Which can be critical when they are looking for an agent to work with later on.
Turning Engagement Into Real Opportunities
What a lot of people don’t realise about LinkedIn is engagement. These are people who are often interested in real estate, but may not be ready to talk to you just yet. This can lead to conversations in the future. Engaging with comments, continuing to chat and thanking people for sharing your content helps them get to know you.
Many opportunities will be generated from people viewing your content for weeks or months before they engage with you.
Final Thoughts
LinkedIn is not about quick wins and spamming people when it comes to getting real estate leads. It is about developing a system to get noticed, establish trust and demonstrate credibility with time.
If your LinkedIn profile is clear, your real estate content is valuable, you are selective about who you connect with and you engage with people, LinkedIn becomes a valuable and reliable lead source. Real estate is about trust, so in most cases, it is worth investing in building your brand.
