Pros and Cons of Real Estate in Media Culture
Real Estate has always been viewed as a luxurious profession, especially for those who deal in the selling of multi-million dollar properties in big cities. The freedom and potential that comes with the ability to be your own boss often leads people down the path of money and influence if utilized correctly. More recently, we have seen the celebrity of the real estate agent more and more in the media.
With shows such as Selling Sunset, Property Brothers, and House Hunters, real estate has dominated the television landscape for a number of years now. As social media has become increasingly more prevalent, however, real estate agents have begun to build followings of their own, highlighting themselves and their work rather than solely focusing on the property they deal. With an online presence, especially one that has a decent following, however, there comes both pros and cons. Keep reading to find out the benefits and setbacks that come with social media marketing as a real estate agent.
Pros: Curated Brand and More Exposure
One of the most difficult parts of marketing used to be the hurdles that came along with creating a curated brand. The options were limited, you may be able to hang a flier or put an ad in the paper or on T.V., but you really had no way of knowing who saw it, what they thought about it, or if you were even getting your money’s worth.
Social media has completely changed the marketing landscape, not only can you keep a consistent presence that is designed completely to your liking, but you can also see the metrics on how many people have seen it and whether they literally ‘like’ it or not.
Along with this brand presence, you also have an automatic increased exposure. People spend a lot of time on their phones, probably more than they should, and when you have an established presence on social media you will be reaching a lot more people than word of mouth or a billboard ever could. Additionally, this exposure likely resonates better with clients than a traditional advertisement would. In the unique way that social media operates, clients may feel as though they found you, instead of feeling bombarded by an ad.
Cons: Tricky and Time Consuming
Although there are several pros to having a social media presence, many of them become moot when the account is not properly run. Social media is useful if properly utilized, many people hire out people or companies to run their socials because it can be a daunting task. Making sure you have good visuals, a proper posting schedule, and know how to target your desired demographic is key to success on all platforms.
Proper management of your social accounts includes spending a proper amount of time working on upkeep. Many people underestimate the amount of time it properly takes to run a social media account in a week. Putting time into taking photos, editing, writing, and posting can take several hours per week, especially if done correctly. For many people, this time commitment, or cost if they choose to hire someone, is worth it.
Ultimately the decision whether or not to put your professional persona on social media is up to you. It does seem, however, that the future is online and the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to marketing yourself as a real estate professional on social media.
