Gone are the days of driving through different neighborhoods and searching for houses and apartments with the for-sale sign. With around 50% of new homeowners finding their new homes online and only 7% finding it through the traditional yard sign, it is easy to see why online advertising is becoming very important and effective in the real estate industry. 

More and more buyers are using the internet to search and find their dream house and it is easy to see why. Today’s technology allows us to search any corner of the country for properties from the comfort of our living rooms. So, with everything that's happening online, here are 5 effective ways to sell houses with online advertising.

1. Social Media and Social Media Ads

With so many people on social media these days, it is important to have a strong online presence. Create and maintain accounts on all the major networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest). Make sure to stay active, interact with other users, post pictures and let people know about the amount of properties you have sold.

Building a strong online presence and following others is the key to success. Also, having positive reviews from past clients will make it clear to others that they should do business with you.

Facebook is your best friend when it comes to social media advertising. With over 1.5 billion daily users it is the biggest social media platform. It will help you target a certain group of people in specific locations to make sure you find the right clients for your real estate business. Ads can vary from event ads all the way up to app downloading ads. Choosing the right ads and marketing strategies will help your business reach its goals.

Don’t forget about Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, which are very useful platforms for sharing images and for showcasing your properties.

 2. Website and Apps

This is the backbone of any business that wants to be successful, especially in real estate. Your website and app are like your “base of operations”. It is where you will showcase your listings and what you are offering. Potential clients will get their first impressions about you and your business.  That is why it is very important to have a website that functions well and an app with:

• A clean and simple interface
• A search engine for clients to find specific listings
• High quality pictures of properties
• Regular updates on properties and listings
• Past client testimonials and reviews

‍3. Newsletters and Blogs

Creating a monthly newsletter is more of a direct approach when it comes to real estate online advertising. By developing an email list comprised of old clients, referrals, website sign ups and social media followers, you can create newsletters with customized content for different groups of people and offer updates on the current real estate market and latest listings.

Starting a blog can help drive potential clients to your website and app. By having quality content and articles, you can ensure your posts will show up higher in online search results and that means more people will be able to see you and your business when they search for certain topics.

4. LinkedIn

This is the biggest business-orientated social media platform with over 600 million users geared towards professional networking which enables you to build your own business portfolio and connect with people in your industry. Once you create your online profile and resume, you can start networking with people in your field of business and find new clients. 

By sharing articles and commenting on others, you will build up your portfolio and gain a bigger presence on the platform. Just like other social media platforms that are similar to Facebook and Instagram, you can pay to post ads on LinkedIn. Think carefully about what you are offering and who you want to target in order to get the best results.

In the end, LinkedIn is not your typical social media platform. Users are not online to find friends and post pictures, but instead to build professional relationships, grow their businesses and gain knowledge about the industry they are working in.

‍5. Real Estate Websites

These websites have over 123 million monthly visitors according to Statista, with Zillow being the most popular at around 36 million monthly visitors. Real estate websites allow people to search for properties by city, zip code, address and neighborhood, which makes life much easier for people who are looking for a new home. 

This gives you the opportunity to post your listings not only on your own website, but also on some of these well-established databases which again can then drive traffic back to your online platforms.

In the end, it is up to you which marketing plan you choose to go with, but make sure to always plan out your strategy in order to ensure that you get the best results possible. 👍